On the first day of classes, station yourself near the door so that you can meet students as they come in. Take time to greet each student by name and welcome him or her personally to the class. If parents accompany their children, take a moment to introduce yourself, ask them if they have any questions and address any concerns they may have. Direct students to the closet area and instruct them on how to hang their coats, book bags and lunch boxes.
Once all students have arrived and parents have left the classroom, take some time to introduce yourself to the class. Next, engage students in a fun activity so that they can get to know each other. You might ask students to simply stand up and introduce themselves, or play a game so that students can learn about their classmates in a fun way. Guessing games based on students' favorite colors and food are good places to start. You can also ask children to think of an animal or adjective that starts with the same letter as their name, then introduce themselves to the class with that word.
It is important to set out all classroom rules on the first day. The rules you choose will depend upon the age group you are teaching. Many teachers prefer to wait until the first day of class to establish rules so that students can help to create them. Whatever your method, take time to explain the rules of your classroom and the rationale behind them, and let students ask questions. Post the rules prominently in your classroom and refer to them regularly.
During the first day of school, make students aware of the daily schedule in your classroom. Post a schedule sheet in the room and discuss the different activities students will enjoy each day. Use this opportunity to teach students the routines that will make your classroom run smoothly. For example, make students aware of any nonverbal cues you may use in your classroom, such as flicking the lights when it is time to clean up or raising your hand when the room becomes too noisy. Let students practice these routines on the first day so that they will become comfortable.
On the first day of school, give your students a packet containing forms that must be signed by parents, including a list of classroom rules and a schedule of events for the year. It is also usually a good idea to include a school manual and important contact information. Make certain that you have information about students that you need, including medical and allergy information, and how students are expected to get home at the end of each day.
While the first day of school will keep you and your students busy with administrative tasks, take time to plan an enjoyable activity for your students. Read a fun book together,let students create their own name tags, or encourage kids to draw pictures to decorate the classroom. You can also plan a simple craft for students to take home to parents. This can help get everyone excited about being back in school.