"Teacher From the Black Lagoon" lends itself to use on the first day of school. The student may arrive feeling anxious about you, her class, and the overall school experience. Read the story with the class, and lead a discussion about each student's fears prior to starting school. Then, ask the student to illustrate her fear using crayons and markers. If the student is older, encourage her to write a description of her fear, not simply illustrate it.
One of the students in the story, Randy, asks the monster version of Mrs. Green about spelling words for the day. Ask the child to create Randy's spelling list. Encourage him to use vocabulary words that you are studying in other areas of school. Allow each child to create his own list and share it with a peer. Have the pair practice the spelling lists.
In the book, Mrs. Green (the monster) and Mrs. Green (the real teacher) each write her name on the chalkboard for the class. For younger students, ask them to come up to the chalkboard or whiteboard and write their names. This provides writing practice, and, if this is done at the start of the year, helps students learn their classmates' names.
The boy in the story falls asleep during school and has a dream. Rather than focusing on the nightmare-like quality of his dream, focus on the dream itself. Ask students to write a story about their best dream. This can be a funny dream they once had or one that made them happy. When the students complete their writing, ask them to share with either a peer or the class. Encourage the students to add illustrations similar to the ones found in the book.