New  Teachers  First  Days  Of  School  Guide    

Suggestions  from  Harry  Wong  on  “First  Days  Of  School”  

 

Start-­‐of-­‐School  Checklist  

� Classroom  routines  and  procedures  have  been  developed.  � Routines  and  procedures  have  been  taught  and  reinforced.  � Routines  and  procedures  are  posted  neatly  and  are  large  enough  to  be  read.  � Rules  and  consequences  are  posted.  � Heading  sample  is  displayed.  � Homework  assignments  with  due  dates  are  posted  in  the  same  place  every  day.  � Student  schedule  is  posted.  � A  signal  or  procedure  to  quite  the  class  has  been  taught  and  is  used  as  needed.  � Warm-­‐ups  (or  “bellwork”  activities)  are  used  to  start  instruction.  � Relevant  “sponge”  activities  are  used  to  maximize  instructional  time.  � Classroom  is  arranged  to  promote/facilitate  learning  activities.  � Classroom  environment  conveys  the  message  that  learning  is  important.  � Positive  calls/emails/or  messages  have  been  prepared  to  send  parents  or  guardians.  

First  Day  Script  Plan  Sample  

Greeting  each  student  at  the  door  

Welcoming  students  to  class  and  introducing  myself  

Explaining  procedures  for  arriving  in  and  leaving  class  

Explaining  rules  and  daily  procedures  

Numbering  or  labeling  assignments  

Respecting  the  classroom,  supplies,  and  technology  

Explaining  lesson  goals  

Maintaining  documents/folders  

Organizing  collected  responses  

Dismissing  students  (after  bell  rings)  “Have  a  great  day”  

 

“Sponge”  Activities  Sample  

Just  have  a  minute  or  two?  Try  these  ideas.  http://tepserver.ucsd.edu/courses/tep129/EducationalSponges.pdf  

¨  List  as  many  nouns  in  the  room  as  you  can.  

¨  List  as  many  models  of  cars  as  you  can.  

¨  List  as  many  things  as  you  can  that  have  two  wheels.  

¨  Name  cities  in  Oklahoma,  the  United  States,  foreign  countries.  

¨  Give  a  multiplication  or  division  problem  and  call  on  a  friend  to  give  the  product  or  quotient.  

¨  List  words  you  believe  will  be  in  today's  lesson.  

¨  Write  a  paragraph  which  involves  several  of  those  words  or  ideas.  

¨  Scan  the  text  to  locate  some  of  these  words.  If  some  are  located,  read  the  selections  aloud  and  discuss  the  meaning  in  context.  (This  is  good  preparation  for  reading  assignments.)  

¨  List  the  continents  of  the  world.  

¨  Name  as  many  kinds  of  storms,  gems,  precious  stones,  teachers  at  this  school,  countries  and  their  capitals,  states  and  their  capitals,  cartoon  characters,  etc.  

¨  Name  all  the  colors  you  know.  

¨  List  as  many  parts  of  an  automobile  as  you  can.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher  Procedures  Sample  (Thanks  Ms.  Garrison):  

P r o c e d u r e sP r o c e d u r e s

The following procedures are designed to ensure student success by providing students with easy to follow steps that allow them to quickly and efficiently handle daily activities in the classroom in an effort to maximize learning.

è Procedure for entering the classroom

When entering the room for your class period please do the following:

1. Take your belongings to your assigned seat. 2. Make sure you have a sharpened pencil or a pen that works. 3. Put your cell phone/device away. 4. Start the bell work that is posted on the board at the front of the room. 5. Sit quietly while the teacher takes roll.

è Procedure for Submitting Homework

Homework is due at the beginning of your class period. All work not submitted by the time the bell rings will be considered late. Late work will not be accepted.

1. Make sure your name, date, hour, and the name of the assignment are on your paper in the top right hand corner.

2. Pull off any spiral edges that may be on your paper and throw the edges in the trash. 3. Staple the 2nd and subsequent pages of your homework to the first page. 4. Submit your homework when asked by passing your paper to the person on your

right. The teacher will then assign one student to collect the papers at his/her desk, and the teacher will pick them up.

è Bell Ringer Procedure

Bell Ringers will be done everyday that we are in class. It typically consists of grammar practice, vocabulary, analogies, or journal work. You will have five minutes to complete bell ringer from the time the bell rings at the beginning of your class. Bell ringer should be completed silently on your own.

1. Start bell ringer immediately after you’ve made sure you have the correct materials for class and have taken your assigned seat. Do not wait for the bell to ring to start bell ringer.

2. Each Monday you will start a new bell ringer page. 3. Put your name, date, hour, and “Bell Ringer” in the upper right hand corner of your

paper. 4. On the top line of the paper write the date the paper was started. 5. On the second line of the paper, complete the bell ringer assignment for Monday. 6. For each subsequent day of the week you will start a new section of your paper,

labeling it with the proper date. 7. Bell ringers will turned in every Friday. 8. If you are absent or missed bell work on any day during the week you will be

responsible for making up the missed bell ringer as soon as possible, even if it means completing two bell ringer assignments in one day.

è Procedure for Lectures and/or Taking Notes in Class

Due to the nature of this course, teacher and student-lead lectures and presentations are a near daily occurrence.

1. When the teacher announces that there will be a lecture or a presentation, immediately get out paper and a pen or pencil.

2. Listen actively by keeping your head off of your desk and sitting forward in your seat. 3. Listen for clues from the teacher that a specific piece of information should be written

down in your notes. These clues include repeating an idea or concept several times or saying phrases like “This will be on a test” or “You will need to know this.” It is never necessary for you to write every word the teacher says or every word from a slideshow presentation.

4. Write as quickly as possible by developing a set of abbreviations that you can easily decipher when you review your notes later.

è Procedure for Group Work in Class

Group work, also known as collaborative learning, is also an integral part of this course. Working in groups does not, however, mean that you are not responsible for doing your own work.

1. You are responsible for your own job and the results of the group. 2. If you have a question, ask your support buddies. Do not ask the teacher. 3. You must be willing to help if a support buddy asks for help. 4. If no one can answer a question, agree on a single question and appoint one person to

raise a hand to ask for help from the teacher. 5. Do not use cell phones during group work, unless you’ve been given specific permission.

è Procedure for Leaving the Room

If you need to leave the room to use the restroom, go to the office or your locker, or for other reasons please do the following:

1. You may not leave the room during lectures or presentations unless it is a dire emergency.

2. Raise your hand while remaining seated and ask for permission to attend to the chore you need to take care of.

3. After receiving permission from the teacher, fill out the Hall Pass Record at the bottom of the calendar pages in your SHS Student agenda and present it for a signature.

4. Quickly take care of your business and return to class without disrupting your peers.

è Procedure for Grading Peer Work in Class

There are many times we will grade each other’s work in class. When the teacher makes the announcement that we will grade an assignment in class please do the following:

1. Hand your assignment to be graded to a person close to you. Do not leave your seat to have a student across the room grade your paper for you.

2. Using a different writing utensil, sign your name at the BOTTOM of the paper you are grading.

3. Check to make sure your classmate has written his or her name on the assignment you are grading.

4. Pay close attention to the answers as they are presented by the teacher. If your classmate made a mistake please put a mark through the mistake using a different writing utensil. If your classmate has not made a mistake, please do not mark on the paper at all.

5. When all of the answers have been presented, count the total number of missed questions and write that number on the top of the page. (Example: -3)

6. Listen for the teacher to announce the total points for the assignment. Subtract the number of missed questions from the total points and write that number on the top of the paper. (Example: 17 / 20)

7. Return the graded paper to the person it belongs to.

è Procedure for Makeup Work

You will have one day for every day absent from the day you return to make up any work you missed due to an excused absence.

1. When you return, check the make up work folder at the front of the room to discover what you missed while you were gone. Do not ask the teacher for your makeup work. If after reviewing the make up work folder, you do not understand the assignment, you may, of course, discuss it with the teacher between classes.

2. If you missed a lecture or notes, it is your responsibility to get those notes from a classmate immediately.

3. If there were handouts provided on the day you missed, they will be located in the pocket of the make up work folder.

4. You will have one day for every day absent from the day you return to school to turn in your makeup work. Turn your make up work in to the paper tray designated for your class at the front of the room.

è Procedure for Dismissal from Class

1. When there are about two minutes of time remaining in class you may begin silently putting away your supplies. If you have borrowed supplies from the teacher (markers, glue, etc.) make sure they have been returned to their proper place.

2. Once your supplies are put away, please look around your seat for dropped paper, wrappers, or other trash and carry it to the trashcan. Please do not throw anything across the room to the trashcan.

3. The bell does not release you from class; the teacher does. Remain seated and quiet until the teacher gives you verbal permission to leave your seat.

4. When leaving the room please make sure your desk is in line with the other desks in your row.

è Procedure for Announcements or Guests in the Room

1. If a guest knocks on the door, please do not answer the door unless you are asked to do so.

2. When a guest enters the room please remain silent and seated. Continue to work on your assignment unless the teacher asks for your attention.

3. If the teacher or guest asks for your attention, please immediately put down your pen or pencil and give the guest or teacher your undivided attention.

4. If an announcement is made, please be silent during the entire announcement. Talking during morning announcements, the moment of silence, or the pledge will immediately result in after school detention.

è Procedure for Leaving Seat During Class

1. Do not leave your seat for any reason during a teacher or student-lead lecture or presentation.

2. If no one is lecturing or presenting, please feel free to leave your seat to sharpen your pencil, blow your nose, or carry trash to the trashcan.

3. While out of your seat please remain quiet so that you are not disturbing your peers’ learning.

è Procedure for Finishing Work Early

1. If you finish your assignment early, please refer to the list of approved in-class activities posted in the room. This list includes:

1. Reading 2. Puzzles / Logic Games 3. Drawing on paper at your desk 4. Writing letters 5. Put your head down and rest 6. Other activities when available

All of the above activities must be done silently without interrupting your classmates.