First year jitters

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First year jitters
By Carol

I agree that The First Days of School by Wong is a great book! I am just starting my third year as a first grade teacher. It gets easier each year. I work a lot on routines and "how to's" the first two weeks. Everything
from how to carry scissors to how to line up for recess. Most teachers do an apple theme for September. For behavior I use "I can manage myself." I have a stuffed ape with a pirate hat who sits on the counter. Each student has their name on a clothespin. If they are doing well I pin their name on the ape, really well on the hat. At the end of the day if their pin is on the hat,

they get a sticker and a piece of yellow paper saying "I can manage myself." If their pin is on the ape, they receive a piece of paper stating "I had a good day." If they didn't have a good day, they don't receive anything. They work really hard for that piece of paper!