First Day Schedule LONG

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First Day Schedule LONG
By Erin

Here is my schedule for the first day last year.

8:30-9:00 Greet students, find desks, on each desk there was a ball of play dough for them to play with while I dealt with criers and parents. Put all supplies in paper
bags so I could deal with them later.
9:00-9:45 Music
9:45 Introductions, shared names and one reason they were excited about first grade (I wrote these on a chart to post in the classroom)
Read If You Take a Mouse to School.(Talked about how to listen on rug and how to sit on rug) Then we followed clues to located important places in school. Like a savenger hunt. (talked about

lining up and hallway behavior, bathroom procedure when we got there and used the bathroom)
When we came back we drew and wrote about our favorite place in the school. (Some kids wrote and drew, others only drew) Then we shared.

11:00 Talk about lunch procedures and practice

11:15-11:45 Lunch

11:45-12:00 Talk about recess rules and procedures

12:00-12:25 Recess (bathroom when we come in)

12:30-1:15 Read Never Spit on Your Shoes and Talk about why rules are important decide what rules are important for our classroom and write them down. Have each student sign the rules and draw a picture of themselves following one of the rules.

1:15-2:00 Art

2:00-3:15 Calendar, Math Cookie Crisp activity If you read, If you take a mouse to school you can do Cookie Crisps for math the first day. Give the kids two small plates and have them act out some problems (addition and subtraction). This is a great way to assess some of their number sense. You could make a small worksheet to go along with activity.

Another math activity that is low key for the first day is allowing student to tub... Take tray or tubs and put a different math manipulative in each one. They have students rotate in groups to explore each of the different types of manipulatives, then you can talk about to to use them and observe the kids making patterns, etc.
3:15 Pack up End of day routine and expectations

You want to make sure the kids have something to go home and tell parents about. Do you have a book or story you really like? Share that with them. The kids will lead you in the right direction on the first day. YOu will be able to sense how they feel. Have some extra activities ready. Do you have access to a CD player? Maybe get a CD with some kids music on it. I have two sets of phonemic awareness CDs with all kinds of activities on them. Freeze dance, alphabet aerobics, etc. When I sense the kids are getting restless we do an activity where they need to move around, then I notice they are able to focus better. Remember first graders attention spans, especially at the begining of the school year is about 10 to 15 minutes, NO MORE then 20.

My mentor teacher told me that I only had two jobs the first week of school (yeah right):
1. Smile so much your cheeks hurt and the kids fall in love with you
2. Don't lose any!

You will be great!

Some great books for the beginning of the school year:
David Goes to School
If You Take a Mouse to School
Listen Buddy (Rules)
Fine, Fine School
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse