The first day of school will be here before you know it. The night before my very first first day of school as a teacher I could not sleep because I was so nervous and excited. Even on my eighth first day as a teacher, I still had butterflies! I thought I would share with you some tips that worked for me. If you are a first year teacher, or if you’ve been around the block (hallway?) a time or two, I hope you find these helpful.
1.Greet your students at the door. Stand at your door with a smile. Greet them, welcome them, learn their names. Help them know that when they walk into your classroom, they will be greeted with a friendly face and kind words. This simple gesture on the first day of school goes a long way!
2. Assign seats. I know that some may disagree on this one, but please, take it from your shy, introverted student (me!) that one of the most nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, and terrifying experiences in the world is walking into a room and having the pressure of choosing a seat. It takes the pressure off if there is an assigned seat and gives a nervous child a task to focus on.
3. Plan something for students to do when they arrive. It doesn’t have to be big or life-changing, but your students are nervous, too, and they need somewhere to channel their nervous energy. Here are some ideas:
- Give them a blank sheet of paper, and have them draw a self portrait.
- Have them write a quick introduction letter to you.
- Have them write a letter to themselves about how they feel on the first day. (Save the letters and give them back to them on the last day!)
- Have them create a name tag.
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