First Day Ideas - Connecting to your students

The first day of class is always crucial to set the tone to what kind of teacher you are and how you hope the semester will unfold. I remember the butterflies which frantically flew around my stomach on the many first days of school I had as a child. This year with the many different kinds of classes, online, in class or even hybrid (some students online while others are in our classroom), students might be even more anxious than ever.

Here are some ideas and suggestions to make your students feel welcome and to immediately get to know your students better. Remember the ideas have to be adapted to fit your age group.

If you live in a country where you are already in the classroom with all your students, tape a slip of paper under their desk or chair with a personal message for them. It can be something like: John, I'm so happy you are my student this year/semester or Alice, I can't wait to learn what your favorite pet/color/cartoon is. They really get excited when you tell them to look for the slip. Be creative and share your excitement for this new year with them.

In the classroom, you can have them decorate their names to place on their desks. Depending on how old they are, you  might have to write their names for them and they color and decorate them any way they want.

If you are online, use a spin the wheel (you can make one on Wordwall) with all the students' names. Spin the wheel and the student whose name is picked has to get something in their bedroom that they love and share it with the class. You start this activity by being the first one to share something from your house with them. If you have teenagers, it can also be a picture from their phone.

If you have a hybrid group, things can get a little trickier but there are still activities you can do with the whole class. You can have them draw themselves wearing their favorite outfit to share with the class. You can hang up their work around the class and tell the at-home students to save their work in a folder so you can hang up their drawing when they come back to school. Another option is for them to hang up their drawing in their bedroom.

For any of the types of groups, you can have them write or draw things they expect from the new year/semester and then make a boat with their paper to decorate the class or their rooms. They can write or draw things like make new friends, learn to read or write, play games, learn new songs etc. At the end of the year/semester they can open their boats to remember what they had expected. There are very easy tutorials on YouTube to help them make these boats if they don't already know how to do it.

Whatever you do, make sure you learn all their names on the first day and look your students in the eyes when they are sharing. Feeling that they belong in the class and that you are interested in what they have to say is essential to kick off your year with them. 

Most of all, have fun with your students and always remember not to be too hard on yourselves. We are all here learning and growing every day together with our students. You don't have to have all the answers and and I truly hope you're never expected to. Have a a wonderful 2021 and be safe!