Getting to know you: Tips for your first day with a new class
The first day of school is just around the corner and many Primary School teachers may be dreading it more than the kids are!
However, you don't have to delve straight into the maths books or the gruelling grammer. Just like last year, you will grow close to this new class too. Get through the first day with these fun tips on how to get to know your new class and get this year off to a great start.
Birthday Board
This activity will require a little preparation and creativity on your part. You will need a wooden board with twelve hooks and decorating materials. Each hooks represents a month of the year. Label them as J F M A M J J A S O N D and decorate the rail anyway you wish.
Get all the students to create their own Birthday medal with their name and the day of their birth. Get them to hang their medal from the month in which they were born. See here for tips on how to create one like this.
Quiz
Get the students to pair up. Give each team a sheet with questions like "How many pupils are in this class?" How many girls/how many boys?" "what is the name of the third month of the year?" "How many posters are around the room?" etc. The first team to get all the answers correctly will get a treat.
Not only is this a great bonding experience for the students, but it is also a clever and fun way to gauge the strengths or weaknesses of the class.
Tables and Chairs
Consider geting the kids to help to arrange the classroom in a way that suits you both. This will promote teamwork between the students and will let the kids know that you care about their opinion.
The Summer Scoop
Get the kids to write an account of what they got up to over the Summer and get them to draw a picture of their favourite memory from the Summer. This will be a fun activity for them and will give you an idea of their writing skills for the future.This activity will work wonderfully as a homework item to ease them back into the homework routine.
Breaking News!
Get the students to pair up and interview each other for ten minutes each then get them to give a news report about that student to the class. This is a really fun way to get the students to get to know eachother and will give you the chance to make some notes about them.
Family Tree
You can supply the students with a Family Tree template sheet or get them to create their own. They can decorate it in any way they wish and they can pick a spot (within the space you have chosen) on the wall to hang it up on.
All About Me Posters
Give the kids a project to work on for the week. Get them to create a poster which has all their likes/dislikes, interests, hobbies, old schools, pets, friends, family on it. The top of the poster should have their name, age and a photo. They can use any materials they like, pictures, drawings, materials, etc. The kids will love working on this and you will get a good idea of who they are and their interests.
Ball Game
At the end of the day, you will have learned a lot about your new class and the class will have gotten to know eachother too! A quick and fun way to show what you have all learned is the Ball Game.
Get the pupils to sit in a circle and get a small soft ball. Start off by stating something you have learned about one of the students. Throw the ball to that student and get them to do the same and so on and so forth. For a fun twist, replace the ball with a ball of wool and hold the loose end before you throw. You will end up with a thread of wool which connects each student, a symbol of the unity of the class.