Tips Archive » Teaching Techniques » Starting School

• Welcome Activities (1 tip)
• What's In A Name (12 tips)
• Getting To Know You (17 tips)
• The Library Is Open (2 tips)
• Activities for Now and Later (12 tips)

Welcome Activities

Laminated Kisses

From Alison Talton, a pre-k teacher:

One of the neatest things I do on the first day of school is read the book, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. It is a wonderful book about a little raccoon that has to go off to school for the first time and how his mom and he deal with it. It really makes the kids more comfortable and it kind of helps switch the focus of the nervousness of the child over to how their mom or dad feel. When we focus on that it puts some responsibility on them to be big and brave.

"I also use a small raccoon puppet that I read with, and go around and let 'Chester' (the main character) give every one a kiss on their hand. As an extension, my aide and I trace the students' hands on half of a sheet of construction paper and then send them home with a note asking the mom or someone to make a lipstick impression of a kiss, write a little love note, and then send it back to school. I laminate them when they return and the children have it to keep in their box as long as they need to remind themselves of their mom. Some will visit it several times to help them feel more comfortable!"

What's In A Name

Student Information Cards

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"I keep an information card on all of my students. I pre-print index cards on the computer requesting each students name, date of birth, address, home number, parents' work and cell phone numbers, the book numbers that they were issued and their email address. I punch all the cards and bind them with a ring. I keep them in my book bag so their information is available to me at school and at home. I just recently thought of pre-printing the information requests on the computer instead of having the kids do all the writing."

Personalized Nametags

From Sarah Pullie, a third grade teacher at Latta Elementary School in Latta, South Carolina:

"The first day of school I give my students a plain nametag with their name printed on it in black marker. I ask them to decorate the nametag with things that tell about themselves. It's interesting to see what they add to their tags. Students can find someone who shares the same interests. They can also take surveys with the nametag information and graph their findings."

Learning About Each Other

From Carla Herbert, a fourth grade teacher at Howard Wilson School in Leavenworth, Kansas:

"On the first day of school, I want to learn the children's names. At the first student's desk, I extend my hand, introduce myself and tell the class one of my favorite activities, sports, games, etc. The student must then tell me his/her name and an interesting personal fact. I then go on the next student and introduce myself again but give a new statement about myself. I repeat the statement and then go back and repeat the first student's name and statement. I continue this practice until I have learned all the student's names. By the end of the first day, they know everything about their teacher and all of us know something about each other."

Photo Flash Cards

From Patricia Lewis, a fourth grade teacher at Parker Elementary School in Middlesex, New Jersey:

"Teachers can use flash cards too! This is a terrific way to connect names and faces of new students on the first day of school. I write the child's name on the photo and shuffle through the photo flash cards several times with the names visible. Then I check my memory by covering up the names. Through this method, I can identify every new student by name on the second day."

Durable Name Tags

From Ann Harms, a second grade teacher at Grahamwood Elementary in Memphis, Tennessee:

"My students need nametags all year long because they're useful for visitors making presentations to the class. Many have told me that it's helpful to be able to call a student by name. I make my nametags out of four inch square pieces of poster board. This is a good size to read from far away. I write the child's name on both sides in large letters, laminate them, punch a hole in them and then thread them with yarn. They last the entire school year. If a tag turns over, the name is still there."

Magnetized Nametags

From Marilyn Redmond, a second grade teacher at Roland Michener Public School in Kanata, Ontario, Canada:

"I make small magnetized nametags for my classroom. I cut tagboard into pieces about 1"x1", write the students names on them, and stick magnets to the backs. I use the magnets that stores sell for business cards. One business card does four to six names. I use them for monitoring who is out of the room and for daily graphing. Every morning I put a question and a graphing grid on the board and the children place their name on the graph in the appropriate place. I've learned a lot of interesting things about my students this way."

Student Information Cards

From Doreen Lorand, a French and English teacher at Artesia High School in Lakewood, California:

"On the first day of school, I give my students an index card to fill out while I'm making a seating chart. I ask each student to write down their name, home address, phone number, the languages they speak and their interests. Then, I put them into their assigned seats and have them add their row and seat number to the card. With this information, I can already start to call them by name. Later, I use the cards to call on the students randomly. They know that when I get the cards out, they need to be prepared. If a student doesn't know an answer, I turn their card over in the pile and make sure that I get back to them shortly."

How to Learn 150 Names in a Week

From Donna Bailey, a health education teacher in Chester-Upland School District, Pennsylvania:

"I photocopy my seating charts onto transparencies and put colored paper behind them. I use a different colored paper for each class. The charts are magnetized and I leave them up on the blackboard all year for the students to see. I write their names on post-it notes and place them on the charts so that I can easily change them if their assigned seats don't work out. I make a copy of the seating chart and staple it to a matching colored folder so that the names of the students are facing me. I use this to take roll and call each student by name from the very first day. This system allows me to learn up to 150 names in a week!"

Velcro Nametags

From Maggie Niedzwiecki, a kindergarten teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"Taping nametags to a desk is convenient, but can be a sticky situation when you need to switch or to rotate kids. I have found that if I put Velcro on my table and the name tags, I can easily move them without the hassle of making a new nametag and taping it again."

Name Buttons

From Wendy Orzechowski, a resource center teacher at Judd Elementary School in North Brunswick, New Jersey:

"To learn students' names quickly (and keep them busy while I attend to first day housekeeping chores), I use our school buttonmaker. The children all receive precut circles and design name buttons, making sure their name is big and bright enough for everyone to see. They have fun using their new school supplies and engage in quiet conversation. I can walk around and memorize names."

Name Anagrams

From Martha Durand:

"At the beginning of the year I have my eighth grade science students write an anagram of their name. This helps me get to know them and they seem to enjoy working on this idea of who they are."

Student Name Tags

From Stacy Weathers, a fourth grade teacher at University Meadows Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina:

"At the beginning of the year or even during the year, teachers spend a lot of time on student name tags or name plates for the desks. I discovered an extremely easy way to get away from the hassle of buying expensive ones or cutting, writing, laminating and taping them to the desk. I buy a roll of decorative contact paper, cut it into strips, write the name in permanent marker and slap it on the desk. Easy as one, two, three."

Faces and Names

From anonymous:

"I take pictures of the students on the first day of school and create a class book with all their pictures and a bit of information about them. Then when the book rotates home with different students, the parents can put faces with the new names they are hearing so much about from their child."

Getting To Know You

Take It Apart Party

From Elaine Hardman, an elementary remedial reading and writing teacher at Andover Central School:

"I run an after school club for my students. I want to use this valuable time on academics, but also know it's important for students to get to know one another. So, once a month to have an after school gathering; this month we had a 'Take It Apart Party.' We collected broken small appliances and on the appointed day, we took them apart. We found the insides of various hair dryers are similar, toasters have springs all over the place, and gears are a wonder in old telephones and mixers. We had such a great time taking things apart that we got back together the next two days to nail our findings together into free form sculptures."

Special Students

From Wendi Slone, an education student at Tennessee State University:

"I have a tip to help students see just how special everyone truly is on the inside and out. Have every student decorate the outside of a small brown paper sack with the things they love, hobbies, etc. Then, ask the students to place a clue inside the bag about something no one in the class would know by looking at them. After everyone is finished, the students go around the room and try to guess whose bags they are. After the students have tried to guess, everyone gets a chance to explain their bag to the class. Students are able to see what they have in common with their classmates. This is a good icebreaker for the beginning of the school year."

Animal Introductions

From Mischelle Uhlman, a second grade teacher at Kwis Elementary in Hacienda Heights, California:

"On the first day of school, I pass out animal stickers to the students. I make sure that the stickers are given out in pairs so that they can be matched. The students need to find the other person in the room that has the matching sticker. The two students exchange introductions and two things that the other enjoys. They introduce each other to the class and explain what they learned. This process allows me to find out the students' interests and quickly breaks the ice in the classroom. Students also have to apply their oral language skills from the onset of school."

Two Ways to Know Each Other

From Stephanie Farley, an eighth grade remedial reading teacher at Euclid Central Middle School in Euclid, Ohio:

"I use two different ideas to start off the year. One is to have the students look around the room until they make eye contact with someone they barely know. Each pair sit together and talk for a timed two minutes. When the time is up, the students introduce their partners to the class. We all learn about each other and I learn about each student's memory and ability to share with the group. The second idea I use is to have each student pull a strip from a roll of toilet paper. They count the squares and have to tell the class one thing about themselves for each square they have. The toilet paper creates giggles which makes the students relaxed when it's their turn to speak."

Picture Books

From Judy Larson, a second grade teacher at Glenwood City Elementary in Glenwood City, Wisconsin:

"Here is a tip that I use for getting to know my students. For a first day homework assignment, I send home a small picture album (the plastic ones that come back when you develop pictures). Each child is to put in ten pictures that show their family, pets, favorite activities, etc. When they bring the albums back, they have the opportunity to share their book with the class. Every child loves to show pictures and even the shy ones have something to discuss. This helps all of us get to know more about each other. I save the albums to use for my Student of the Week board. After they've had their turn, I return the album and pictures to the student. This activity is great for opening week and gets the parents involved and participating right away."

Scientific Inquiries

From Debby Locke, a fifth grade teacher at Holy Family Catholic School in Grand Junction, Colorado:

"At the beginning of the school year I do a science experiment called, 'Who is Ms. Locke?' After a review of the scientific process, I tell the students they have to go around the room to see how much they can find out about me. I set up stations with clues about my previous jobs, my hobbies and my interests. I set it up so they have to take notes on what they find out and allow them to work in teams so they can bounce ideas off each other. They aren't allowed to ask me questions directly. My students love being detectives!"

Getting to Know You

From Virginia Easterling, an eight grade teacher at Bayou La Batre, Alabama:

"At the beginning of the school year I feel it is important to let the students know about me and to find out about them. I draw or find pictures to make a collage of things I am interested in or things that are important to me. Students have to try to discover through the picture as many things about me as they can. Then I ask them to make a collage about themselves. No words can be used. Only pictures. It is an interesting way for us to get to know each other and often I find out important and interesting things about the children."

Getting Acquainted

From Erma Morgan, a 4th grade teacher at Woodlawn Elementary:

"At the beginning of the year I have each student write down at least two things about themselves that others may not know. I then put one thing each has written into a grid and give a copy of the grid to everyone in the class. I ask the students to find the person who wrote each characteristic or experience and have that person sign their box. I'm sure to model how to discover the owners of the ideas by asking a question. 'Are you the person who owns the iguana?' or ' Are you the person who puts ketchup on peanut butter sandwiches?' This avoids the mass signature approach, demonstrates a way to begin a conversation, and provides a good way for the students to get acquainted in an active and positive way."

Share Day

From Debbie Robinson, a first grade teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary in Heidelberg, Germany:

"I do a variation of Show and Tell in my first grade class called Share Day. The first day of school I bring a family picture and briefly talk about it. I invite the children to ask questions and remind them that questions start with who, what, why, when, where, and how. I send home a letter to the parents explaining this activity, the kinds of things children can share (stuffed animal, awards, family pics, a favorite song, a joke, etc.) and the day their child will be asked to share. The students enjoy this chance to learn more about each other, and I enjoy watching them hone their communication skills."

Birthday Cards

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills in Pleasanton, California:

"I have my students get to know each other by making birthday cards. They sit in groups and design a card for the person across from them. They have to find out what hobbies that person enjoys, books they like to read, places they have been and design a cover for a birthday card accordingly. The card must have the student's name, a greeting and their date of birth. I keep the stack by the classroom calendar and post the birthdates. When someone's birthday comes up, the card gets passed around the room for everyone to sign. I give it to the birthday student on their special day along with a birthday pencil. We make up a half birthday for those who were born during the summer. The students who do not celebrate birthdays receive a greeting card during a month when there are no birthdays. This makes handling birthdays much simpler. The kids love to read their cards and know that they are celebrated and appreciated."

Birthday Cards

From Jan Formisano, a second grade teacher in Falls Church, Virginia:

At the beginning of the year, I introduce myself using 'Me In A Bag'. I put a few items that represent me in a large paper sack. In my sack, I put a paintbrush because I'm an artist, my favorite book, my favorite food, pictures of my family and my pets, my favorite CD and a cookbook. The children sit around me and I explain the significance of each item as I pull it out of the bag. This helps the kids get to know me as a person. Each child has a turn to bring in his/her own 'Me In A Bag'. This gives everyone in the class a chance to shine.�

The Sky's the Limit

From Tom Weaver, a psychology and social studies teacher at Puyallup High School in Puyallup, Washington:

"As an introductory activity, I have my students create their own ceiling posters. On their poster, they draw whatever says something about themselves. They include personal photos, cutouts from magazines and anything that reflects who they are. Each student introduces their poster about themselves to their fellow classmates. I make a big deal out of taping their posters to the ceiling tiles in the classroom. To sweeten the pot, I take digital photos of each student and give him or her a copy to incorporate into their poster. I also use the digital photos as screensavers for my class computer and use them as flashcards to help me to learn their names faster. The ceiling posters make a very colorful room with a lot of interest and creativity."

Personalized Plates

From Sue Schmitt, an English teacher at Antioch Community High School in Antioch, Illinois:

"The first assignment I give is to have my students describe themselves in eight or less letters and/or numbers. I give them a license plate template and tell them that they need to create a personal plate that best describes an important aspect of their character. They decorate their plates and explain why their choice of letters or numbers fits them. I post the plates around the room so they get to see what their classmates say about themselves. The license plates are always a big hit at parent open house."

First Week in Kindergarten

From Kathy Downing, a kindergarten teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"The first week of school, I give my students a gingerbread man nametag to wear. The nametag corresponds to the bulletin board outside my classroom door. This enables the students to easily find their room on the first day. I read The Gingerbread Man story to them and I bring a real gingerbread man to school for us to share at snack time. During recess he 'runs' away. Our class walks around the school to try to find him. As we look for the gingerbread man, we have an opportunity to meet other important people in our building such as the nurse, the principal, the secretary, etc. We finally return to our classroom and discover that he is waiting for us there. I have a colleague secretly return him to our room while we are looking for him in other parts of the building. When we return, we all enjoy our delicious gingerbread snack. The kindergartners really enjoy this activity and they become acquainted with the school building and staff at the same time."

Greeting with a Smile

From Linda C. Garrett, a business teacher at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama:

"As I personally greet each student at the classroom door, I tell students I am happy to see them and place a small smiley face sticker on them, indicating that they are my students. I found this little greeting and recognition helps break the ice the first day of school. I also have requests for stickers from former students as they pass my door. Perhaps I have started a tradition among my students. This opening day gesture costs less than a dollar and is a good investment for me and my students."

Can We Talk?

From Jim Carson, an eighth grade teacher at Northwest Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina:

"A great first-day assignment I use with my students is to have them interview each other. After I start class with a mini-lesson on asking questions and follow-up questions, I have them line up by birthday without talking, only communicating by hand signals. After they line up, I divide the line in two and have them pair up with a person across from them. This way I avoid friends interviewing friends. They interview their partner and take notes. The next day I ask each student to bring in a picture and have the students introduce each other by reading the interview and posting it and the picture on the bulletin board."

If the Shoe Fits

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"One of the most memorable activities I do on the first day of school is to have my students donate one shoe as they come into the room. Before recess, we sort those shoes in as many ways as time permits. Kids enjoy looking for patterns and guessing how shoes are sorted. Some sorts are: tied/untied, brands, color, types of bottoms, left/right, number of eyes, buckles/ties/Velcro. The kids enjoy leading the sort. As a final project they group their shoes in an interesting fashion and then table groups describe how they are organized. They then draw the table's shoes or their own. If they have only two colors, the artwork is amazing. I mount them and have a great bulletin board."

The Library Is Open

Library Orientation

From Sandra Lewis, a librarian at Colonel White High School for the Arts in Dayton, Ohio:

"Each fall I give a [library] orientation to the ninth graders. I explain where things are in the media center, how to look up materials, and policies and procedures. Then I give a quiz which has them look for materials on the shelves and via computer. The questions center on the explanations previously given. One question is: 'What's the librarian's name?' I then grade the papers and give them to the regular classroom teacher who can give them credit for their work. It's fun and educational."

Library Open House

From Betty Neighbours, a media specialist at Jesse Wharton Elementary School in Guilford County, North Carolina:

"Every year I hold an open house for faculty and staff to show them new books, equipment and other materials that have come in over the summer or that they might not have been aware of during the previous year. I serve light refreshments, have music, issue invitations, and make it a festive occasion. This could easily be adapted for the classroom teacher to use with parents. This has been very popular in our school."

Activities for Now and Later

Adventures with Freddie

From Stella Bock, a teacher at Orange Avenue School in Cranford, New Jersey:

"I have a teddy bear in my class called Freddie Bear. He's pretty beat up but well loved. Each night a child takes him home with a large index card. They "take" Freddie on a trip that night to some place they've always wanted to go. "Freddie" and the child create a postcard from the place they've traveled to, one side a picture and the other side a message for the rest of the class. The message has to include some real information about the place. For example, the postcard might read, " Hi everybody, here I am in sunny Spain, did you know that Spain produces more (blank) than any other country? The postcard requires research on the part of the child for the information it contains and the picture. The kids can't wait to take Freddie on an adventure and they're improving their geography and writing skills at the same time. I usually write the first postcard, then laminate them all and bind into a class book. The kids love their adventures with Freddie!"

Class Generated Books

From Georgia Colyer, a third through fifth grade teacher at St. Thomas School in Nassau Bay, Texas:

"My students make numerous class generated books throughout the year. On the last day of school, I allow the students to choose one of the books to take home. The collective books make nice mementos for the students."

Balloons-R-Us

From John Failor, a math teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois:

"I teach a program called Freshman Academy. This program takes the thirty to forty lowest incoming freshmen and tries to get them caught up in reading and mathematics. I lead these students in running a school store called Balloons-R-Us. Balloons-R-Us allows students to purchase balloons at school for their friends' birthdays. We use the front of a janitorial closet as a store. We are open every morning before school and provide a selection of around fifteen different balloons. Included with each balloon are helium, ribbon and a weight. Freshman Academy students work at the store, help select inventory, create advertising and marketing strategies and complete financial records. We have made a profit of five hundred dollars so far this year. We plan to do a year-end report and decide what to do with the profits. I have incorporated some of the math involved in the business in my math classes. I believe any school could operate such a business."

Growth

From Roxie Ross, a first grade teacher at Napier Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee:

"At the beginning of school, I take pictures of my students and measure them. They draw a picture of themselves, record the date, and copy a sentence about how tall they are. I display the pictures for open house. We have a height chart near the door so students can compare themselves to their September height throughout the year. At the end of school, I measure the children again. They draw a new picture and write a comparison of their earlier height to their present height. Besides their physical growth, they notice their cognitive growth in penmanship and drawing from the beginning of the year. Many parents have thanked me for this keepsake."

Plank Ownership

From Vicki DeBoer, a biology teacher at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington:

"On the first day in a new facility, I wondered how to give the kids unique memories. As we dismantled the old building, I marveled at treasures found in back corners. I wanted my students to leave some treasure for when this building is no longer needed. I explained to students about plank ownership when a crew on a new Navy vessel is considered to be plank owners and leaves their autographs. Even ancient architecture reveals notes left by workers. I scanned the science lab. Under the counters are many long tall cupboards. Each cupboard has a "ceiling" that can only be seen lying on the floor. These ceilings became the place for autographs. I supplied students with markers and these requests: be tasteful in what you write and be certain it cannot be seen from a standing position. All 140 of my biology students found ways of contorting their bodies to "tag" the ceilings! I grinned as I watched it, thinking of future class reunions, visits to this school with their own children and even their grandchildren. I imagine the memories that will be brought back to those who are limber enough then to get down on the floor and gaze at the ceiling on which they wrote so many years earlier. I also grinned to think of all the teachers and students who will occupy this room over the next 40 years, never knowing what is there! It is a secret shared! Before I leave the profession this June, I will "tag" the teacher station with a note on that cupboard ceiling. I will explain to the reader that there are many treasures to be found here, if only they will look. Look into the eyes and hearts of your students, and look into the lab station cupboards!"

Geography Skills

From Robert Nemecek, a social studies teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio:

"The first week of class, my students sketch the world on 11x17 inch paper. In order to do this; they may use only their existing knowledge of world geography. I hide all the maps in the classroom and they must label any country, state, city, region, or physical feature that they know. Then, I put these away until the last week of the course. At this time, they repeat the assignment and compare how much of the world they knew then and how much they know now. Most are amazed at how their world has changed!"

Viewing Students' Progress

From Carol Jacobs, a primary special education teacher at Margetts School in Chestnut Ridge, New York:

"At the beginning of the year, my children brainstorm and write about what they want to learn during the school year. I save the papers and at the end of the year I have them repeat the process by writing about what they actually learned. Then I post both versions on the class bulletin board. The children should see a dramatic improvement in their writing abilities."

Books into Bags

From Kathy Stiefvater and Carol Rinker, teachers at Piney Point Elementary School in Tall Timers, Maryland:

"We have our students put their books into bags so that the next school year we merely pass out the bags to the new students. This saves us a lot of time because we already have the book numbers recorded from the past year's list. This year's students add brochures to the bags that highlight the features of the upcoming school year."

Students' Year-End Evaluations

From Zee Ann Poerio, a fifth grade teacher at St. Louise de Marillac School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

"I ask my students for their opinion on the activities and special projects that were assigned during the school year. They list the major projects, assignments, or novels that we studied as I read them aloud. I ask them if I should 'use it' or 'lose it' for next year and what they liked or disliked about each project. This helps me to evaluate projects from year to year and to modify and adjust my assignments for the following year. The students love this activity because they know that their opinion counts and I love this activity because I get valuable feedback!"

Plant Sale Project

From Amy Graff, a first, second and third grade special educator at The Stapleton School in Framingham, Massachusetts:

"I incorporate many academic areas into my classroom through studying plants. We grow plants from cuttings, from seeds and from bulbs. We start at the beginning of the year and by May, we have many different kinds so my class holds a Mother's Day plant sale. Students compare and contrast the growth of the plants and record the plants' progress in their writing journals. Students sell the plants so collecting money and making change become part of the project. They calculate how much was spent on supplies and how much profit was made. We purchase books for the school library with the proceeds. We've been doing this for three years and the students just love this project!"

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

From Sue Kast, a fifth grade teacher at Vintage Hills School in Pleasanton, California:

"I take a picture of each student next to a measuring tape at the beginning of the year. I get double prints and mount one set. These pictures are used next to anything that is hung up on the bulletin board. That way parents and kids can identify their work quickly. I take another set of pictures just before open house and numerous pictures through the year. I purchase blank books for each child and they work on a yearbook. By June their memories as well as 15-20 pictures are theirs. You can really see the improvement in their writing as the year progresses. It's amazing to see how much the kids have changed over the year, particularly in fifth grade."

Time Capsule

From Debbie Bohn, a fifth grade teacher, now full-time released local association president in Schaumburg, Illinois:

"I begin the school year by doing time capsules with my students. They include their height, a handwriting sample, a math timed-test (multiplication facts) some predictions (both individual and class) as well as resolutions. I use oatmeal boxes or Pringles canisters for the capsules. We wrap them in wrapping paper, to seal them, them put them all into a large, taped box, kept in plain sight. We open it on the last day of school. It has been great fun."

"Constructing" a New School Year

From Dana Labarry, a fifth grade teacher at Adcock Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada:

"On the first day of school, I meet my students wearing a hard hat that says, 'Room 35 Construction Crew.' I discuss with the students how starting a new school year is like building a house. The foundation is the relationships we have with other people in the school (other classes, the office staff, other teachers, etc.), the frame is the relationships we have with our own classmates, and the interior is the decorations in our classroom and around the school.

"We discuss how important each of these elements is to making our school successful and how if one part of our building falls down, the house won't stand up. Then, we talk about building codes that regulate the building of houses. The students then come up with their own building code for our classroom (i.e., rules). Throughout the year, whenever we are having a problem in the classroom, I talk to the students about how the house we have built is not working right and might collapse. We go back and talk about the building code, which is a much more interesting way to discuss classroom rules."