First Day of School Plans...LInky Party!

From year to year, I always forget how the heck I teach rules and procedures during the first few weeks of school! Some of my fellow teachers say it's like child birth (no experience there...yet), if we remembered we would probably rethink our careers! It's always a blur but I do remember that I tend to got to bed around 7pm every night during the first week! LOL


With all the changes going on this year(common core, CAFE, Daily Five, etc...), I started planning for the first week back in the spring! Here's a sneak peak at my first day of school! It may seem like a lot but I'm one of those teachers that gets the ball rolling on day 1!!! 

7:30AM

On the first day of school, almost all my kinder parents walk their child to my door. They've already been informed that no parents are allowed in the classroom because it makes it hard for the kids (and parents) to deal with the 1st day of school! I stand and greet at the door while my TA helps the kids unpack their book bags. We normally don't have a lot of supplies coming in on the first day because our parents have already brought them to "Meet the Teacher" the week before school starts. (Reason #2 for sending out welcome postcards: add a note asking parents to drop supplies off early!) This helps us sooooo much on the first day because we're not overloaded with stuff to put away!! After my kids unpack with my TA, they go to their assigned table and explore math manipulatives until the tardy bell rings. Kids tend to trickle in at a nice pace from buses and car riders so unpacking isn't chaotic at all! 

8:10AM
We have first block (PE, Computer Lab, Music & Art) but on the first day of school we don't get to go because all the block teachers are helping out with the car riders! (overload because it's the first day)  At exactly 8:10am, I set my chimes to ring on my Promethean Board and talk my kids through how to clean up and come to the carpet nicely! I've outlined what we do next... 

•  Gathering Place anchor chart
• model correct & incorrect way to sit on rug

Great chart I found on Pinterest!!

• Watch Eagle News (daily)
• Discuss Promethean Board rules & procedures
• practice moving our names under our lunch choice (After today making their lunch choice will be part of their morning routine. Makes my life so easy because I can just print the flip-chart page and line the kids up according to their choice at lunch time.)

8:30AM
Cafe/Daily Five Lesson #1: "3 Ways to Read a Book" (only 1 & 2 on first day)
1. Read the Pictures
2. Read the Words

•  Anchor Chart
• Read: David Goes to School (modeling the 2 different ways to read)
• use book to discuss class rules 

8:40AM BRAIN BREAK!!!!

8:45AM

•  Read: Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes

Use clues to go on tour of our school!!!  I found this awesome activity on Inspired by Kindergarten!!! (click Pete to get your own FREE copy) When we get to the cafeteria, we always take a little extra time showing the kids where our table is located and how to carry their trays. Makes life a little easier during lunch time!

9:15AM
When we come back from our school tour, the kids sit on the rug and we go over our "Gathering Place" anchor chart again. Then we begin our daily Calendar math activities using our Promethean Board. I create monthly flip-charts for our calendar time. (pictures coming soon) The kids always sit so nicely during calendar because they want a turn manipulating the different activities I've created for them! (great management tool) At the beginning of the year, I always have a name game flip-chart page to help us get to know each other a little better! If this explanation is as clear as mud, I hope to make it better with pictures SOON! After calendar we always DANCE!!! Last year we discovered "Just Dance Kidz" on YouTube and from that point on that's all they wanted to do during dance time! LOL  (video below...I couldn't resist. YouTube started buffering half way into the song so I stopped recording! Please ignore my messy room in the background.)

9:45AM

I'm trying out math journals for the first time this year and I'm super excited! So, my plan is to do journals after calendar every day...I'm using this time as my super mini-lesson before math stations.  On the first day, we'll discuss rules and procedures for math journals. Then we'll do a practice entry using the Promethean Board together. When we're finished,  I'll send the kids to their tables to complete the same entry by themselves. Here's what I've created for the first 5 weeks of school....

Teacher's Notebook Store

10:15AM LUNCH TIME!

10:45AM
CAFE/ Daily Five: Introduce CAFE Menu Board
Read: A Crazy Day at the Critter Cafe
Laura over at the Delightful Daily 5 Cafe blog has an awesome introduction lesson using this book!

 

• post first strategy on board (click on picture for your own copy of Emergent Cards)

11:15AM  BRAIN BREAK!!!!!

11:20AM 
Read: Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom

• What are letters?
• What letter does your name begin with? (I create a flip-chart for an easy graphing activity.)
• At this point in our day, we discuss our basket rules and procedures (We haven't needed them until now.)
• I have 4 tables in my classroom that are distinguished by color (red, blue, yellow & green). Each table has a cubbie where the students have their own basket for their scissors, glue & crayons).
•  I like to dismiss one table at a time from the rug to get their basket and take it to their seat.

• Our letter activity for the day will be to cover the first letter in our names with colorful squares.Thank you Kacey over at Doodle Bugs Teaching blog for this wonderful idea!!!

11:45AM  RECESS

12:15PM 
CAFE/ Daily Five Lesson: Read to Self

• create I-chart with expectations
• discuss & model book basket rules and procedures
• model correct & incorrect read to self time
• practice stamina for 3 minutes
• practice putting book boxes up and returning to the rug
• graph our stamina & celebrate
•  repeat these steps 2 more times

     

Book Baskets from the Dollar Tree

12:50PM SNACK TIME


1:00PM
Writer's Workshop Introduction 

• rules and procedures
• entry #1- write your name and draw self-portrait

I'm still working the kinks out of my writer's workshop design. I've been following the book study In Pictures and In Words over at Mrs. Wills Kindergarten blog! I would love suggestions on how you have your WW time set up! Please email me with any resources you may have!!

1:30PM BRAIN BREAK!!! (lots of breaks are needed in K)


1:35PM
Social Studies Unit: Welcome to Kindergarten
Read: The Kissing Hand 

• How did you feel on the 1st day of kindergarten?
• "________ felt ________ on the first day of school."
• I always have this predictable sentence ready on a flip-chart to make things easier and faster.
• After all the students have shared, I'll send them to their tables to color a 1st day of school picture.
• This is a great opportunity to start packing up book bags and tagging students for their afternoon transportation!

2:05PM
Ring chimes for clean up time

• I call tables one at a time to put their supply baskets away and join me on the rug.
• If time, we'll share our favorite part of the day.

2:15PM 
Line-up and head out the door!!  We line K up a little early on the first day since our kids have never been through dismissal before...no traffic in the halls is nice.


2:30PM
Diet Coke & chocolate time because I made it through the first day!  I can't fully celebrate until around 3:30PM when I know all my kinders made it home without a problem! There's always one of us that gets the CALL..."so and so wasn't on the right bus" or "so and so was suppose to be a car rider!" Seriously, we asked you a million times how your kid was getting home on the first day!!!!   


I hope my first day plans gave you a few ideas! I know I have a lot planned but I'd rather have too much then not enough! I love sharing ideas and getting suggestions....COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!