No matter how many times I’ve had a first day of school, I’m always afraid that I am going to forget how to teach. (Yes, I’m serious). I’m afraid I’ll forget the right way to teach kids to unpack, the right way to start their Morning Work, or even the right way to throw away a dirty tissue! This is a recurring fear because I know those first weeks of school are crucial to setting the tone for the rest of your year. That’s why I’ve written it all down…in June!
If you’re like me, the best way to remember and process things is to WRITE IT DOWN.
That’s why I created this PowerPoint to help me process and visualize the way I want my classroom to run each school year. By using these PowerPoints, I can think through every aspect of my classroom procedures and write it down so that
1.) I can teach my students correctly
2.)There is consistency (or maybe changes!) year to year and
3.) I force myself to go through every detail of our daily routines before the kids even arrive.
If there is a specific way you want your students to do something, TEACH IT.
Do I use ALL of my slides? No. But it is so beneficial to have them written out so that you have already rehearsed them in your mind and you have a safety net for those first few days of school.
Here is a peak at some of my procedure slides! (Read to the end to download your FREE template!)
Yes, there are a LOT of words on these slides. No, I do not expect first graders to be able to read them. I put so much detail on here for MY sake. Think about your brain on the first day of school: are you in teacher mode yet? NO! Don’t be shy – put EVERY little note on there that you might need to jog your memory.
Real Examples with Real Pictures
I also use these PPTs as an opportunity to show my students real examples of what I expect in the classroom. I use a classroom blog as a newsletter and, consequently, take TONS of pictures throughout the year. During the year, I rename pictures as “sharing with a friend” or “Read to Self” to remind me to input it in next year’s procedure PPT.
As my students learn the new procedures, I always encourage them to be GREAT role models so that they can be the examples for next year’s first graders ;).
You can even include examples of what NOT to do. If you choose to do this, be sure to always discuss what students should do. You don’t want them to remember the examples of incorrect behavior.