High School Teachers-What is your procedure on the first day of school?

Question

Do you lay down the law with rules and outline the class? Or do you do something a little less traditional. If so, what?

Answer 1

yes, you lay down the law. If you have a syllabus, give it to them. Once you lay down the law, enforce it. don't wiggle because once u do you're dead.

Answer 2

I'm pretty traditional, but I've had good results so far...

Day 1

1. greet them at the door

2. help students find their seats from the displayed seating chart

2.5 - possibly have an info sheet or pretest for them to fill out waiting for them on their desks (I would usually do this for freshmen to keep them occupied, as it always takes a few extra minutes to get things started on the first day)

3. introduce myself, tell the students all about me. their homework is for them to write a letter telling me about them.

4. briefly discuss what we will be studying this year

5. go over class rules and procedures  

6. play a fun name game / get to know you type icebreaker

Day 2

1. Review names

2. Pop quiz over rules and procedures

3. Down to business...

Answer 3

I try to get a writing sample the first day, usually by putting some sort of silly writing prompt on the board.  As an English teacher, it is really important for m to know where my students are with their writing, so I know what I need to review.

I also go over class rules together, but we write the rules together, and they always have rules for me to follow as well.   We talk about the kind of classroom we want to have, one where everyone is respectful of each other's feelings and time, one where we can speak openly, one where we can trust each other.  It's a great way to start the year.

Many of the more disciplinary rules are schoolwide, so we don't have to decide on attendance policy r anything like that.

Answer 4

I do not start with rules. I do however mention that I do have rules - and students have been in school long enough (I teach grade 7) to know what is expected of them.

My first day is usually an overview of what we can be expected to learn for the year, some basic classroom procedures theyll need to know for the first week, a small get to know you activity. This usually fills up all the time available - I let them know right at the end that homework will start later in the week, and that academic work will start tomorrow.

On day two I do a quick overview of my rules - and come back to it daily for the first two weeks. I feel that the rules and procedures must be mentioned constantly at first.

As far as the get to know you: I dont know what Ill be doing this next year yet - but in the past - Ive done little surveys, quick writes, favorite stories about the previous year. Whatever it is - it is designed to let the incoming student know that we use our time always. the actual assignment is a tool to show off a few classroom procedures - how we pass out papers, turn them in - when they can get up to use the sharpener and even how to head the paper.

Answer 5

You need to establish the rules and guidelines right away.  If students know what is expected, they can meet those expectations.  If you let them wander around on their own (behaviorally and academically), it is much more difficult for them to redirect their energies in that direction later.  Think of it as turning a ship.  It is easier and less time consuming to start the ship out in the right direction to begin with.  This is true for both teachers and administrators.

How you introduce those concepts varies.  It is not necessarily required for you to come in "breathing fire".  A firm assertion that the expectations will be met by all is usually sufficient.  If you show that you are serious, they will generally get serious as well.

On the other hand, it is also a good time to set their expectations for you.  Teachers need to introduce themselves to new students.  The earlier you do this, the better.  I don't mean telling them your life story (unless yours is a lot more exciting than mine or you want to lose them immediately), but they have a right to know when you are available for helping them, for instance.

It's like a baseball game.  Everyone enjoys the experience more if they know and can follow the rules of the game.

Answer 6

Scare the h**l of them by letting think you're psycho.

Then later on during the first month  they'll catch on that you're really not psycho, just a dictator but a nice one who runs the show and wants the students to learn all they can! (I teach highschool so this works welll. I would never try to scare the elementary school kids).

Seriously...we go over the class rules after we've gotten to know each other and connect with similar  interests and knowledge.

Then the next day they get a quiz on the rules. Then after that I make them realize that I am a dictator that rules the class with an iron fist but will also spoil them rotten when they do what I ask as well as show that they believe in themselves.