Ideas for first day of school?

Question

Hi! I just got my first job as a special education teacher (resource room) in a K-8 charter school. The school did their hiring a little late, so I don't have much time to set up my classroom. My classroom is really tiny, with no windows. I need some ideas of how to decorate or just brighten things up.

Also, what are some good activities for the first day of school? I'll have a whole mix of grade levels. It will probably be mostly kids with learning disabilities, but you never know. So what are some good first day activties I could do? Just kind of "get to know you" games. They may know each other, but I'm new. So what are some good activities through which they could get to know me?

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

order "The First Six weeks of school" from the Responsive Classroom.   It has lots of ice breakers and activities to create a strong classroom environment.

In the meantime, do a lot of sharing time.  What is one good thing and one bad thing that happened this summer?  Or today?   Do some "quick shares" where you all sit in a circle and share "favorite movie" or "least favorite food" or "most embarrassing moment last school year" or "one goal for this year".  

Write down goals on pieces of card stock.  Hang them up around the room.

Good luck and have fun!

Answer 2

To make your room look bigger, put up a big mirror on one of the long walls, that way it will seem like a wider space. Try having a sharing circle where everyone sits facing in a circle and shares an idea or story. Try a big piece of paper with everyone's hand print painted on it and their names underneath their hand print, and ask everyone what their hands are good for and then write it in the empty spaces, that way you can reinforce the 'hands are not for hitting rule, then put it up on the wall. Hope this helps you some.  :)

Answer 3

Omg! Im sorry they put you in such an awful classroom. Well they say mirrors make rooms seem bigger so y not try some of those? Also, use bright colors in the room and that will make it seem happier. For the first day of school you could let them go around the room one at a time and ask them to say: thier name, what grade they are in, their favorite food and color, and one cool thing they did over summer break. that way they could get to know one another and it would pass time! Hope i helped some! Good Luck

Answer 4

put school eductaion posters the typical things like time tables , punctuation charts etc