Hey Teacher Friends!

Do you get nervous starting a new school year too?  Here’s how to overcome this nervousness and master the first day back to school for any teacher!

It happened last night…my first back to school nightmare!  I’ve been at my school prepping my room the past couple of days in order to make sure I’m all set for the first day of school next week.  I just got my new schedule & class lists this week too, so it’s been a busy week organizing and prepping!

It’s always around this time of the year that I start having school dreams.  Am I prepared… what will this year be like…will my students enjoy my class…did I print out my worksheets & class lists for the day….will I sleep through my alarm…etc!!!  I’m sure you’ve experienced this as well.  These are called the back to school first day jitters for teachers!

Here are some tips to ease your first day teacher jitters.  No matter what, you will get a bit nervous, but if you follow these tips, you will at least feel a bit more confident walking into school on Day 1 of the new school year.

Plan Ahead!

This seems like the most obvious, however you don’t want to be running around on the first day scrambling before the bell rings!  So, make sure that all your photocopying is ready to go,  your class binder is organized, bulletin boards are up and looking great, and your day plan is set!  Also, consider double checking that you have the correct textbooks and amount of desks for students.  If you walk into the school all ready to go, you will have the confidence and NOT the first day jitters!

Practice your Student Names!

Once you get your class lists, it’s a great idea to practice and look over their names.  Literally, say the names out loud!  It sounds funny, but getting names wrong on the first day is a bit embarrassing for both the teacher and student!

1st Day Activity!

Use some of the time on the first day to have some fun.  Use an All About Me activity or a Getting to Know One Another Exercise.  This will allow the students to get out of their seats and start talking amongst each other- already setting up a comfortable & positive classroom community. 

Use a Day Overview/ Plan!

It’s a great idea to have your day plan in front of you, whether you prefer to have a written copy by your side, have the overview on the board, or have a digital copy.  In my classroom, I have a laptop & Viewboard television.  Thus, I have created a FIRST WEEK overview on Power Point that guides me as to what comes next during the class.  Whatever your preference, the overview is going to keep you focused, on topic, and properly manage your time.  No more first day jitters!

Practice your Introduction & Instructions!

Knowing what you are going to say is important for setting the standard right.  Just like preparing for a play or presentation, practice your introduction or instructions that you are going to deliver to your students.  Then, on the day, the first day jitters won’t get in the way!

Have Back-Up Plans!

That’s right- a plan B!  This is just in case certain things that you wanted to use or do are unavailable or not working.  Imagine wanting to get the students on computers only to find out that the network crashed that morning or students can’t log it!  Also, what happens if you finish your day plan earlier- do you have an extra activity for this just in case moment?

Know your Expectations & Enforce Them!

Make sure that prior to arriving on the first day, you’ve decided on how the class management is going to run.  That is, the routines and the rules of the classroom.  You must predetermine things such as how the students will enter the classroom or sign out to use the washroom, answer questions, submit work, etc.  This will ensure that you have established teacher expectations right away and can start “training” your students how to behave in your classroom.  This will also diminish classroom disruption and limit poor behavior.

Greet each Student Upon Arrival to Class!

At my school, it is encouraged that teachers stand outside of their classrooms in between classes.  This is for hallway supervision purposes, but also to greet each student!  Think about it from a student perspective.  If their teacher said hi “name” to them on the very first day, it’s already setting a comfortable & welcoming environment.  This in turn lessens the stress or first day jitters quite a bit!

Use a Seating Plan!

Why a seating plan?  It puts the teacher in charge already on day one and dictates where the students will sit from the beginning.  The easiest is sitting the students in alphabetical order right off the bat.  It helps with quicker attendance and learning student names.  Then, when the time is right, switch up the seating plan as per your desires.

Wake up Early & Arrive to School Early!

I know, it’s hard after the summer break.  But in order to ensure a great first day– get up early!  Try to have everything ready to go for school the night before such as your lunch, bag, papers, etc.  Then, in the morning wake up, enjoy a great cup of coffee, blare some music that pumps you up and eases you while getting ready, and take off for school with plenty of time left.  Arriving to school early will eliminate the need to rush around to get things done- remember- you already have everything ready to go! That is…if you followed the first tip! 🙂

and Finally- Relax!

Take a few deep breaths, before you know it, the day will be over and it will have been a SUCCESS!  Why?  Because you were prepared and followed the tips outlined above!

Have a wonderful school year & good luck on your first day!  I hope these tips helped!

So…..do you still have the first day teacher jitters?