first day of class writing assignment

During the First Day of Class

Just as in social situations, the more a person knows about you, the more comfortable you become. With teaching and learning, we can easily create a more comfortable and learning-focused environment by establishing a positive rapport among students and with the instructor. From the first few moments students are in your class, they will look for cues for how responsive you will be to them, as individuals, and the kind of effort you will make to care about them and their learning. Simple aspects of the first class such as the seating arrangements, how you introduce yourself, and how you help them connect with each other, can make a significant difference in how students respond to your requests for engagement. 

Optimizing the seating arrangements

The seating arrangement in a classroom can impact the atmosphere of the class and students' perceptions of it. Different seating arrangements can benefit different class activities like lectures, discussions, and different levels of student participation and interactions. So you can decide yourself or with input from the students about how the seats would be arranged during the first class depending on the types of activities you have planned. 

Plan to reach the classroom 5 minutes early. You can use the extra time to set up your devices for class, organize the handouts or other resources you plan to use, and greet your students as they enter the classroom. You can consider creating a greeting, a way to start class, that’s unique to you, that can establish the culture of the class and students know what to expect.

Introduce Yourself

On the first day of class, it is important to introduce yourself to the students covering all the essential information about you including:

• Your pronouns
• How you would like your students to address you 
• Your area of research
• Your office locations and office hours
• The best ways to reach you (e.g., in-person, email, etc.)

While introducing yourself, be mindful about which information you want to reveal and which you would not. Express your passion for your subject matter. Students are much more likely to engage in a class that is designed to share someone’s passion. As with stories, identify points throughout the lesson and/or semester where you can express personal interests, and background on that interest, so students can more easily relate to you and the content. This can easily be done without revealing specific, personal information.

Help students learn about each other

Spend a few minutes on the first day of class to help the students get to know each other to create a welcoming, social environment. In a small class, you can encourage each student to introduce themselves and share their hobbies, interests, and other interesting information with the rest of the class. In a large classroom, this approach may be too time-consuming. So instead, you may have the students break into pairs or small groups to introduce themselves to each other. 

Using icebreakers can be effective in helping students be more comfortable with the cohort. Icebreakers that are relevant to the course contents would be the most appropriate ones to facilitate the introductory interactions among students. Following is a list of resources that can help you ideate icebreakers that are customized for the course:

• The K. Patricia Cross Academia: 6 Icebreakers to Help Students Feel Comfortable in Your Class
• University of Michigan: Icebreaker Grab Bag
• UC San Diego: Icebreakers, Team Building Activities, and Energizers

Discuss learning objectives and expectations

One of the most significant activities on the first day of class would be clarifying the learning objectives of the course. You can shed some light on how the objectives will be met through various activities and how these relate to real-world scenarios and applications. You should also focus on setting expectations for student behavior and commitment. Discuss the information your students need to know to engage with different elements of the course and be successful. Prepare to provide clarifications on:  

• The teaching-learning approaches to be used in the course
• The ways they should prepare before each class
• General behavioral expectations from the students (e.g., punctuality, participation, offering feedback, etc.)
• The amount of time and effort they would need to be successful in the course 

Share an overview of the course contents and requirements

Take some time during the first class to share a brief overview of the course content. You can consider going through the syllabus and gathering some information from the students on which topics they find most important or relevant to them, and other issues they have about the course content. 

Involve students on day one of the class in an activity similar to what they will experience the rest of the semester. This helps set an early expectation of what class time will be like and what your expectations are for participation. 

Utilize the assignments and/or activities on the first day that ask students to connect course material to their own lives, personal interests, or career goals. While the process of making this connection is beneficial to the learning - through its focus on relevance, it also provides you as the instructor insight into your students’ lives, interests, and ambitions.

Also, provide an overview of the assessment methods and grading criteria for the course. Explain how many assignments they will need to complete, how they will be evaluated, and how their assignments will be graded. You can consider giving them a sense of your expectations and flexibility regarding the assessment and evaluation approach for the course. You should also encourage them to share their feedback with you when prompted. 

Collect data regarding students' knowledge and motivation

Plan to collect some information regarding your students' baseline knowledge relevant to the course. You can consider preparing a set of questions, or a survey to test their prior knowledge, and based on the data obtained, decide on activities to facilitate bridging the identified gaps. Here is a sample knowledge probe that you can use to identify the best starting point for the class as a whole:

• Background knowledge probe 

You should also focus on getting a sense of their motivation to take the course. Consider exploring the reasons they are interested in the course, their expectations from it, and what challenges they anticipate during the course timeline. This will help you customize your teaching approach to best suit the student groups. Know that most student resistance will present itself in a passive form. Determine ahead of time what course of action you will take to address those students not participating. See the section on Student Resistance for more strategies for navigating these scenarios.

Share logistics and resources available to the students 

Finally, take a few minutes to share the university, department, library, and other resources available to the students throughout the course timeline. Remind them of the relevant administrative procedures, drop-add dates, caps on enrollment, Virginia Tech plagiarism policies,  honor code, etc. 

If you have Teaching Assistants (TA) assigned for the course, plan from the beginning of the semester to incorporate them effectively into the classroom community. Students need to feel like the TAs are part of the class, are aware of what is going on in class, and have the expertise to assist them before they will willingly seek out TA’s help. If the TA is never seen or heard from, it creates the impression that the TA is not someone who can assist with the course material. To help incorporate TAs into the classroom, consider these suggestions:

• Introduce the TA on the very first day and have the TA lead a short activity. This will help create the impression that the TA is knowledgeable and integrated into the course.
• Require that your TA is present during class time. This will ensure that the TA knows what is going on during class.
• Have planning and/or feedback meetings regularly with your TA.
• Ensure that the TA is available for at least some time prior to and directly after class to help address students’ questions and concerns.
• While not always possible, try to have the TA’s office hours at a time most students can access. For example, office hours from 10 am - 12 pm are likely going to be when most students are in other classes. However, this allows for some creative thinking like offering virtual office hours online during the week.

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Back to School "What is a Scientist?" Writing Activity | First Day of School Science Exploration

Subject: Understanding the world

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

31 August 2024

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Back to School “What is a Scientist?” Writing Activity | First Day of School Science Exploration

Back To School What is a Scientist? - First Day Of School Writing Activities

Kick off the school year with an engaging “What is a Scientist?” writing activity, perfect for the first day of school. This interactive exercise introduces students to the exciting world of science by encouraging them to explore and define what it means to be a scientist. Through creative writing prompts and guided discussions, students will reflect on the diverse roles that scientists play, from conducting experiments to making groundbreaking discoveries.

Designed to inspire curiosity and critical thinking, this back-to-school activity is ideal for fostering a love of science from the very start. Students will have the opportunity to express their thoughts through writing, drawing, and collaborative discussions, helping them to understand that anyone can be a scientist. This activity also serves as a fantastic icebreaker, allowing students to share their ideas and get to know their classmates in a fun, educational setting.

Perfect for elementary classrooms, this “What is a Scientist?” writing activity sets a positive tone for the school year while aligning with key educational standards. Encourage your students to think like scientists from day one and ignite their passion for learning with this engaging back-to-school resource.

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• Effective Teaching Strategies , Teaching & Learning , Teaching Strategies

Making Memories on the First Day of Class

• August 26, 2024
• Donald A. Saucier, PhD, Noah D. Renken, MS, Colleen E. Fulton, BS, and Ashley Schiffer, MS

With classes about to begin for a new semester at colleges and universities across the world, instructors and students are preparing for the common experience of the first day of class. The first day of class of any given course is something that happens only once and can be over so quickly – perhaps too quickly to optimize the value and impact of that first day. The first day of class should be much more than “syllabus day” – the first day of class is hugely important in setting the tone for the entire semester in many ways. The first day of class is a day on which we can nurture our students’ voices and promote their engagement and intrinsic motivation for learning (Saucier, 2020). As instructors, we should prepare to rock the first day of class every semester as we introduce ourselves and our content to a new cohort of students.

Inform and Inspire

On the first day of class, our goal as instructors is to inform and inspire our students. We want to describe our course and its content in a way that informs our students about what we will learn together and inspires our students to come back on the second day to learn that with us. And that really is the ultimate goal of the first day of class – to inspire students to come back for the second day, and then the third day, and so on. We may achieve that goal by designing a first day that will make memories for our students.

Reflections

At the end of the Fall 2023 semester, we asked the students in our classes about their favorite memories from the semester (see Engage the Sage, 2023a). It was fulfilling to read about how they connected to the content we learned together, the activities we engaged in, and the missions and assignments they completed. It was also amazing to see that some of our students’ memories were from things we had done in the first week and even on the first day of our class. Accordingly, we encourage instructors to think about how they can make some memories for their students on that first day of their class.

As each semester approaches, we recommend that instructors think about what they want their students to remember about their class for the rest of the semester and potentially beyond. Below, we list several ideas that instructors may consider creating memories for their students on the first day of their classes. These ideas may be applied in classes of any size, level, or discipline.

Bring PEACE to Your Students

Maya Angelou famously said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” On the first day of class, we have the opportunity as instructors to bring PEACE to our students to help them feel supported and to develop rapport and trust that we are ready, able, and willing to help them learn this semester. “PEACE”, beyond being a wonderful word to describe the warmth and connection of a nurturing learning environment, is an acronym that specifies five foundations of excellent teaching: Preparation, Expertise, Authenticity, Caring, and Engagement (Saucier, 2019; Saucier, 2022; Saucier, Jones, Schiffer, & Renken, 2022). 

On the first day, we recommend that instructors demonstrate that they have prepared a thoughtful course with a clear and intentional structure (Preparation); that they have the content knowledge and teaching skills to deliver the course successfully (Expertise); that they are actual human people with thoughts, feelings, and lives outside the classroom, and not just brilliant robots (Authenticity); that they care about their students’ learning, experiences, and well-being, and that they believe in their ability to succeed in the class (Caring); and that they are enthusiastic and invested in the course content and in the process of teaching that content to them (Engagement). This latter component, the instructor’s engagement, may then “trickle down” to enhance their students’ engagement and ultimate learning (Saucier, Miller, Martens, & Jones, 2022).

Foreshadow Engaging Content, Activities, and Assignments

On the first day of class, instructors should take the opportunity to promote the wonderful things the students will learn in the class, the activities they will complete to deepen their learning, and the ways in which they will be offered to demonstrate their learning. Instructors can and should provide teasers for the upcoming big learning moments (e.g., important and/or intriguing content and skills) and engaging activities and assignments. Beyond this foreshadowing, instructors should have their students do something on the first day that begins their learning and establishes the classroom as a supportive community of learners. Activities  could include putting students in small groups to acquaint and complete an activity, teasing the content with a pretest of course knowledge, and identifying their goals for their semester. Throughout these activities, instructors should model their authentic engagement in the course, intrigue their students with the content (e.g., through historical or pop culture examples, with storytelling), and provide students the opportunity to ask questions (e.g., about the course, the university, the instructors as people) to nurture students in using their voices. These activities require intentional design but will make the first day more memorable than a typical “syllabus day.”

Provide Explicit Recommendations for Your Students’ Success

Instructors will want their students to remember not only that they want them to do well in their course, but how to do well in their course. A great way for instructors to show students that they care about their learning and performance, and to help them actually learn and perform better, is to provide explicit recommendations about how to do well in their course. This could include recommendations related to attending class, how to take notes in your course, how to access course resources, how and when to contact you with questions or concerns, and when to begin assignments. Some of these recommendations will be useful on the first day and will help students understand their instructors’ authentic commitment to their learning and success. These recommendations could also be posted as a document or video resource (see Engage the Sage, 2023b) that instructors can refer students to throughout the semester. It may be particularly powerful to provide the current semester’s students recommendations about how to do well in the course from previous semesters’ students collected perhaps as part of an end of the semester reflection.

We recommend that instructors prepare the structure, content, activities, and interactions for their first classes of the semester intentionally to make memories for themselves and their students. Rather than planning to just read the syllabus to your students, we recommend that instructors go into their first classes each semester with the goals to inform and inspire, and to make memories. It may be a practical goal to design your first class with at least five elements that you hope will create memories for your students that inform them about the course, inspire them to come back, motivate them to learn and succeed, show that you value your students, and reassure them that you will bring PEACE not only on the first day of class, but on every day of the semester.

Donald A. Saucier, Ph.D. (2001, University of Vermont) is a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State University. Saucier has published more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and is a Fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, and the Midwestern Psychological Association. His awards and honors include the University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Teaching Resource Prize. Saucier is also the Faculty Associate Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at Kansas State University and offers a YouTube channel called “Engage the Sage” that describes his teaching philosophy, practices, and experiences.  

Noah D. Renken, M.S. completed his master’s degree in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State University and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Human Development & Family Science at Kansas State University. Noah’s recent work has examined masculine honor ideology and the manifestation of attitudes towards stigmatized events (e.g., sexual violence, trauma). Noah also worked in the Teaching and Learning Center at Kansas State University, where he collaborated with Don Saucier and Ashley Schiffer on scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) projects. 

Colleen E. Fulton, B.S. graduated from Kansas State University in 2024 with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Sociology. Colleen was an undergraduate research collaborator in the social-personality psychology lab run by Don Saucier, Noah Renken, and Ashley Schiffer in the Department of Psychological Sciences where she collaborated with them on scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) projects.

Ashley A. Schiffer, M.S. is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State University. Her research interests include morality in relation to masculine honor ideology and/or military settings as well as examination of issues related to body autonomy (e.g., Death with Dignity). Ashley also works at Kansas State’s Teaching and Learning Center with Don Saucier and Noah Renken to promote teaching excellence and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Engage the Sage. (2023a). Engage the Sage: Favorite memories from the semester [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/dl5wS3XqR50 . 

Engage the Sage. (2023b). Engage the Sage: Top 10 ways to succeed in college classes (as a student) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0lOB1Kkb6gc . 

Saucier, D. A. (2019, September 9 th ). Bringing PEACE to the classroom. Faculty Focus.

Retrieved from: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/philosophy-of-teaching/bringing-peace-to-the-classroom/?st=FFdaily;s=FF190909;utm_term=FF190909&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Bringing+PEACE+to+the+Classroom&utm_campaign=FF190909

Saucier, D. A. (2020). Rocking your first day of class (and beyond!). E-xcellence in Teaching, Society for the Teaching of Psychology. Retrieved from: https://teachpsych.org/E-xcellence-in-Teaching-Blog/8454525  

Saucier, D. A. (2022, February 23 rd ). Bringing PEACE to support all students. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2022/02/23/professors-should-learn-about-respond-students-unique-experiences-opinion  

Saucier, D. A., Jones, T. L., Schiffer, A. A., & Renken, N. D. (2022). The empathetic course design perspective. Applied Economics Teaching Resources, 4 (4), 101-111.

Saucier, D. A., Miller, S. S., Martens, A. L., & Jones, T. L. (2022). Trickle down engagement: Effects of perceived teacher and student engagement on learning outcomes. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 33 (2), 168-179.

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29 Back-to-School Writing Prompts for Middle and High School

The first day of school is approaching, and as a teacher, your schedule is likely already filling up with organizational and instructional prep work. However, despite all of your efforts, you may find that some students may emerge slowly from their summer hazes.

Before your middle school or high school students start their assigned reading, get them engaged with these back-to-school writing prompts. Fill up some class time with a few warm-up writing prompts below, or send students home with a larger assignment to get them back into the swing of things!

First Day of School Writing Prompts: Middle School Students

Classroom Prompt Assignments

• Stream of consciousness is when a character lets their thoughts continuously flow. Write a stream of consciousness story of your own and see where your thoughts take you.
• For the new school year, what new skill would you choose to learn if you had the time, money, and ability? Why?
• Write a critique of a book, movie, or show you recently read or watched. What were its strong points? What were its weak ones?
• Describe the reigning emotions you felt this summer. Why did you feel that way, and how do you think these emotions might change as the school year progresses?
• Choose a place you traveled to this summer, either locally or far away, and write a blog post about that location. Should other people visit as well? It could be a restaurant, a town, a shop, or a favorite spot to hang out.
• If there is a club, sport, class, or event you are excited about this year, write what you already know about it. Follow up with some expectations that you have for the experience and yourself.
• A flashbulb memory is a very detailed memory that you have from when you were young. Do you have any memories like that, and if so, what are they about? Are there any events that have happened recently that you think you will remember for a long time?
• Do you have any traditions? If not, which one would you want to start this year?
• Describe the most memorable school project that you’ve ever done. Would you like to do a similar project this year, and if so, how can it be adapted to what you’re learning now?
• If you could create a themed book display for your school library, what would it be? Which titles would it include, and why?

Take-Home Writing Assignments

• Write a letter to your younger self, and then another to your older self.
• One important rule of creative writing is to “Show Don’t Tell.” Write a 1,500-word short story in your favorite genre, following this rule.
• Write a local wildlife guide to your backyard, neighborhood, local park, or even the school itself. What flora and fauna exist there?
• Write a 1,000-word essay about an aspect of your summer that focuses on the five basic senses—Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch.

First Day of School Writing Prompts: High School Students

• Set three resolutions for yourself to accomplish this year and describe why those are the ones you chose.
• Write a list of How-To instructions for something that you know how to do. It could be making a meal, cleaning something, playing a game, babysitting, drawing a picture, etc.
• Create a dream college for you to attend once you graduate. Which academic programs does it offer? What sports, art classes, and clubs are offered? Where is it located?
• Write a short story using only dialogue. Work on creating different voices for each character. If it helps, take notes on each character before the dialogue starts. Does one character use slang? Is the other excitable? Is one character older than the other?
• Write a song on a subject that isn’t usually heard in other songs.
• Create a new class for your school to offer. Why do you think that class is necessary? What are the learning goals for that class, and what are the assignments?
• Which app do you spend the most time on? What are the positive aspects of using the app? What are the negatives?
• Is there a cause that you want to be a part of? What is it, and why is it important to you?
• Create a new club for your community or school. What is the club about? What are your goals, and who do you hope will join?
• Describe three things that you are looking forward to this year.
• What is your ultimate dream job? Research the industry, company, or role you’re interested in and report on what it is and how to get there. Conclude with your expectations before and after your research. Is the job what you thought it was?
• Choose a position with the local government to run for and outline a platform to run on. Then, write a speech to voters about your platform. Make sure to research your current representatives to learn what their platforms are.
• What is going on in the town or city that you live in? Research local events, places, volunteer opportunities, parks, clubs, etc. Visit a new place or attend a new event, then write a review of your experiences using descriptive language. Would you go back again? Why or why not?
• An executive summary is an intro to a business plan that is designed to grab the reader’s attention by summarizing what the new business will accomplish. Write an executive summary between 500 and 1,000 words for a product, venture, or business that you wish existed.
• Research a historical figure that looks a little like you do (bonus points if you’ve never heard of them before now). What did they accomplish?

No matter how much or how little your students read this summer, get their creativity flowing with these thought-provoking journal prompts to kick off the year. By focusing on descriptive language, persuasive arguments, and ideas for the future, your middle school or high school class will find their writer's stride in no time.

Try Writable to support your ELA curriculum, district benchmarks, and state standards with more than 600 fully customizable writing assignments and rubrics for students in Grades 3–12 .

Try out a free trial of Writable today by following these steps:

• Go to hmh.writable.com
• Click "Log in or Create Account"
• Choose "I'm a teacher"
• Sign in with Google or Microsoft account
• Select the grade level you teach
• Activities & Lessons
• Grades 9-12

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17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities

The smell of freshly painted halls, the excited chatter of returning students bursting with two months’ worth of gossip to share—it must be the first day at school again.

Rusty pens and dusty pencils are hastily pulled from the bottom of school bags where, for many, they’ve lain all summer, ready for back to school.

You’ll need engaging writing activities to get those atrophied writing muscles back in shape. The standard ‘What I Did This Summer’ essay won’t cut it.

Luckily, we have 17 Great Back-to-School Writing Activities for you to help shake off the cobwebs and get your students’ writing skills back on par. Let’s get started.

Ice Breaker

Writing activities.

At the start of each school year, there’s likely to be a new face or two in the class, and while two months isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, our students can do a lot of growing and changing in that time.

Ice-breaker writing activities allow students to connect with others in the class. They give students some insight into the lives of their classmates.

Here are some fun ice-breaker writing activities to get the new school year off to a strong start writing-wise.

The A to Z of Me! Poem

Students write an acrostic poem about themselves in the A to Z of Me. The poem’s first line starts with the letter A, and each new line begins with the following letter of the alphabet, which should reveal something about the poet.

This may be too long for younger students – it’d be a 26-line poem after all. In this case, you can quickly adapt the activity to employ the letters of the student’s first name.

This activity aims for students to capture the essence of who they are in their poems. They can write a phrase or line based on their interests, appearance, things they have done, hobbies, desires, ideas, where they’re from, etc.

You can make this more challenging for older and stronger students by insisting they employ a rhyme scheme throughout their poems.

For example, they could write their poem in couplets (AA, BB, CC, etc.) or with an alternate line rhyming scheme (AB, AB, AB, etc).

When students have finished writing their acrostic poems about themselves, they can perform it to the whole class as a class poetry slam.

Guess Who? Writing Task

This fun activity challenges students to recall what they know about their classmates or, in the case of a newly formed group of students, to explore their initial impressions of each other.

In Guess Who?, the teacher divides the students into two groups. Each group writes down a unique fact about themselves on a piece of paper, folds it , and gives it to the teacher.

If everyone already knows each other very well, you might want to limit the facts to something they did over the summer that the others in the class are unaware of.

Students could write about a hobby or talent, a language they speak, a place they visited, or anything that makes them unique or special.

Students then take turns reading a fact written by someone from the other group, and they then guess who wrote it.

A point is awarded for each correct guess, the winning team being the team with the most points.

Interview A Classmate Writing Activity :

This activity allows students to get to know each other better while developing their interviewing, note-taking, and writing skills.

 Begin this activity by asking the students to compile a list of questions that they would use to get to know someone they’d met for the first time.

 The first questions the students generally tend to be surface-level small-talk-type questions such as:

•  Where are you from?
• How many brothers and sisters do you have?
• What’s your favourite subject at school?
• What are your hobbies?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What’s the best thing about you?

Write these on the whiteboard, of course. They’ll be helpful to as warm-up openers at the beginning of the interviews, but we want to encourage a deeper dive.

For the interviewer to better understand the interviewee, they’ll need to probe further.

Encourage students to come up with more challenging questions to ask in the interview and write these on the board. These questions should be geared toward gaining insight beyond the superficial.

Explain to the students that when they are the interviewee, if they’d prefer not to answer a specific question, they can just say “next” and the interviewer will move immediately onto the next question.

Some examples of deeper, more probing-type questions might include questions like:

•  Can you tell me about an event or a story that significantly impacted your life?
• Who has had the most significant influence on who you are?
• What is the most challenging thing you’ve ever had to do?
• What is your best memory? Worst?

At the end of this brainstorming session, a considerable list of questions should be on the whiteboard.

Students are then partnered up. They will then take turns interviewing each other, with each interviewer taking comprehensive notes as they interview.

Students should not use voice recording equipment during this activity. This activity aims to improve note-taking abilities.

When the interviews are over, students write them up as best they can, using their notes and memories to recreate them.

For the more advanced students, this will involve recreating the interview’s dialogue and weaving a narrative around it to convey the interviewee’s character, expressions, and mannerisms.

First Day of School Persuasive Wish List Task

The start of a new school year is a time of hope and possibility captured in the form of a wish list.

But this isn’t an old wish list but a persuasive one.

The students will write a wish list of things they hope for from the new school year.

The twist is that they must make their case for why they should receive the concessions they seek.

Some items that might make the wish list could be the desire to see more time for their favourite activities, less homework, or creating a class council. It doesn’t matter what is on the list but that the student makes as strong a case as possible for them.

Students should be encouraged to use the full range of persuasive writing techniques  available, from emotional language to social proof, from repetition to evidence and statistics.

Collaborative Writing Activities

Collaborative writing activities offer students opportunities to work with a partner, a small group, or the whole class to produce a shared piece of writing.

As with the previous activities, these activities can break the ice. More than that, they help students establish a level of comfort working together to achieve a shared goal – a key dynamic to encourage at the start of any school year.

Snowball Story-Writing

In this simple but fun activity, each student starts by writing the beginning of a story. There should be an allotted amount of time to complete this, the length of which will depend on the age and abilities of the students.

When the allotted time is up, students should stop writing, roll their paper into a ball, and throw it towards the top of the classroom!

Students should then each retrieve one of the ‘snowballs’ from the front of the classroom and, when the timer is started, read the beginning of the story and then write the story middle until the time is up.

Again, the students throw their snowballs to the front of the classroom, before selecting a new snowball to write the ending.

When the stories are completed, they should be returned to the students who wrote the story beginning. This student should write a final draft of the story to ensure it reads well 

Students can then share their stories by reading them out to the class.

Sometimes, students struggle to start their writing. To help them get going, it can be helpful to provide them with a sheet of paper with a writing prompt. This prompt can be a sentence or even a picture.

These prompts can be easily differentiated to suit the age and abilities of your students. For example, more prescriptive prompts are helpful for younger students, while more open-ended prompts will suit older and/or stronger students.

Tapestry Poems

Tapestry poems are a collaboration between two students. So, as a first step, you need to assign each student a partner to work with.

The next step requires you to assign a topic for each pair of students in the class. Each partner then independently writes a 9-line poem on the assigned topic.

When each student has finished their 9-line poem, they share them with their partner.

The task is for the students to work together now to produce an 18-line poem from the two 9-line poems they have created.

To do this, the students must collaborate to make the composite poem work. The idea here is to weave the different threads of the two topic interpretations into a single ‘tapestry’.

Students must include the nine lines of both poems, but they have room to edit for verb tense and make minor grammatical changes to make things work.

The partners must also compromise to agree on a single title for their shared piece.

The Peer Editing Exercise

This is a great way to introduce peer assessment into your classroom, especially with a group of students who are not familiar with the concept.

You will need to explain the editing and proofreading process to the students at the start. The specific criteria will, of course, depend on the age and abilities of your students.

To begin, organize the class into pairs of editing partners. Students should then swap their written work to be edited by their partners.

Any of the previous  writing activities  in this article would serve this purpose well.

Students can edit their partner’s work by annotating with a different colour pen, or, for more detailed commentary, they could use a separate sheet of paper.

Students then share their feedback.

This is an opportunity for students to see each other as resources to help them on their learning journey throughout the year.

It also helps students to develop resilience and an ability to absorb constructive criticism.

Students then rewrite their text in light of the feedback given.

Time for a plenary session should be made at the end to discuss their experiences of the process as a class.

The Summer Yearbook Writing Task

This writing project is based on the idea of school yearbooks.

School yearbooks are compilations of memories, photographs, and quotes. In this version, students compile a compendium based on their collective experiences during the school break.

The format can inspire many writing activities.

Students can gather quotes on the various events of vacation time together. These can be sourced from family, friends, classmates, etc.

They can also collect photographs and write suitable captions for inclusion in the yearbook. The book could include a page for the students’ autographs and a page for summer memories and hopes for the coming year.

Technology can be easily incorporated into this lesson by producing a digital version. Collaborative applications such as Google Drive are perfect for this type of work.

Year Long Inference Based Writing Activities

Tap into the power of imagery in your classroom to master INFERENCE as AUTHORS and CRITICAL THINKERS .

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This YEAR-LONG 500+ PAGE unit is packed with robust opportunities for your students to develop the critical skill of inference through fun imagery, powerful thinking tools, and graphic organizers.

Memory Writing Activities

While we want to avoid the cliched ‘ What I Did This Summer ’ essay, it doesn’t mean that memories of the long holidays can’t serve as an ‘ in’ to some worthwhile writing activities.

In the following writing activities, students will be asked to access their memories of summer to serve as a jumping-off point. Let’s get started!

Paint a Picture With Words

Essentially, this writing activity challenges students to write by employing their senses to evoke a memory.

First, ask the students to choose from a memory of a place they visited during the summer vacation. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a beach trip or a visit to a shopping mall; they’ll both serve equally well for this activity.

Students must then endeavour to recreate the scene as they recall it through careful selection of vocabulary and description.

The main focus of this type of writing will be the use of sensory language. Students should meditate on what they saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt while in their chosen place.

Students should work to paint a vivid, multi-dimensional picture in the reader’s minds-eye. For this reason, they should choose a static memory, such as a scene they recall. This activity has more in common with landscape painting than with film-making. A plot is not required.

This activity allows students to hone their descriptive writing skills, which will help them improve their writing in many genres.

Haiku Writing Activity

As with the last activity, this type of poetry is typically focused on evoking a scene. In the case of the haiku, this is usually a natural scene.

Before putting pen to paper, be sure students are suitably familiar with the features of the haiku:

• It consists of 3 lines
• It contains 17 syllables
• The 1st and 3rd lines have 5 syllables and the 2nd line has 7 syllables
• It does not need to rhyme
• It’s usually about nature or a natural phenomenon
• Often has two contrasting or juxtaposed subjects woven into it.

This activity is best introduced by reading and examining a couple of well-written haikus, such as those by Basho in translation, to ensure student familiarity with the form.

This is a very meditative writing form. It is essential to set a suitable mood and atmosphere in the classroom to encourage the necessary concentration and reflection the writing process will require. Playing gentle instrumental music is one way to help achieve this ambience.

Fun Back To School Writing Activities

While the first of our Back to School Writing Activities focuses clearly on breaking the ice and drawing on memories, the primary focus of the following writing activities is on having fun.

These activities will also offer students opportunities to develop some technical aspects of their writing skills; the main emphasis here is on students seeing writing as a fun, creative activity where they have the space and time for self-expression.

Don’t forget to read our complete guide to Fun Writing activities here.

Creative Excuses Writing Task

To start this activity, students must devise a list of 10 chores or tasks they absolutely hate doing.

Next, students should choose four from this list of their most detested tasks and write a letter explaining why they cannot complete them.

Encourage students to get creative with their excuses. The crazier and more imaginative the excuses are, the better. This activity is an opportunity for students to let their imaginations loose.

‘What If?’ Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are an excellent way for students to break through writer’s block. In this activity, students generate their own writing prompts by creating ‘ what if? ’ scenarios for other students in the class to use as writing prompts.

Many of the best and most creative stories start with an inquiry into what would happen if x happened. These scenarios can be silly, serious, fantastical, or humorous if they provide a jumping-off point for the student writer.

When students have completed their prompts, the teacher should gather them to distribute randomly among the class.

Students can share their work with the class When they have finished writing their responses to their assigned prompts. This will be especially interesting for the writer of the original prompt.

The Book Of Summer

This writing activity is an upgrade from the “My Summer Vacation” type essays.

In this activity, each student will compile their Book of Summer,  describing and depicting their holidays using as many different writing genres as possible.

For example, the student might include the following in their Book of Summer:

• A non-chronological report on a day trip
• A comic strip based on a family celebration
• A review of a movie they saw or book they read
• A fictionalized account of their summer
• A recipe of a meal they made
• A playscript for a sleepover they went on
• A haiku on the end of summer

The scope for creative interpretations here is almost endless.

For  younger students , it may be best to be more prescriptive about the various genres to include and the titles for each piece.

But for students with the ability, the open-endedness of this task allows their creativity to run loose while affording you a valuable opportunity to see just what they are capable of.

Be sure to read our complete collection of  back-to-school writing activities.

Fictional Interviews Writing Task

This activity involves a little bit of writing and a lot of role-playing.

In this activity, students should be paired up with a partner. Each partner chooses a fictional character they will role-play. The character can be from any fiction, for example, movies, comic books, or literature.

Partners must prepare and write up a series of interview questions for their partner’s fictional character.

Partners take turns interviewing each other while the interviewee is in character.

This is a great way to bring a bit of drama into the classroom, but if you want to emphasize the writing aspect of the activity, you can set the students up for the interview in the style of a magazine feature article. This will require the student to weave some narrative writing around the back and forth of the questions and answers of the interview.

Write A Story From A Different Point Of View

Narrative writing requires competency in a broad range of complex skills . We can roughly divide those skills into structural ones (such as text organization) and language-related skills (such as sentence construction and creativity).

Getting your  students to write a story  is a great way to assess their abilities in these areas.

In this activity, however, you provide most of the structure for the student, giving them the space to exercise their imagination and a chance to focus on their grammatical control – among other things.

In this exercise, ask your students to select a favourite fairy tale or other traditional story they know well. The student’s task is to rewrite their favourite fairy tale from the point of view of another important character in the story.

For example, they might want to retell the  Jack and the Beanstalk  story from the point of view of the Giant or Jack’s mother.

Retelling  The Ugly Duckling , the student might want to write from Mother Duck’s perspective to explore her feelings about the runt of her litter suddenly transforming into a beautiful (if alien!) swan

Summer Headlines Writing Activity

Headlines are  fun to write .

They should be short and pithy, seizing the reader’s attention by telling them just enough about the story to pique their interest but still leave them wanting to read more.

There are several things that students can do to ensure their headlines have the desired effect, including:

• Choose powerful words designed to make an impact
• Use alliteration to create catchy, snappy headlines
• Employ humour to entertain and intrigue the reader
• Create suspense by posing the headline as a question

For this activity, students should list the main events of their summer break and create a headline for each event.

In this way, the students will have produced an account of their summer written entirely in headlines.

As an extension to this exercise, when they’ve finished producing their headlines, have them present them to the class or in smaller groups.

The best headline is selected from each list, which the student has to turn into a complete newspaper-style article on that event.

Rap and Verse Writing Task

Few genres of writing can be as divisive.

Some are dismayed by the mere mention of the word ‘poetry’ – The “ Why can’t poets just say what they mean? ” camp.

Then, some can barely write a shopping list without a bit of unnecessary versifying.

Love it or loathe it, poetry is on the curriculum and our students need to get to grips with it.

For this activity, students write a series of poems inspired by the events of their summer holidays. Essentially, they are writing a poetic account of their vacation.

To challenge the students, they must use a different type of poetry for each event they wish to retell.

For example, they might write a series of haikus on the weather during the summer break.

Perhaps they’ll produce a calligram or shape poem describing the treehouse they made.

Maybe they’ll write an elegy to a pet that died or a limerick on that disastrous camping trip.

They might like to use the headlines from the previous activity  A Summer in Headlines  as starting points for their poems.

By the end of this activity, your students will have a collection of self-authored poetry they can share with the class in the form of a poetry slam.

You may wish to provide your students with checklists of the various features of the different types of poetry to help them during this activity.

So, there we have seventeen engaging activities to kick start the writing process at the start of the school year.

There is quite a variety from here, with some activities honing technical aspects of the writing process while others are more centred on the fun of creativity.

Remember, at the start of the school year, what the students write isn’t so important, but what they write!

With the selection of activities above, you’re sure to find one to suit even the most pen-shy students!

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Center for Teaching

First day of class.

Print Version

The first day of class is your opportunity to present your vision of the class to prospective students. It is helpful if you can introduce yourself as a scholar and educator and provide insight into how you will teach the class and what you will expect them to contribute to the learning process.

Consider that several of your students may be “shopping” for a schedule the first week of classes. They may be looking for a class that will fill a particular time slot, include a particular learning environment (i.e. lab-based or lecture style), or a class with a certain workload to balance the demands of their other courses and extra-curricular responsibilities. Thus, students will appreciate a clear roadmap of what you will require of them over the course of the semester. You may also want to model, as specifically as possible, the classroom environment you intend to foster during the class. For example, if they will spend a good deal of time doing group work over the course of the semester, you may want to break them into groups the first day.

• The Inviting Classroom
• Course Expectations and Requirements
• Additional Resources

Summary Checklist

Welcoming: how to create an inviting classroom.

“Professors who established a special trust with their students often displayed the kind of openness in which they might, from time to time, talk about their intellectual journey, its ambitions, triumphs, frustrations, and failures, and encourage students to be similarly reflective and candid.”

–From the chapter “How Do They Treat Their Students” in Ken Bain’s  What the Best College Teachers Do (Harvard Press, 2004), available in the  CFT Library

Introduce Yourself

The point of an introduction is to establish yourself as a unique individual sharing the classroom with other unique individuals. Other than providing your name and the name of the course you’re teaching, here is some information you may consider sharing:

• Personal biography: your place of birth, family history, educational history, hobbies, sport and recreational interests, how long you have been at the university, and what your plans are for the future.
• Educational biography: how you came to specialize in your chosen field, a description of your specific area of expertise, your current projects, and your future plans.
• Teaching biography: how long have you taught, how many subjects/classes have you taught, what level of class you normally teach, what you enjoy about being in the classroom, what do you learn from your students, and what you expect to teach in the future.
• In making your decision about what information to share, consider how much you want them to know and how much you want to reveal about yourself.

Allow the Students to Introduce Themselves

This is your opportunity to focus on students as unique and diverse individuals. Consider how introductions can lead into a productive and welcoming classroom environment. Instead of just asking general questions concerning their name, major, and years at Vanderbilt, ask them questions that are pertinent to the subject and the atmosphere you want to build through the semester. Here are some examples:

• In a geography or history class, you may want to ask students to introduce themselves and explain where they are from. You could mark these places on a map of the world as they talk.
• In a math class, you may want to ask the students to introduce themselves and state one way mathematics enriches their lives every day.
• You may also want to have the students break into pairs, exchange information, and introduce one another to the class.

This may also be a good time to give your students an exercise that enables teachers to assess the state of their students’ previous or current learning. Examples of these Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) can be found on our Web site, but include the following.

• The Background Knowledge Probe is a short, simple questionnaire given to students at the start of a course, or before the introduction of a new unit, lesson or topic. It is designed to uncover students’ pre-conceptions about the area of study.

Discuss and Evaluate the Room Environment Together

As your students are introducing themselves and you are talking to them, ask your students to comment on the acoustics and remain conscious of how well you can hear and see each of them. Consider, with their input or alone, how you would change and optimize the seating arrangement. At the end of the introductions, ask them to move to optimize communication and make note of unexpected needs for a microphone, lighting changes, seating arrangements or other environmental controls.

Truth in Advertising: Course Expectations and Requirements

“What happens between you and your students in your classroom or lecture hall depends largely on what you want to happen. How you treat each other and how you and your students feel about being in that place with each other is modeled and influenced by you.”

–From the chapter “Classroom Contracts–Roles, Rules, and Expectations” in David W. Champagne’s  The Intelligent Professor’s Guide to Teaching (Roc Edtech, 1995), available in the  CFT Library

• Course overview: Provide a map of where the class will start and end, and what you expect them to understand at the end of the semester. See the  Course Design page for resources on creating and summarizing course goals.
• Departmental Requirements/Expectations : If your department sets standards and requirements, you may want to establish that you are required to work within those parameters. Vanderbilt Teaching Assistants may want to refer to  Questions TAs Might Ask Their Supervisors for assistance understanding this information. This may be the best time to discuss  Vanderbilt University’s Honor System .
• Presentation of material : Tell your students how you will provide them with the materials they need to be successful in class. Do you post Web-based materials on Brightspace , or rely on electronic course reserves through the Library? Will your students have to schedule evenings to watch films or attend performances? Will you lecture and expect them to take notes on your presentations?
• Expectations for class time : How will the student feel confident and competent in your classroom? Is the class discussion-based? Do you follow your syllabus or do you improvise? Do they need to bring their books every day? Tell them what they can expect and how can they interact within those expectations to thrive in your classroom.
• Expectations outside of class: Provide them with an idea of what they will need to prepare for the course outside of class. Is their preparation primarily reading and writing individually, or will they be working in groups? Will they need to turn in assignments electronically outside of class hours? Give them enough information so they will be able to plan their schedules accordingly.
• Establish what you will provide for your students to be successful in your class. This may include in-class material, study guides, meaningful and prompt feedback on assignments, facilitation of discussion, attention to students with special needs, and a positive and welcoming classroom environment.
• Assert your boundaries: Let your students know how to contact you and when. For example communicate or provide your office hours, office phone number, availability for instant messaging, email, and when you do not respond (evenings, weekends, and traveling for example). If you are traveling during the semester, you may want to explain the dates that you will not be available.
• You may also want to alert your students to the events, habits, or situations that detract from your ability to fulfill your responsibility. For example, if late assignments, lack of participation, or sleeping during your lectures distracts you from timely and persuasive teaching, explain why you cannot tolerate these events and how you handle them when they occur.
• Student responsibilities : If attendance is required, participation is mandatory, or you want them to read the assignment before class, explain to your students that this is expected of them throughout the semester. Explain policies on absences, make-ups, emergencies, and accommodating special needs. You may also remind them that they are responsible for their success and communicating with you when they have need assistance or have other concerns.  The university launched new Title IX and Student Discrimination , Student Access Services and Equal Employment Opportunity offices to serve students, faculty and staff Jan 15, 2018.
• Assessment: How will you assign the course grade at the end of the semester? How many assignments will you grade? Do you have grading policies and/or rubrics or criteria for grading?
• Cooperation/communication/resources: Finally, you may want to spend a few minutes discussing university, department, library, or other resources for students to use in through the course of the semester.

“By giving students an interesting and inviting introduction, I was able to reduce anxiety about the course and help students view the class as a collaborative learning process. Every field has its own exciting research or striking examples, and it is a good idea to present a few of these up front. The teaching challenge is to find special ideas within your own field. Your class will thank you.”

–From “How to Start Teaching a Tough Course: Dry Organization Versus Excitement on the First Day of Class” by Kevin L. Bennett, in  College Teaching, 52(3), 2004

Additional Resources:

• Angelo, T. A., and Cross, K. P.  Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.
• Erickson, B. L., and Strommer, D. W.  Teaching College Freshmen. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991.
• “The First Day of Class: Advice and Ideas.”  Teaching Professor, 1989, 3(7), 1-2.
• Johnson, G. R.  Taking Teaching Seriously. College Station: Center for Teaching Excellence, Texas A & M University, 1988.
• McKeachie, W. J.  Teaching Tips. (8th ed.) Lexington, Mass.: Heath, 1986.
• Scholl-Buckwald, S. “The First Meeting of Class.” In J. Katz (ed.),  Teaching as Though Students Mattered. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 21. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1985.
• Serey, T. “Meet Your Professor.”  Teaching Professor, 1989, 3(l), 2.
• Weisz, E. “Energizing the Classroom.”  College Teaching, 1990, 38(2), 74-76.
• Wolcowitz, J. “The First Day of Class.” In M. M. Gullette (ed.),  The Art and Craft of Teaching. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1984.

Other Vanderbilt Center for Teaching Resources:

• Teaching Resources
• Introduce yourself
• Allow the Students to introduce themselves
• Discuss and evaluate the room environment together
• Course overview
• Departmental requirements/expectations
• Presentation of material
• Expectations for class time
• Expectations outside of class
• Instructor responsibilities
• Student responsibilities
• Cooperation/communication/resources

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Quick Links

• Services for Departments and Schools
• Examples of Online Instructional Modules

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Lesson Plans

Classroom culture , lesson plans, 5 first day of school activities for high school english.

I know it’s tempting to run to your old standby when you’re looking for first day of school activities for your high school English class, but I’m here to tell you: there is another way! You don’t need to read the syllabus to your students OR voice any expectations at all during your first lesson. You can certainly do those things, but they don’t need to be done on the first day. Let the first day be all about community and connection. I have 5 great ideas for you to kick off your year cultivating your best classroom culture yet.

#1: Review Email Etiquette

In my 15 years of teaching, this was almost always my go-to first day lesson for a general ELA classroom. You’re sneaking in a little bit of content in an engaging way, but also getting to know your students a little bit and gathering a writing sample. (They barely even notice or groan about it, either! Win!)

I first spend about 10 minutes reviewing professional email expectations. (I know you wouldn’t be shocked at how many students need this refresher!) We take a few notes, but I make sure it’s just that- a few.

Then, my favorite part, I show a good amount of examples and non-examples. We all have a good laugh at some of the poor souls who have emailed me complete nonsense in the past who are now immortalized in my presentation for future students. This is always the part students remember and sometimes I even bring them up later if a student commits any of the same offenses. I gently ask, “Hey, remember when we learned about email etiquette?” The light bulbs almost always immediately flash.

Next, I check for understanding with a little, no-stakes quiz. This is usually a good time to practice routines for technology if I decide to do this through Google Forms (which I usually do!).

Now, it’s time to practice! I have students write an email both to me and a family member. You can have them practice on paper or write actual emails to you. (I make a folder and sort them to read later.) I tell them in the email to me they MUST tell me three things about themselves. This provides a few important things: practice writing professional email, a few personal tidbits for you to learn about your students, and a writing sample. First day perfection!

#2: Create Reader Timelines

This is one of my favorite ways to open to a room full of readers. It’s especially powerful in an ELA elective course where you know you’re dealing with students who love to read. Enter: The Reader Timeline Project.

Early memories as a reader are so powerful- both positive ones and negative. Many people can identify core memories that made them into a reader (or made them hate reading!) and it can be a really compelling activity to explore them.

For this activity, have students identify a few core memories of their experience with reading. This can be particular moments, books, etc. They choose the memories and then create a timeline with images to share with the class. This can be done digitally using Google Slides or on paper with some coloring supplies. I usually give kids a choice so they can work with the medium that fits them best.

Then, have everyone share their timelines. You’ll love what beautiful discussion can blossom from reliving students’ experience with reading. Make sure to include a few memories of your own!

#3: Share Your Enneagram Type

Another one of my favorite ways to introduce students to my class is with Enneagram types. (Hello, fellow 8’s!) A lot of them have a vague idea of what the Enneagram is or has heard of it before, but don’t really know any details. I make sure to include a reading with comprehension questions here so we’re definitely including some ELA skills on the first day. Then, of course, we take a quiz to find our types and share them out. I have students create a little “Enneagram profile” that connects their type to elements of pop culture.

You can check out a detailed post I wrote on the Enneagram for Angela Watson’s website, Truth for Teachers, here . You can also see my full, no-prep resource so you can implement this activity today right here .

#4: Help Your Students Discover How They Learn

This is a newer activity in my arsenal, but it was very successful when I ran it last year. This is especially powerful if you have a remediation class or students who don’t typically view school in a positive light. Showing students that there are many ways you can be smart not only empowers them, but also shows them that you’re a safe space for them. I had many students tell me how much they loved this activity when it was done!

I call this activity the Multiple Intelligences Learning Profile Project . This project teaches students all about Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, directs them on how to find their own unique combination of intelligences, and then allows them to create their own learning profile to display their findings. Not only is this a great way to get to know your students, but you could easily make a very attractive bulletin board out of the profiles!

#5: Review Content (In a FUN Way!)

As an ELA teacher, I am always hyper aware of how content-specific language students forget over the summer. One of the first things I do is usually take it WAY back and review parts of speech. (Even with my upperclassmen sometimes… #iykyk)

An easy way to do this is with my Silly Stories resource (just like Mad Libs). Students think you’re just doing something fun when really you’ve found a sneaky way to make sure they remember terms they need to know. This is a great activity to have in your back pocket any day, but it’s especially handy for a first day block. (Those last 15 minutes can be killer when you’re re-adjusting your pacing!) Grab a few sets and print them off just in case.

You can do something similar with ANY content. Review games or escape room activities are also great ideas.

What’s your favorite way to introduce your students to your class? Sound off in the comments below or follow me on Instagram or Facebook to join the conversation!

Happy teaching!

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Planning the last day of class

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The last day of class is a key opportunity to invite students to reflect on their work over the quarter; think about what strategies, skills, and lessons they'll take away and apply to future communication moments; and celebrate their accomplishments.

In planning your last day of class, you might consider incorporating the following into your lesson plan:

• Class activities that asks students to reflect and synthesize their experiences.  You can find some ideas here .
• Time for them to fill out their final course evaluations. It's strongly recommended that you give students 10-15 minutes of class time to complete their evaluations. See some ideas about how to frame those final course evaluations for students here .
• A conversation about where they might take their research next. You might tell them about  opportunities through UAR  to apply for funding for their research, or direct them to our " Next Steps for Your PWR Project " page through the PWR website that provides them with a robust list of publishing venues for their essays.
• An overview of further opportunities for additional work on writing, rhetoric, and oral communication in PWR, such as our great  additional elective classes  (even first-year students can enroll with the permission of the instructor) and our  Notations  (application cycles happen in fall and spring, but we do admit students on a rolling basis if they apply through the "Apply" link on the menu).
• A discussion of other courses at Stanford that touch on the same theme as your class.  You can look at  Explorecourses  for ideas, or ask the students themselves for recommendations for courses they've heard about or are planning to take.
• Food! You have $25 you can spend per section for refreshments for the last day of class.  Write the  PWR business team  (Michelle and Cristina) for more information and see our  Class Activities Funding  (TBU Policies) page.

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35 Unique Ways To Introduce Yourself to Students This Year

It’s all about that first impression!

If you’re looking for a new and creative way to introduce yourself to students this year, we’ve got you covered! We gathered lots of terrific ideas, including some from teachers on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook . They range from quick and easy options to some that will take some planning, but they’re all great ways to start the new year off on the right note.

1. Do a Teacher Feature on school social media

Lots of schools use their social media accounts to introduce teachers, like this example from @tstlongview . Propose the idea at your school, suggesting they do a teacher a day in the weeks leading up to back-to-school time.

2. Have last year’s students introduce you

This fun learning activity not only allows your current students to introduce you to next year’s class, it gives you a chance to get feedback about how this year has gone! See how this teacher runs the lesson with her students .

3. Send postcards to introduce yourself

No time for a full letter? Try postcards instead. “I took a picture of me playing fetch with my trusty golden retriever and sent it to each of my new students over the summer,” James C. shares. “On the back, I wrote a short note introducing myself and telling them how excited I was to have them in my class.” See how The Techie Teacher uses this idea here.

4. Show them a slideshow

Lots of teachers use a slideshow to introduce themselves. We’ve made it even easier to create one with our free editable template—grab it here !

5. Introduce yourself with a quiz

First-day quizzes are a really popular way to introduce yourself to students. Kahoot even has an easy-to-customize template just for getting to know your teacher! Lisa T. does a slideshow about herself on the first day and then follows up on the second day with a quiz to see how much they remember.

6. Share your talents

Students expect the usual bio intro—I’m Ms. Smith, I’ve been teaching for 10 year, etc. But why not open with a bit of pizzazz by sharing one of your unique talents with students? Play a song on your trumpet, pass out cookies you made, display a quilt you made. Opening up with something personal will encourage your students to do the same. 

7. Plan a meet-the-teacher escape room

Source: @thekellyteachingfiles

OK, we admit this is going to take some work. But it’s a surefire way to amp up student excitement from day one! Set up an escape room to help kids learn more about you and explore the classroom at the same time. See how Mskcpotter does it here.

8. Play 20 Questions

After a brief introduction, open the floor to students’ questions about yourself and the coming year. This is a great way to reveal students’ wishes and hopes for the year as well as any concerns that are lurking beneath the surface. Be sure to have a “pass” option if students ask any questions that are too personal for you so you can deflect with good humor.

9. Use a student-created brochure

Emily F. lets her previous year’s class help her introduce herself to incoming students. Then she gives a quiz to see if kids really took the time to read it! “At the end of the year, I have my students make a brochure for next year’s students. If the kids read it, they get a lot of answers to my quiz questions right.” Looking for a template? We like this one from Teacher Trap .

10. Decorate a Bitmoji virtual classroom

Whether you’re teaching in person or online, Bitmoji classrooms are a fantastic way to show off your personality. This one from The Social Studies World of Ms. J has clickable images to take students to different important links.  Learn how to create your own here.

11. Read, run, and write

Get your students working collaboratively and focusing on their writing skills right away with this activity from the Busy Teacher . Write a list of facts about yourself—your background, family, hobbies, etc.—and post several copies of the list in the front of the room.

Divide your class into small teams and give each team a sheet of paper. One student in each group will stay at their desk while the others take turns running up to the board, reading and memorizing as much as they can before running back to the student at the desk who will listen and write down what they’re told. The first group to correctly write down the full list wins.

12. Build a word cloud

Word clouds are fun to make, and you can use this as an activity for all your students on the first day if you like. Make your own using instructions from Happy Hooligans using words that describe your background, hobbies, style, and more. Plus, check out these free word cloud generators for teachers .

13. Set up a question-and-answer match

Image source: JobCase

Fourth grade teacher Lori Silviera shares this fun activity: “I make Q and A’s on index cards about me,” she says, “and then the students try to find a classmate who has the answer or question that matches the card they get. After they partner, the person with the question reads it and then the partner that has the answer reads it to the rest of the class. For example: How many pets do I have? (One cat named Lenny).” 

14. Pop an emoji bubble

We love this clever little game that works with Google Slides and is perfect for virtual or traditional classrooms. Students pick an emoji and “pop” the bubble, and you answer the question to tell them a bit about yourself. Kids can play too! Get the game from SSSTeaching on Teachers Pay Teachers .

15. Create a Fakebook profile

It’s not a great idea to show students your real social media pages. Instead, create a “Fakebook” profile, like teacher Marissa Q. does. Use the free online tool , or mock up one on paper, sharing interesting facts, photos, and other info about you that you’re comfortable with kids knowing.

16. Model a survey

Try this fun and educational activity from the Art of Education. Student questionnaires/surveys are a great way to get to know your students, and for students to have an opportunity to share things with you at the start of the school year. Ask things like, “Do you have a nickname or middle name that you go by instead of what is on the roster?” “What is your preferred pronoun?” “How do you like to receive feedback?” etc. We like this list of questions from the Inspiration Board. 

17. Let students research your life

Introduce yourself to your students with a lesson on gathering info from trustworthy primary sources . “I give students a stack of primary documents from my life (letters, report cards, class pictures, etc.) with all the sensitive information blacked out,” eighth grade teacher Phil L. says. “I ask the students to create a timeline from that information, hypothesize about what happened in the gaps, and draw conclusions about the kind of person they think I am.”

18. Try a game of This and That

Your new students will love this hands-on “get to know you” game from Amateur Craft Hour . The game begins with the first person securing a ball of yarn to their wrist. Then, they choose a stick with a word written on each side—for example, fame and money. They choose which one they would prefer. Then, they ask those who would make the same choice to raise their hand and toss the yarn to one of them. Play continues until the yarn has woven quite a web illustrating that we are all connected in some way.

19. Hold a scavenger hunt

Jan R. expands on the research activity by turning her students into detectives. She puts all the documents in envelopes marked TOP SECRET and stashes them around her room. She even gives them magnifying glasses to read the fine print! Use the free printables from Moms & Munchkins to make this even more fun.

20. Introduce yourself in a movie

It’s a bit more work, but teachers point out that you can use these to introduce yourself again and again. Plus, a movie works in both regular and virtual classrooms. Many teachers already have access to iMovie on their school computers. Learn how to use it here.

21. Introduce yourself on Flip

Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is the best interactive tool you’re not using yet. It allows teachers and kids to record and safely post short videos … and it’s completely free! Record a Flip video to introduce yourself to students, then have them do the same. Whether you’re teaching in person or online, this is such a fun way for everyone to get to know each other.

22. Let them do the math

Sneak a little math review into your teacher introduction with this clever idea! Come up with a series of facts about you that can be represented in numbers, then turn those into math problems. This works at a variety of grade levels, and kids always get such a kick out of it! Learn more from The Magnificent Fourth Grade Year .

23. Design a T-shirt

Wear your personality on your sleeve! Draw the outline of a shirt and decorate it with information about yourself. Have your students do the same and then use them to adorn your room, like Counseling Corner does. (Feeling ambitious? Decorate and wear a real T-shirt instead!)

24. Draw a name map

Mapping is an excellent writing strategy, and you can teach the concept early on with a fun name map. Create one to introduce yourself on the first day of class, then have your students do the same. Find out more from TeachWithMe.com .

25. Put together a name tent

Name tents work in traditional or virtual classrooms. In an in-person classroom, prop this on your desk for the first week or so. Online, post the image during breaks or leave it on the corner of the screen. (Kids can do this activity too!) Learn more from Spark Creativity .

26. Give them the scoop on you

Is there any cuter way to introduce yourself to your students? If you really want to guarantee yourself the “best teacher ever” award, you could have an ice cream sundae party to go along with it! Learn more from True Life I’m a Teacher .

27. Let your star shine

“Every week during the year, one student is Star of the Week and they get to display a collage of their favorite things in the classroom,” says Judith G. “For the first week, I’m the star and my collage allows my students to get to know me.” Use this example from Amanda Hager on Pinterest for inspiration.

28. Dress the part

“I know my students think of me as a bit of a geek (hey, what can I say, I’m a math teacher!) so I totally geek out for the first day of school,” admits Greg S. “I wear a pi T-shirt and thick glasses and really play up the geeky math teacher thing.” Want to go all out? Try these teacher dresses that make you look just like Ms. Frizzle!

29. Play Red Light, Green Light, getting-to-know-you style

Here’s a fun twist on the classic “Two Truths and a Lie” (another teacher-introduction favorite). Line kids up on one end of the room or playground. Stand on the other side, and make a statement about yourself. If students think the statement is true, they take one step forward. If they’re wrong, they go back to the start! The first student to reach you is the winner. Learn more about this unique way to introduce yourself from Rulin’ the Roost .

30. Write an autobiographical poem

This idea comes from Brianna H., who says, “I like to do an autobiographical poem. I do a model about myself to use as a guide for them. Students write their own using the template and then write it on construction paper and cut out images to create a collage around it.” See this project in action from Melulater.

31. Show them you’re one part of the puzzle

Use this cute idea to introduce yourself and create a terrific back-to-school bulletin board all at once! Personalize your puzzle piece with pictures or facts about yourself. Have kids do the same, and put all the pieces together to make a terrific mural for your classroom. Learn more from Supply Me .

32. Assemble a picture collage

Use pictures to make a collage that tells kids about you with pictures instead of words. “We do a Get to Know Me in Pictures,” says Paige T. “I made one for myself and I introduce myself to the whole class using mine.” If you really want to get creative, make your collage in the shape of your silhouette. Learn how from Kix. (This works online too— try it using Padlet .)

33. Map out a timeline of your life

Draw a timeline on the whiteboard before you introduce yourself, suggests Jan R. As you share facts about yourself from different points in your life, have kids come up and add those events to the right place on the timeline. Make it even more fun by adding photos from your life, like this one from Surfin’ Through Second .

34. Craft a get-to-know-you cloudburst

This simple and colorful craft lets students know what’s important to you. Have them make their own so you can get to know them too. Hat tip to GuysTeachToo on Instagram for this idea.

35. Write a Mystery Box essay

Dawn M. explains, “I put 3 items that represent me in a bag and use it to teach the 5-paragraph essay format. Each item is one paragraph of my essay. Then I share my essay with the kids and pull each item out while reading that item’s paragraph.” She follows up by having kids write their own introductory essays using the same format. See how one teacher uses this activity at Welcome to Room 36 !

36. Pop an emoji bubble

How do you introduce yourself to your students come share your ideas and get advice on the weareteachers helpline group on facebook ., plus, check out icebreakers for middle and high school students that really work .

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Get to know your students and foster classroom respect. Continue Reading

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Back-to-School Journal Prompts for the First Day of School

Updated: Aug 20

As a teacher, the first day of school sets the tone for the entire academic year. One effective way to engage your students from day one is through journal prompts. These prompts not only help students reflect on their hopes and goals but also provide a meaningful writing activity that you can revisit at the end of the year to see their growth and progress.

Here are some journal writing prompt ideas for the first day of school:

Back-to-school journal prompts for elementary students, back-to-school journal prompts for middle school, back-to-school journal prompts for high school, revisiting first day of school journal prompts at the end of the year.

Introduce Yourself : Write about your favorite things, such as your favorite food, color, and hobby. What makes you unique?

Current Feelings: Write about how you feel on the first day of school. What are you excited about? What are you nervous about?

Summer Memories : Describe your best summer memory. What did you do, and why was it so special?

Goals for the Year : What are three things you hope to learn or achieve this school year?

Superpower Dreams : If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? How would you use it to help others?

Favorite Book : Write about your favorite book or story. Why do you like it, and what is your favorite part?

Dream Field Trip : If you could go on a field trip anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? What would you do there?

Personal Growth : Reflect on how you’ve changed over the past year. What new skills or interests have you developed?

A Letter to Future Me : Write a letter to yourself that you’ll read at the end of the year. What advice do you have for your future self?

Friendship : What qualities do you value in a friend? Write about your best friend and why they are important to you.

Favorite Subject : What is your favorite subject in school and why? What do you hope to learn in that subject this year?

Dream Career : What is your dream job, and what steps do you think you need to take to achieve it?

Future Invention : Imagine you invented something amazing. What is it, and how does it help people?

Magic Notebook : You discover that anything you write in your notebook comes true. What do you write on the first day of school?

Personal Reflection : Describe a challenge you faced last year and how you overcame it. What did you learn from the experience?

Future Aspirations : Where do you see yourself in five years? What goals do you have for the future?

Role Models : Write about someone you admire and why. How have they influenced your life?

Hobbies and Interests : What activities or hobbies are you passionate about? How do they contribute to your personal growth?

Bucket List : List five things you want to accomplish before you graduate high school. Why are these goals important to you?

School Utopia : Design your ideal school utopia. What are the rules, what subjects are taught, and what activities are available?

At the end of the school year, revisit these journal entries with your students. This activity not only provides a great opportunity for reflection but also allows students to see how much they’ve grown and changed over the year. Discuss the goals they set on the first day and celebrate the progress they've made. This reflective practice can be incredibly rewarding for both students and teachers, fostering a sense of accomplishment and growth.

Using journal prompts on the first day of school is a fantastic way to engage students and set the stage for a year of growth and learning. These prompts can help students express themselves, set goals, and reflect on their experiences. Revisiting these entries at the end of the year provides valuable insights into their development and creates a memorable learning experience. Start your school year with these thoughtful journal prompts and watch your students flourish!

Check out our other back-to-school blogs for reading / writing activities for the beginning of the year ,   setting expecations for the new year , and bulletin board theme ideas for your class.

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ELA Activities to Start the School Year

A variety of options to help you learn about your students, their interests, and their writing abilities while fostering a classroom community.

At the beginning of the school year, it’s important to get to know your students as readers, writers, and speakers. It’s also important to build a classroom community. I start each year weaving in assignments that allow me to achieve these goals simultaneously while encouraging students to spend time self-reflecting. I complete each of the assignments myself and share my writing with students to provide a model of the assignment and allow my students to learn more about me.

Sharing my honest and imperfect writing examples helps develop trust. I invite students to share their writing with their peers and at times collaborate on assignments. This consistent sharing and collaboration help facilitate a classroom community where students feel safe sharing their ideas and enjoy working together.

These introductory writing activities also help students see themselves as writers right from the start. I design these assignments as flexible, low-stakes opportunities for success. As writing assignments become more complex throughout the school year, students move forward with confidence because they’ve already seen that they can be successful writers in our classroom.

Assignment Examples

Getting to know you paragraph: On the first day of school, I provide a list of questions that encourage students to share about themselves personally and as students. I ask them to use their answers to write a paragraph about themselves, choosing from this list of questions and sharing any additional information they’d like. This gives me instant insight about their writing style and ability as well as what they think about themselves. It also opens the door for them to share anything they’d like with me.

Here are some question examples:

• What are you looking forward to about school this year?
• What can I do to help you be successful this year?
• What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
• What movie has moved you the most and why?
• Who is your favorite character from a book you have read, and what is it that you liked about this character?
•  Do you have a personality trait that gets you in trouble? Explain.
• Would you rather be a great musician, athlete, scientist, politician, entrepreneur, or writer? Explain.

Revealing story: Students brainstorm a list of personality traits, tendencies, pet peeves, and idiosyncrasies that make them who they are. Then they choose one trait they’re comfortable sharing with their peers and write a short narrative that describes a time in their life that reveals that chosen trait. Their story should showcase the trait without stating it explicitly. I invite students to share their stories and ask other students to guess what personality trait the writer is highlighting.

“Are you more like…?” Give students a list of opposing concepts and instruct them to circle which they’re most like from each pair. Then they choose one pair to write an extended metaphor that explains how they’re more like one than the other. Some example pairs are fire/ice, winter/summer, breakfast/dinner, filing cabinet/medicine cabinet, boat/airplane, etc.

Living history reflection: Students write a poem or paragraph that shows their thoughts, feelings, and/or questions about a significant historical event within their lifetime. I tell them that it should be something they remember clearly and that impacts them. This assignment provides insight into what’s important to them and how current events affect them, and creates an opportunity to discuss events that are significant to the students.

Book review in images and words: Students choose a book they enjoyed reading over the summer as part of our summer reading requirements and create a Google Slide to share their book review with their peers. The slide includes a photo of the book cover, has words and images that showcase significant aspects about the book, and explains why they enjoyed reading it. Students then present their slides to their peers, and during the presentations the audience makes a list of potential books they may want to read for their independent reading based on the reviews.

Image reflection: I give students various images of paintings and photographs, and they complete a quick write-up based on questions I give them.

• What do you think people/animals are thinking and feeling in the image?
• Describe the setting, including what you think the time and place is in the image.
• How does the image make you feel?
• What do you imagine inspired the artist or photographer to capture this image?
• What questions do you have about the image?

Then students get into groups to combine their ideas and write a fictional account of what they imagine the story is behind the image, giving the people and/or animals thoughts, feelings, wants, etc.

After my students complete even some of these activities, I know a lot more about them as students and individuals and can use this information to design lessons that align with their needs and interests. They also build trust and create a positive classroom community.

FSU | Writing Resources

Writing Resources

Department of English

• College Composition

Ice Breakers

You know what they say about assuming…, would you rather…, alphabet lists—getting to know your classmates, tv personalities: trying on voices, looking beneath the surface.

Purpose of Exercise : To ease students into your classroom and the setting, including having a teacher who is young. This emphasizes stereotyping and assumptions as possibly being inconclusive or false.

Description : Instructor begins with a bit of role-playing and then students are led into a free write about their basic info then introduce themselves to the class.

Suggested Time : about 30 minutes

Procedure : This activity should be done on the first day of class and works well if you can blend in with your students, if just for the day. When you get to your classroom, sit down in a desk with your students. Wait maybe two or three minutes after class begins, ask a few surrounding students if they know anything about the TA and possibly say something to the effect of, “I can’t believe they’re late on the first day!” Wait until about five minutes after then get up and head to the front of class. Typically, this leaves students in shock because they never would have guessed you to be the instructor. Lead into an ice breaker wherein the students have to come up with three interesting things about themselves but they cannot write: their major, where they’re from, their favorite color or the sport they play. After everyone has introduced themselves and said their three things, discuss how we assume so many things about people based on looks or information like major etc. This works well to get them accustomed to the type of writing we do in FYC and the atmosphere we like to create for our classrooms.

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Purpose of Exercise:  The purpose of this exercise is three-fold: to introduce students to each other, to show the variety of experiences and backgrounds each student brings to the classroom community, and to address stereotypes or preconceptions we may have about one another on first meeting.

Description:  Distribute an index card to each student. Ask her or him to write a fact on the card that separates her or him from the rest of the class. This activity will help each student to connect a face to a name and a fun fact.

Suggested Time:  30 minutes

Procedure:  Divide the class in half, and distribute an index card to each student. Have him or her write a fact down that makes them unique: an experience he or she might have had, a talent, a hobby. Alternate between teams in reading the other teams’ cards, and ask each team to guess which member of the opposing team wrote that card. Award one point for each correct guess, and encourage students to elaborate on what they wrote on the card.

Purpose:  This ice breaker is a great activity for students and I have found that it gives students a chance to get to know more about each other and text creativity without having to be forced into group situations that can be uncomfortable on the first day of class.

Suggested Time:  20-35 minutes

Procedure:  You will need to ask the students to either take out a sheet of paper, or you can have slips of paper already prepared for them and pass them out. Then, you ask each person to create a “would you rather” question of his/her own on the slip of paper. Go ahead and lay out any ground rules for the questions. For example, make sure that everyone knows the questions need to be appropriate for the classroom setting. Give them an example of a “would you rather” question (I have copied and pasted some examples from the internet below). Give the students time to come up with questions and write them down. Then, there are a few ways you can go about sharing the questions/answers: 1) you can have the students go around and share their question with the class, and give time for a few responses or 2) you can collect the slips of paper (or sheets of paper) and randomly select ones to read for the class and allow for student responses. This exercise is great for ENC 1000-level courses where students are going to be challenged to be creative and use imagery and detail. Approximately 10-15 minutes should be allotted for explaining the exercises, passing out slips of paper and letting students write down their “would you rather” question. Then, the amount of time you spend going through the questions and getting feedback can vary between 10-20 minutes, depending on how much time you wish to spend on the activity.

Sample “Would You Rather” Questions...

• Would you rather run your tongue down ten feet of a New York City street or press your tongue into a strangers nostril?
• Would you rather be forgotten or hatefully remembered?
• Would you rather have a missing finger or have an extra toe?

Purpose:  The aim of this exercise is to get students to introduce themselves and to initiate collaborative working relationships immediately. It emphasizes writing as a collaborative process that requires input and feedback from others. This exercise works well as an icebreaker in the first week or prior to the first peer workshop.

Description:  Students exchange ideas with each other to complete an informal writing assignment.

Suggested Time:  20 minutes

Procedure:  Ask every student to take out a loose piece of paper and write the letters of the alphabet vertically down the left side of the paper. Next, choose a topic; sometimes I ask students to suggest potential topics or I often simply choose “writing” as a way to start a discussion about it. When you’ve got a topic, give students only one or two minutes to write words they associate with the topic that start with every letter of the alphabet (i.e. for “writing”, A for “argument” etc). When the time limit is up, students will have incomplete alphabets. Next, ask your students to get up and introduce themselves to another student and trade with that person one missing word before moving on to someone else. After some time, students will eventually have completed their alphabets and met almost everyone in the class. Ask for a few volunteers to read their alphabet lists. At this point, I often talk about how writing is a collaborative endeavor and segue into an explanation of the peer workshop.

Purpose: T his icebreaker makes a great first day introduction, getting students interested in and excited about writing by exploring well-known TV voices and personally interesting topics.

Description:  All you need is a whiteboard, and your class will need paper and pen. This discussion and exercise gets students thinking about who they see in the media, and analyzing what makes those people/characters what they are by mimicking those elements unique to their TV “voice.”

Suggested Time:  15 – 20 minutes

Procedure:  Start out by asking the class if they like writing. You’ll probably get a roomful of “Noooos!” Ask them if they ever write on their own. Again, most will insist “Never!” Then, of course, exclaim “Excellent!” Throw them for a loop. Ask them if they ever email anybody, or use IM – isn’t this writing? This should cause a bit of a shift in classroom thought, so take the opportunity to have the students come-up with a topic – any topic – that they’ve been dealing with in their first days at FSU and that they might IM, email, or text about. You might write some on the board, and choose from among these, or get a group consensus on one topic. For example, if someone yells out, “Parking!” go with that.

Then ask the class to come-up with some different TV/Movie Personas to add to the board in another column: The Terminator, Paris Hilton, etc – you can throw in something off-the-wall, like Wylie Cayote. When you’ve got about 3 or so characters down, set the students to writing about their chosen situation at FSU from the perspective of EACH character, one at a time, in 2-4 minute shifts. Encourage them to write in the ‘voice’ of that character - how would that person/think talk, think and behave?

By the end of the exercise, the students should have 3 brief descriptions of a single situation in 3 different voices. Take some time to share a few, depending on the time that you have. Discuss how writing offers us the opportunity to explore our own, and various other voices, as well as those topics that are most important to us in ways that may be further-reaching than text, IM, or email.

Purpose of Exercise:  This exercise accompanies “In Case You Ever Want To Go Home Again” by Barbara Kingsolver (published in  On Writing ). It is designed to ask students to apply specific parts of the reading to their own lives and examine their experiences beyond surface-level.

Description:  This exercise engages students in conversation with one another about personal topics, but it allows them to do so without the risk involved in sharing “too much.” Sometimes students are shy to share in class because they don’t want to reveal too much of themselves; however, this exercise allows them to be personal while maintaining some distance. Kingsolver’s essay is an excellent starting point for personal engagement in the classroom, especially for first-year students who have just recently left their homes.

Suggested Time:  50 minutes

Procedure: Have the students read “In Case You Ever Want To Go Home Again” before class. In class, show the following quotes and writing prompts on the projector. Read through each quote and prompt as a class, and then give the students 15-20 minutes to think about and write a personal response to one of the quotes/prompts. Collect the papers and read some of the responses out loud anonymously. Use the student responses as the basis for a conversation about surface-level perceptions, the truth behind situations, and honesty.

Additional Information:  Below are the quotes and writing prompts:

  “It’s human, to want the world to see us as we think we ought to be seen” (Kingsolver 471). 

•   If the world could see you, your families, your memories as they authentically are on the inside, what would they see? Would this be different than the “you” shown on the outside?

“Imagine singing at the top of your lungs in the shower as you always do, then one day turning off the water and throwing back the curtain to see there in your bathroom a crowd of people, rapt, with videotape. I wanted to throw a towel over my head” (Kingsolver 472). 

•   If the world read your personal journal, what would it find? Would people be surprised? Embarrassed? Upset? Happy?

“I had written: ‘Pittman was 20 years behind the nation in practically every way you can think of except the rate of teenage pregnancies…we were the last place in the country to get the dial system. Up until 1973, you just picked up the receiver and said, Marge, get me my Uncle Roscoe…I’ve photographed my hometown in its undershirt” (Kingsolver 473).

•   What is the real description of your hometown? (Not the “Visitor’s Guide” description) What do only people who live in your hometown know about it? How do the insiders describe it? What does your hometown look like it its “undershirt?”

“I was a bookworm who never quite fit her clothes. I managed to look fine in my school pictures, but as usual the truth lay elsewhere” (Kingsolver 474). 

•   What is the truth behind your photographs? Choose one specific picture and tell us what people see and then the truth behind it.

“Before the book signing was over, more than one of my old schoolmates had sidled up and whispered: ‘That Lou Ann character, the insecure one? I know you based her on me” (Kingsolver 476). 

• Do we all have insecurities and uncertainties? Do we consider other people’s insecurities or just our own? Do we try to hide our insecurities from other people, and why or why not?

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Teaching Commons > Teaching Guides > Learning Activities > The First Day

The First Day of Class

Before the Course Begins

A few days before your class begins, consider sending your students an email and posting a News item in your course; briefly introduce yourself and let students know what to expect on the first day of class. If you’re teaching online, you can also use this as an opportunity to remind students of the course modality and meeting schedule (if applicable).

Introduce Yourself

An effective introduction helps you establish a welcoming tone and a professional yet approachable presence. Consider how your enthusiasm for the course and discipline can positively impact students’ attitudes as well. 

In your introduction, consider sharing the following: 

• What do you love about teaching the course? How long have you been teaching? What is your favorite thing about teaching?
• Why did you choose to study and work in your discipline? What do you love about the discipline? How you see the discipline affecting the world and vice versa?
• What is your research agenda and how does it relate to the course? (if applicable)
• Personal details that you feel comfortable sharing, such as place of birth, family details, hobbies and interests, future plans.

If you’re asking students to engage in an icebreaker or diagnostic activity, consider providing your own response to the activity or prompt.

Course Introduction Video

Especially if you’re working with your students asynchronously, consider building some of these elements into a pre-recorded course introduction video. Panopto is one tool you can use for recording and sharing that video. In addition to the course introduction elements above, you might also 

• Explain how your course will be delivered and how students should navigate your D2L course each week 
• Point out important areas of the D2L course and explain their function in the context of your class (e.g., if you plan to regularly provide students with feedback via Submission folders, show them the ways they can access that feedback) 
• Emphasize how students can connect with you synchronously, via office hours and any other opportunities for one-on-one meetings or collaboration (e.g., optional group study sessions, individual conferences) 

Using video to introduce yourself to students can help students get to know your personality and better perceive your enthusiasm for the course and subject matter.

At the beginning of Spring 2020, the University shared a video that included clips from many instructors' introductory videos. You'll notice that these are nothing fancy: just faculty members speaking into a camera and connecting authentically with students. 

Ask Your Students to Introduce Themselves

Before the first class, review your roster to begin learning about your students. On the first day, use some of the time to get to know your students personally and academically.

Learn and Use Students’ Names

Learning the names of your students is often cited as a simple way to create an inclusive environment in your classroom. It shows your students you care and helps to foster a sense of community. Furthermore,  researchers h ave found t hat knowing student names helps improve student perceptions of instructors and their courses. It’s also one way, James Lang argues , to get and hold students’ attention. 

See 3 Simple Ways to Learn Your Students’ Names and Learning Students’ Names for practical tips for learning and remembering names.

Collect Information via a First Day Survey 

A first day survey is one way to collect information about your students. 

• Here are some things you might ask students to provide:
• Name and pronouns
• Context (hours spent working, childcare responsibilities, etc.)
• Prior knowledge/experience
• Technological proficiency
• Personal goals for taking course 

First Day or Pre-Course Survey Question Examples

Pronouns and name.

You might begin your survey by asking students to share their name and pronouns. One way to do this is to model: 

My name is Abigail Wagner and you can refer to me as Abigail or Professor Wagner. I use she/her/hers pronouns. What is your name and what pronouns do you use? 

You might also ask students to share a phonetic spelling or a recording of their name. 

Students’ Academic Backgrounds, Goals, and Needs

• Why are you taking this course?
• What are your academic and/or professional goals?
• What is your greatest academic strength?
• What is one thing you hope to do or learn during this course?
• What previous experience do you have ______?
• What challenges do you anticipate in this course?
• What else should I know in order to best support you in this course?

Students’ Interests Outside of Class

• What is your favorite song or musical artist?
• What is the best book you’ve read recently?
• What is your favorite movie?
• What is your favorite food or meal? Can you share a recipe?

Responses to fun questions can later be used to build community in the class. For example, you might create a playlist of students’ favorite songs or compile and share their movie, book, or recipe suggestions.

See a comparison of survey tools  available at DePaul to determine the best tool for your first day survey. 

Assess Students’ Previous Knowledge

It is often beneficial to assess students’ previous knowledge and misconceptions about a course topic. This will help us better understand what knowledge students bring to the course and frame our teaching strategies around their needs. 

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS) are well-suited for gathering this information,  (see especially Background Knowledge Probe, Focused Listing, and Concept Maps). " How to Assess Students’ Prior Knowledge " from Carnegie Mellon University also addresses how instructors can build on or actively counteract students' assumptions, previous knowledge, and ways of evaluating evidence.

Introduce the Course

Introduce the purpose and application of the course. Presenting it in the context of its discipline, students’ lives, and the world at large can help motivate students. You might even consider telling a story to grab their attention. The story could be borrowed from history, could pose an ethical or moral dilemma, or illustrate a vexing problem that your course will address.

Strategies for Introducing Your Course

Establish relevance.

Use a current event to demonstrate why the content of the course, or the skills students will acquire throughout the course, matters. 

Address Big Takeaways

Identify the big takeaways that you hope your students will have, not just after completing your course, but many years later.

Describe Transferable Skills

Explain what students will be able to do (or do better) by the end of the course. Describe how those skills might be applied to other contexts. 

Present a Paradox

Bennett (2004) suggests presenting an interesting question or paradox in the field. Have students discuss the question in pairs or groups, and then report their thoughts to the whole class. Discuss different viewpoints, possible solutions, and how the course will address or return to this problem or paradox. 

You could also collect answers to these questions using Poll Everywhere or in a   D2L discussion .

Share the Syllabus

A well constructed syllabus shows clear direction, goals, and planning for a course. Provide a digital copy of your syllabus to students before the first class. On the first day, highlight and review key components and important policies. To ensure that students have closely read the syllabus and understand each element, consider having students:

• complete a syllabus scavenger hunt, in which students are asked to find specific pieces of information from the syllabus;
• work in groups to present different parts of the syllabus to the entire class;
• take a low-stakes syllabus quiz (this is often used in online classes);
• or work in groups to write 2 or 3 questions about the course that are not covered in the syllabus.

Syllabus Quiz

You can use a syllabus quiz to reinforce important policies and to set clear expectations with students. Some syllabus quiz questions might address things like 

• Expectations for participation
• How to navigate the course and/or prepare for class sessions
• How to access and use office hours 
• Grading and feedback timelines 
• Late work policies 

A syllabus quiz can be facilitated via Poll Everywhere , Zoom polling , and D2L Quizzes . To keep the quiz low-stakes, consider allowing unlimited attempts or collecting anonymous answers. If many students answer a question incorrectly, consider reviewing that information with students.  

Syllabus Speed Dating 

Syllabus speed dating is one way to introduce your syllabus and encourage students to engage with each other. Maryellen Weimer, writing in Faculty Focus , describes a professor who uses this method; Karen Eifler, an education professor at the University of Portland, designed this activity. 

“Two rows of chairs face each other (multiple rows of two can be used in larger classes). Students sit across from each other, each with a copy of the syllabus that they’ve briefly reviewed. Eifler asks two questions: one about something in the syllabus and one of a more personal nature. The pair has a short period of time to answer both questions. Eifler checks to make sure the syllabus question has been answered correctly. Then students in one of the rows move down one seat and Eifler asks the new pair two different questions. Not only does this activity get students acquainted with each other, it’s a great way to get them reading the syllabus and finding out for themselves what they need to know about the course.”

Have Students Communicate with One Another: Icebreakers

To begin creating a learning community, students need to communicate with one another. Icebreakers are one way to encourage communication between students. Icebreakers are commonly thought of as just "getting-to-know-you" activities, but they can also serve as a useful inflection point to help your students transition into a learning frame of mind.

Icebreaker Examples 

Most of the examples below come from a larger list of icebreakers created by Lansing Community College's Center for Teaching Excellence and The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and Arts’ list of 3 icebreakers .

Something You Want to Learn

Have students complete a form or write on a whiteboard with spaces for "something you already know about the subject," "something you want to learn," and "something that could happen in this class that would make it possible to learn what you need to learn." Have each student introduce themself and share something from the form. 

This activity could also be facilitated via Google Docs or  Microsoft 365

Familiar and Unique

Break the class into groups of four. Each small group must come up with four things they have in common (all working full-time, all single parents, etc.). Then they are asked to share something unique about themselves individually. The group shares their familiar and unique features with the rest of the class. A master list can be made on the board for the class to look at and discuss if appropriate. (This idea is adapted from Victoria Meyers at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan.)

This activity could also be facilitated via Zoom breakout rooms  or D2L Group Discussions

Two Truths and a LIe

Give each student a notecard and ask them to write three statements about themselves: one statement should be false, and two should be true. Explain that the goal is to fool people about which one is false. Have each person read their statements and have the group guess the lie. 

If you are teaching a large class, you can break students into smaller groups for two truths and a lie activity. Then, after each group has guessed, ask students to introduce their group members to the whole class. 

This activity could also be facilitated via Zoom .

Paired Interviews

Break students into pairs. Ask students to interview their partner. They can start by learning their partner’s name, major, and where they’re from. Add in other questions and prompts that help students to engage with your subject matter and learn more about their partner. Here are some examples:

• If we were to find ourselves in your hometown, what’s the one thing you’d say we absolutely had to do before we left?
• If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
• What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

After students interview their partner, they should introduce their partner to another set of partners or to the whole class. This activity helps to encourage good listening skills.

This activity could also be facilitated via Zoom breakout rooms.

Favorite Thing

Ask students to share a recent discovery that has become one of their new favorite things (e.g., a snack, podcast, brand of socks, exercise routine, nature preserve, etc.). Give students time to find a picture or link to help share their new favorite thing with the class.

This activity could be facilitated in small groups and works well in Zoom breakout rooms  or  D2L Group Discussions .

Icebreakers in Asynchronous Online and Flex Modality Courses

Incorporate icebreakers throughout the course.

Icebreakers are commonly thought of as just "getting-to-know-you" activities, but they can also serve as a useful inflection point to help your students transition into a learning frame of mind. So, you might periodically begin a class session, or a new module or week, with an icebreaker.  Polling  is a good way to incorporate getting-to-know you activities at the start of synchronous class sessions. D2L Discussions ,  collaborative documents  (e.g., Google Docs), and Microsoft Teams  can be used in asynchronous online courses. 

Engage Students in Active Learning

In “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class, ” James Lang emphasizes the importance of asking students to do something on the first day in order to set expectations for participation and to spark learning and enthusiasm. The following strategies are also another way to encourage students to communicate with each other. 

Model Future Class Sessions

The first class meeting is a good time to let students know what to expect in terms of the types of activities that they will be doing for the rest of the quarter. One way to do this is to organize a first day activity that models how future class sessions will be conducted. These are some examples of how you might model future class sessions: 

• Ask students to read a short excerpt of text and analyze or discuss it in small groups 
• Provide students with a problem and ask them to solve it
• Give students a short case study and ask them to map how they would approach it
• Facilitate a short lab that helps students to see best practices for using the space 

Poetry Course Example

Divide a short poem (or poems) into 5 or 6 parts. Have students form small groups of 5 or 6. Give each student one or two lines from a short poem. Have students read their lines aloud to their group, and then have them reassemble the poem together. The group then discusses and decides on the meaning of the reconstructed poem. (Erickson & Strommer, 1991, p. 90)

Multiculturalism Course Example

Give students 3 minutes to write down the 5 most important historical events or alternatively important people in history. Group students together to create a list of up to 10 “most importants” that they agree on, giving them 10 minutes. Poll each group noting their responses on the board or projector. Determine trends in the list, are the events or people modern if not very recent, are they most American or European, are they primarily political or military. Use the list to guide student reflection about their world views, the limits of those views, and how the course is designed to expand their socio-cultural understandings. (Erickson & Strommer, 1991, p. 90-91)

Asynchronous Online Courses

If you’re teaching asynchronously, you can use the first week of your course to model how weeks or modules of your courses will be organized. If you plan to regularly use certain activities, assessments, or assignments, consider asking students to complete a low-stakes version during the first week of the course. As an added bonus, this will give students an opportunity to test out the technology tools.

Ask Students to Think About the Course Metacognitively

• What study, learning, writing, composing, etc. strategies have worked for you in the past? What strategies haven’t worked? 
• What elements and actions contribute to a productive learning environment? 
• What skills must you learn in order to be successful in this class or in a profession related to this field? 

This activity could also be facilitated in Zoom breakout rooms or D2L Group Discussions . See Activities for Metacognition for additional prompts and resources.

References and Further Resources

Bennett, K. (2004). How to start teaching a tough course . College Teaching, 52 (3), 106-106.

Case, K., Bartsch, R., McEnery, L., Hall, S., Hermann, A., & Foster, D. (2008). Establishing a comfortable classroom from day one: Student perceptions of the reciprocal interview . College Teaching, 56 (4), 210-214. 

Erickson, B. L., & Strommer, D. W. (1991). Teaching college freshmen . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lang, J. (2020). Distracted Minds: 3 Ways to Get Their Attention in Class . The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Lang, J. (2008). On Course: A week-by-week guide to your first semester of college teaching . Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Lang, J. (2019). How to Teach a Good First Day of Class. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

" Make the Most of the First Day of Class " from the Carnegie Mellon Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence. 

Nilson, L. (2003). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (2nd ed.). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

" The First Day of Class " from Carleton College’s Science Education Resource Center. 

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• Adverbial Phrases
• Be Going To Statements
• Be Going To Wh Questions
• Be Going To Yes/No Questions
• Be Going To & Present Continuous
• Comparatives
• Superlatives
• Comparatives & Superlatives
• Zero Conditional
• First Conditional
• Second Conditional
• Third Conditional
• Mixed Conditionals
• Future Continuous
• Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect
• Future Perfect Continuous
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• Future Simple
• Future Tenses
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• Gerunds & Infinitives
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• Passive Voice
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• Past Perfect Simple & Continuous
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• Past Simple Passive
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• Past Simple Wh Questions
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• Past Simple vs. Past Continuous
• Past Simple vs. Present Perfect
• Past Tense Review
• Present Continuous
• Present Perfect
• Present Perfect Continuous
• Present Perfect - Ever and Never
• Present Perfect - For and Since
• Present Perfect - Just, Yet & Already
• Present Simple Affirmative & Negative
• Present Simple Passive
• Present Simple vs. Present Continuous
• Present Simple vs. Present Perfect
• Present Simple Wh Questions
• Present Simple Yes/No Questions
• Present Tense Review
• Question Words
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• Tag Questions
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• Abstract Nouns
• Adjective-Noun Collocations
• Adjectives of Feeling & Emotion
• Adjectives of Opinion
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• Adjective Opposites
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• -ed and -ing Adjectives
• Adverb-Adjective Collocations
• Adverb Order
• Adverbs of Affirmation & Negation
• Adverbs of Degree
• Adverbs of Frequency
• Adverbs of Manner
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• Articles - a, an, the
• Causative Verbs
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• Agreeing & Disagreeing
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• TV & Film
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• Academic Collocations
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• AWL Sublist 1 & 2
• Cause and Effect Essays
• Compare and Contrast Essays
• Discussion Essays
• Discussion Skills
• Discussions Practice
• Essay Writing
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• Persuasive Essays
• Presentation Skills
• Problem Solution Essays
• Punctuation
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• Referenced Essays
• Study Skills
• The Writing Process
• Business Collocations
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• Answer Games
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First Impressions

Arrive to class early! Coming to class early gives you time to get set up and deal with any issues that arise. When you arrive at class, check that your teaching aids such as the computer, speakers and projector are working correctly. You don't want to be dealing with faulty equipment with a class full of students looking at you as this takes away from your credibility. Furthermore, make sure you are dressed appropriately. Research suggests that clothing affects how people first judge you. A shirt and tie for men or a smart dress for women projects professionalism and boosts your confidence. Making eye contact, smiling and greeting students as they enter the class is also a good idea as it helps to immediately establish a friendly rapport.

Seating Arrangements

If possible, set up the classroom seating. The physical setup of chairs and tables can significantly influence how students learn. Seating arrangements can also impact how you communicate with your students and how the students interact with one another. Students often make judgements about the class and the teacher by the way chairs or tables are arranged. U-shaped seating is ideal for smaller ESL classes as it helps to create a more relaxed and open atmosphere that encourages student participation. In some situations, classes have tables rather than chairs. In this case, group the tables to form groups of four or five students as this number seems to be ideal for group discussions and collaborative activities.

It is a good idea for you to start using the students' names as soon as possible. Depending on the country you are in, you may wish to use students' first names or nicknames. On the first day, have name cards for the students to wear, so you and the other students can remember one another's name. You could also draw up a seating plan with the students' names on. Learning a lot of names takes time. Don't be ashamed if you forget a student's name. Be direct, apologize and ask for their name. The more you use the students' names in class, the quicker you will remember them. Students often feel good when you know who they are. It also helps build rapport between you and the students. Games and activities that help students remember one another's name are also useful. Try our Portraits or Both of Us activity to help students with names. For younger learners, you can have the students play The Name Game . For more resources, have a look at our Greetings and Introductions page. Here you will find activities to help students greet each other, find out one another's name, and introduce themselves and others.

In most cases, English teachers’ students are from foreign cultures and pronouncing names correctly can be a challenge, so don’t be afraid to remind your students to correct you if you mispronounce their names. You could also ask a person from the respective culture or another teacher to help you with more difficult names. In some countries, there is a tradition of learners adopting an English name for class. However, many students are happier just using their regular name. Therefore, don’t insist that students adopt a new name and allow them to decide what name they should be referred by in class.

Breaking the Ice

On the first day of class, start interacting with students as they gradually enter the class one by one. This could be a simple greeting and welcome and inviting them to take a seat. Having some relaxing music playing in the background can set a comfortable mood and help calm the nerves of both the teacher and students. If you sense that students are comfortable, try engaging them in conversation as this will make you appear more personable and approachable.

Introducing Yourself

Getting to know and feel comfortable with the teacher is important for students as it can help reduce some of the anxiety associated with language learning. The students will be interested in finding out who you are and what you are like. You should introduce yourself and give some background information about who you are. This helps the students relate to you and begins building the student-teacher relationship that's so important on the first day. Your introduction is also an opportunity to establish your own credibility. Tell the students about your qualifications and teaching experience. This will give the students confidence in your teaching ability. There are many ways to introduce yourself. Think about your own teaching style and do whatever works best for you. To keep energy levels up and reduce boring speeches, try turning your introduction into a game or activity the students can participate in.

A fun way to introduce yourself is to play ‘ Two Truths and a Lie ’. In this game, the teacher writes down three sentences about themselves and explains to students that two of them are true and one is a lie. Try to make this interesting and not use obvious examples as students will spot the false sentence easily. You can also have students play this activity in small groups as a getting to know you activity.

‘Two Truths and a Lie’ is just one example of the many fun activities you can use. The Who am I game is not only great for introducing yourself, but you can also gain insight into your students' level of English, which is extremely useful on the first day. Teacher's Question Time is another entertaining way to introduce yourself to the class. This game provides the students with a chance to write and respond to a variety of questions.

Getting to Know You Activities and Games

A language class should be seen as a learning community, which simply means that for successful learning to occur students will need to interact with and support one another through the process. For that community to develop effectively, it is important that the first class devotes some time to allow students to get to know one another. This is no less important than getting to know the teacher. Therefore, don’t forget to include some ‘getting to know you’ activities in the first lesson. Take a look at our Getting to Know You activities page for communicative resources that help students become acquainted with one another.

Helping students feel at ease in the first lesson, is a good way to facilitate relationship building. There is nothing better to make students feel relaxed than playing a fun ESL game. Playing games in the first lesson makes the students feel less anxious and improves their confidence to communicate and interact. Games not only enable student to student bonding but also help build teacher student rapport. As a way of establishing connections, games that include personal information such as name, age, hometown, favourite music, etc. are usually suitable. The Teach-This First Day of Class Games page has a number of games fulfilling these criteria.

First Class Activities

Apart from getting to know your students, an important objective of the first lesson is to get some general awareness of your students’ language ability. One way of doing this is to use conversation grid activities that gives students the chance to engage in an authentic, independent, and cooperative conversation without direct teacher involvement. These grids can also be used with any topic as teaching or assessment activities. Learners usually enjoy them greatly.

On the first day of class, it is also important to try and get a basic understanding of some of the more popular and common interests shared by the group. This information can be leveraged throughout the course by making conscious choices with materials and activities that pander to these interests. Students are more likely to be engaged with topics that interest them, so it goes that higher engagement can contribute to more effective learning. One way of getting more insight into student interests is by using activities that help students talk about themselves. Through monitoring these activities and listening actively, you can pick up some useful ideas. Try our Giving Personal Information page and Small Talk page for resources to help students talk about themselves.

Class Rules

It is a good idea to establish class rules from the very beginning. Students need to be clear on your expectations of them as learners and understand what you consider acceptable behaviour. However, don't have too many rules and whatever rules you have make sure you stick to them. Students will normally test the rules to see how you react and to see what they can and can't get away with. Stick to your guns and don't bend the rules for anyone or you will lose credibility. Additionally, you will want to go through any other expectations you have for the class, such as homework or in-class participation.

It works well if you elicit class rules from students as they may surprise you and come up with a quite reasonable list of rules. You can also negotiate bonus points and rewards for certain group accomplishments as well as small penalties for transgressions. For example, with homework, students collect points when they turn it in, but fewer points if the homework is incomplete or receive no points if it is not done. Together you can think of a reward if the class reaches a given score, for instance, a different game, music, or video activity.

The important point here is that if you set rules on the first day of class in collaboration with the students, there will be greater ‘buy in’ as they have not simply been imposed from above, and it is more likely students will stick to them.

The students are going to want to know the course objectives and the basics of the course syllabus to help them clarify what they must do. Explain to students the significance of the course and how learning English is going to benefit them. In this way, the students will invest their time and energy into studying with you. Try to show enthusiasm for the course content. If you show interest in what you are teaching, this will rub off on the students. If there are aspects of the course you are not so fond of, consider adapting them or replacing them if possible.

At some point in the first lesson, it’s important to go through essential administrative information such as office hours, breaks, assessment, attendance etc. It is also a good idea to explain to students how you plan to teach and deliver the course. For example, if you plan to incorporate a lot of student led learning into the course, try to give students a taste of this on the first day. Also, make sure you set aside a time for the students to ask questions about the class or course. Shy students may wish to come and speak to you at the end of class. Give these students time and try to answer all their questions.

Phones are generally an annoyance in the classroom and disrupt teaching and learning. First of all, be sure to set the correct example and turn off or silence your own phone so you don’t give the impression of ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Just as important, check school rules before taking any action regarding phones. Don’t be so strict about this on the first day of class especially if you haven’t discussed class rules with your students. Be reasonable and think of positive ways of dealing with the use of phones in class.

A good idea to stop phone usage is to introduce a small fine for offenders. This turns an annoyance into something that is quite amusing and benefits the community. You can ask the students to suggest a worthy charity on the first day of class and donate the money you receive at the end of the course or semester. Another strategy for dealing with phones in class is to offer offenders a choice of giving the phone to you or having their phone put in a paper bag, stapled shut and left on the student's desk. The bag offers the student reassurance that the phone isn't confiscated, but also stops phone usage as the bag is sealed and if touched makes a loud crinkling noise which discourages the student from touching it. Racks or boxes are also a popular choice to limit phone use. As the students come into class, they put their phone on the rack or in the box and get it back at the end of class. If you're teaching younger students, you can create a points system that rewards students each time they remember to turn off or put their phones on silent. At the same time, the system can be used to take away points from students who are caught using their phones during class. At the end of each week or month, award small prizes to the students with the most points.

When engaging with students on the first day of class, take into consideration any special characteristics of the group. One obvious characteristic of all classes is their age range. In this case, the way you would approach the first class with young learners would not be the same as you would with adults. For instance, playing ‘two truths and a lie’ might work well with teens or adults but would not make much sense with a class of 6-year-olds.

We can assume that young learners have not made an active choice to learn English, so going through details of the syllabus and the assessment would seem redundant. However, they will enjoy the class if the teacher plans interesting activities for them such as games, stories, or arts and crafts. In the first class with a group of young learners, it would be better to try and instil in students minds that the purpose of English class is to learn while having fun and making new friends.

The teenage years can be a challenging time, so some teens can be uncertain of many things such as how they feel about themselves and others. It is important to try to create a secure and structured learning environment. While teens are generally motivated and focused, this can change depending on how they perceive the relevance of class content and activities. Keep this in mind when choosing first day activities for a teen group, so, for example, avoid anything that might seem childish.

Adults are usually learning English either for professional or academic reasons. On the first day of class, they tend to be curious about the syllabus, course objectives and assessment. Don’t be surprised, if you are asked some very specific questions about these aspects of the course, so it is important to be prepared to deal with these types of queries. If you have impressive credentials and experience, don’t be shy in sharing these with adult learners as this will help alleviate some of the uncertainties they may have about you and the course. Even though, in most cases, it will not be their first English class, it is still important to make the first-class fun and easy-going by including activities such as icebreakers.

Final Thoughts

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88 Back to School Writing Prompts for the First Week

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I am struggling to write my first back to school post of the season! That means summer vacation is nearing the end.  But the start of a new school year is also an exciting season!  Today I have a set of 88  Back to School Writing Prompts to help you out during the first week of your new school year.  They are a great resource for the first day of school!

As the new school year approaches, it’s time to gear up for some fresh new lessons, a new classroom, and learning ideas. It’s difficult on teachers and on students to gear up to the work load of a new school year.

One nice way to ease children back into the school routine is through creative writing prompts. Writing prompts can be a fun way to inspire creativity, improve and refine writing skills, and make the transition back to school smooth and enjoyable. 

Back to School Writing Prompts

I have a several sets of back to school writing prompts for you in this printable for every grade level. There is a set of 20 writing prompts for elementary students. I have a set of 20 back to school writing prompts that will work well for both for middle school students and high school students. I also have a set of prompts tailored specifically to homeschool families!  

I’m sure that you’ll love adding this writing activity to your English language arts lesson plans for the beginning of the school year! They can help you and your class get back into the swing of things. Read on to learn how (& why) to use the Back to School Writing Prompts effectively!

Why You Should Use Writing Prompts:

• E ncourage Creativity: These prompts are a fantastic way to give kids a starting point with their writing. They can use their imagination and explore new ideas, or write a short story without the pressure of coming up with a topic from scratch.
• Enhance Writing Skills : Regular writing practice helps improve grammar, vocabulary, and overall writing proficiency. Writing prompts are the perfect way to provide structured practice in a fun and engaging way.
• Stimulate Critical Thinking : Writing about different topics encourages kids to think critically, organize their thoughts, and articulate their ideas clearly.
• Build Confidence: Completing a piece of writing gives children a sense of accomplishment, boosting their confidence and encouraging them to tackle more challenging tasks.
• G et to Know New Students: At the beginning of the year, these prompts are a great way to help you learn more about the students in your class! You can learn about their favorite hobby, their summer vacation, what she of their favorite things are, 

How to Use These Printable Writing Prompts:

You can cut these questions up into small strips for kids to draw from a bowl. Or choose one prompt for everyone to answer as a class.

• Daily Journals: Incorporate writing prompts into a daily journaling routine. Have a notebook designated to your daily writing.  This regular practice of journal prompts can help kids develop a habit of writing and improve their skills over time. Use different themed prompts through the months of the year. They can take them home at the end of the year and have a book full of memories!
• Class Discussions: Use prompts as a starting point for class discussions for the whole class or for small groups. Write the prompts on a whiteboard and let them spend some time on it. After writing, students can share their responses, helping them get to know one another better and maybe build a new friendship!
• Creative Projects: Use writing prompts as a starting point for larger writing projects. Encourage kids to expand on their prompt responses by turning them into short stories, a personal narrative, plays, or illustrated books.
• Homework Assignments: Assign writing prompts as part of homework to keep the writing practice going beyond the classroom.
• Incorporate Technology: For older kids, try using digital platforms or blogs where kids can post their prompt responses. This not only makes writing fun but also teaches them how to use technology responsibly.
• Morning Work or Writing Stations: Use these for independent work time with your students. When you need something to fill extra time or need a quiet activity for them to work on, incorporate some writing time! 

Download the Free Writing Prompts for Back to School Now!

This is a free PDF file.  Download it here. 

Back to School Writing Prompt Examples:

Here are a few examples of some of the writing prompts in this download. 

• Imagine your school year is transformed by magic. Describe the magical events that happen and how they change your everyday routine.
• You discover a time machine in your school. Write about where you go and what historical events or future scenarios you witness.

What is your favorite subject in school and why do you enjoy it?

  If your class could have any pet, what would it be and how would you take care of it?

Imagine your school bus could take you anywhere in the universe. Where would you go and what would you see?

What are three academic goals you have for this school year? How do you plan to achieve them?

Do you think schools should have uniforms? Why or why not? Provide reasons for your opinion.

How can learning about different cultures benefit kids your age?

Describe your homeschool learning environment. How does it help you focus and learn?

Incorporating writing prompts into your back-to-school routine can make the transition to school time smoother and more enjoyable for kids. There are so many great benefits. I hope you’ll enjoy using this free printable download. 

Happy writing and welcome back to school!

See More Creative Writing & Language Arts Ideas:

Choose Your Adventure Writing Prompts

Spring Writing Prompts for Kids

Draw and Write: Creative Writing for Kids

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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7 Writing Ideas for the First Week of School

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The first week of school is usually a blur. We are all settling into a new routine and the summer haze is lifting-slowly. This is the time we are getting to know our students, but also the time there is much to be done. We are settling into a new routine, adjusting students to a new routine, filling out enrollment reports, and putting the finishing touches on our classrooms. For this reason, coming up with first week activities can be a bit stressful. For the past few years, I’ve used these seven writing activities the first week of school at various times throughout the day and they all serve their own purpose.

Goal Setting

My fifth grade team is departmentalized and I teach writing. For this reason, I make this activity specifically writing focused, and put these as the first page of their binders on the first day of school. However, I’ve given an example in the picture below of how this can be done for any subject or grade level. Goal setting is extremely important because it reminds students that there is a purpose and a focus to their learning. I refer back to this page often throughout the year so they see whether or not they are meeting their goals. The picture I listed here is general, but I encourage you to have students list several goals and make them specific and attainable. You can download this FREE goal setting template here .

My Three Best Summer Memories

This activity is great for the very first day. Students can reflect on their summer and then share. It’s a great icebreaker because students love to read aloud their memories and share their pictures. Many times, individual personalities also come through and you can get a sense of what student hobbies are!

What I Want My Teacher to Know About Me

This is my favorite writing activity for the first week of school. I learn so many things about my students, and I constantly look back at these pages throughout the year. I’ve had students share simple things with me such as their favorite ice cream flavor, or very personal things such as family situations at home. This assignment is special to me because students feel they can share and they know I will read them. I often make sure I mention them throughout the next few weeks. For example, “Christopher, when do you start soccer practice?” Or, “Kayla, I’ll make sure I give you a signal before I ask you to read out loud because I know it makes you anxious.” This helps reduce the anxiety for students and create a friendly class atmosphere!

This Year I Want to Learn

I love reading what types of things students are interested in learning for the year. Some of which we won’t be able to cover, but I try my hardest to make sure students learn many at least one of the things they share on this sheet. Even if it means they have to do some of their own research! It’s a great way for students again to have a goal and a focus. Download this template for FREE here.

Grade Level KWL

This is something I created as kind of a unique spin on a KWL. In the morning, you can have students write what they k now and w onder about the grade they are starting. At the end of the day, have students write what they l earned about their classroom/grade. It’s a also a great way to reinforce rules and expectations!

The First Day of School

This writing activity is straight forward and simply allows students to share how they felt when they woke up in the morning. It’s also a perfect follow up activity to the book First Day Jitters   by Julie Danneberg .  The story has an awesome message about how teachers are nervous on the first day also! I’ve read it every year and it’s perfect for any grade level. I’ve read this story in both first and fifth grade!

All About Me

Although this has been done so many different ways, the All About Me activity is a classic! Letting your students be creative and share some special things about themselves is always a great icebreaker. This activity will never get old!

In addition to the free downloads above, you can purchase my full Back to School Activity set here .  Have a wonderful start to your school year!

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| | --> by Susan Verner 24,669 views What do your students already know? And what do they still need to learn? Whether you are new to teaching or have dozens of classes under your belt, you can use these ideas on the first day of class to help get your students’ words on the page. You can give your students and set 20-30 minutes aside for them to fill up the pages. Doing so will give you a good idea of your students’ skills when it comes to . This type of writing is also common on standardized tests, something your students will probably encounter in the future. Your students, on the other hand, may not want to write when they have been writing this type of composition for language tests and for admission into language schools. In addition, in class essays don’t always give you, the teacher, much information about your students as individuals, and getting to know them is an important component of successful ESL programs. Timed writings on the first day have even more drawbacks when you strive to create a in your classroom because your students are not talking, interacting or using the language they know in a communicative manner. You can get your students talking to one another and give them some writing practice in the process by having students . Assign pairs of students to ask one another questions and then write their partner’s answers, turning in the written interviews at the end of class. Students will enjoy getting to know each other, and you will still get a measure of the level of writing they are comfortable with. When students hand in their interviews, make sure each one includes the writer as well as the person he interviewed. It will give you a chance to get to know your students a little bit and will also set the communicative tone for class. While better than the in class essay for the first day, interviews still have limitations. Some may see them as a waste of time since they do not touch on the writing curriculum, and your students aren’t necessarily learning anything about written language in completing them. Plus, if you have students who have very limited proficiency in written English, interviews may be too complicated or challenging for them on the . I always tell my students that ( rewriting, rganizing, riting, diting, and ewriting). They learn in my classes that good writing does not come from just sitting down and putting words on a blank page, but that . If you plan to teach the writing process in your class, as many writing teachers do, starting your first class at the beginning of the process with prewriting (or idea generating) may be the right plan for you and your students. Students at all levels of English proficiency can do prewriting activities. Some activities are simple, like a list on a certain topic. Everyone can participate no matter what language level they are at, and students have a chance to share a little bit of who they are and get to know one another and you in the process. Other activities can touch on language proficiency (like answering journalistic questions about a given topic — ) or encourage creativity (idea mapping, also known as cluster mapping). Through this type of activity, your students have some common ground on which you can build, and they can use the ideas they generated when composing their first written piece. The biggest key to any successful ESL program, though, is . Taking the effort to read your students’ body language and determine their emotional states will do more for a fun and beneficial ESL experience than anything else. And the more tools you have ready in your back pocket, the easier it is to adjust your plans when you need to!   If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English. . That's 4,036 pages filled with thousands of practical activities and tips that you can start using today. 30-day money back guarantee. --> Copyright 2007-2021 пїЅ Submit a worksheet Mobile version Activities for the First Day of Class  Posted on August 18, 2023 by Maggie Gilchrist and Eric Brinkman (they/them) Our previous blog post talked about ways to ensure your students feel welcomed and included in your course from day one. However, welcoming students to class and establishing course goals are only the first steps. As James M. Lang has argued, “On that first day…your students are forming a lasting impression not just of you as a teacher but of your course, too. Their early, thin-slice judgments are powerful enough to condition their attitudes toward the entire course, the effort they are willing to put into it, and the relationship they will have with you and their peers throughout the semester.” If you want your students to be engaged throughout the semester, it is important to set the standard of engagement on the very first day. This post explores a few day 1 activities aimed to create a community among students and to engage students with your course and course content from the very beginning. Icebreakers As you enter your classroom on the first day, one thing to consider is how you expect students to engage with one another going forward. In other words, will your students be expected to answer questions out loud or through a polling system such as Top Hat ? Does your class rely on group work that requires them to work closely with their peers or will they frequently pair up with different classmates? Using an icebreaker on the first day is a high-structure way to ensure that students get to know one another (Sathy & Hogan, 2019). When used effectively, icebreakers ensure that every student has an opportunity to speak and feel heard in your classroom from the very beginning. The trick is to find an icebreaker that affords each student the opportunity to feel included rather than more isolated. To achieve this, aim for low-stakes, low reveal icebreaker questions. Students already hesitant to speak may feel further isolated by questions that require them to reveal overly personal information. Instead, consider asking “this or that” questions , which allow students to choose between two things. For instance, you might ask students “Do you prefer summer or winter?” Questions like this do not require students to reveal personal information. However, they do invite them to share more should they choose (i.e., the summer or winter question may spark a conversation about the types of activities they engage in during these seasons). One fantastic low-stakes icebreaker that also helps emphasize diversity is the ricebreaker question , which invites students to share how their families prepare rice. With this activity, students can share as much or as little as they wish about their culture while simultaneously sharing something in common with each of their peers. Whatever icebreaker question or activity you choose, keep in mind that the goal should be both to ensure each student has the chance to share their individual perspective while also respecting the fact that many students feel too vulnerable and/or uncomfortable sharing personal information. If you are looking for ideas of great activities and questions for your first day, check out Top Hat’s list of twenty ice breakers . Concept Maps Chapter 4 of the teaching and learning bible How Learning Works describes the importance for instructors of paying attention to motivating your students in the classroom. It describes the research demonstrating the different impact between external and internal motivations for students and argues that students benefit from our focus on three areas : efficacy (how a student can be successful in your course), support (how you help them if they need it), and value. Perhaps the most important factor is the last: if students do not see the value of our course, they will not fully apply themselves. As instructors, we often think that “Of course students see the value of our course: they signed up for it!” But the truth is students sign up for courses for all kinds of reasons. The research on transparency then tells us that it is important to make it clear to students the value of our course. One way that I have used in my courses to make the value of them explicit is to build a concept map . Above is a photo of a board using concept maps we have created in my second-level writing course, “Criticizing Television.” On the first day I asked each student (or group of students for larger enrollment courses), “Why are they taking this course?” After giving them time to reflect, I draw a “Why?” in the middle of the board and then ask them to think of reasons how they might benefit from taking this particular course. As Criticizing Television is a second-level general education (GE) writing course, if no one says they are taking it for a GE credit, I say it and write it on the board. We discuss the GE credits students can get for taking the class and then the importance and relevance for them of taking GE courses. The goal, however, is to move students from focusing on extrinsic goals (a GE credit to graduate) to more intrinsic motivations, such as to improve their writing skills. I also ask them to think of more personal reasons why they might want to take a class on criticizing television and why they might need to develop their research and writing skills (they have to turn in an 8-10 page paper as the final assignment), both professionally and personally. Periodically during the course, I then come back to their list of reasons, sometimes at the beginning of a new unit, to ask them to think again about why they think we are discussing some particular idea or concept during the course. I’ll do that a couple of times during the semester, and each time we might expand on the reasons why students are benefiting from the course, the goal being to add transparency by making explicit the value of the course for each individual student. Minute Papers Finally, a great exercise to use in any class—but it is good to start establishing a pattern of use from the first day—is minute papers. Sometimes also called “ minute thesis ” or “muddiest point,” minute papers are a writing exercise that can be used anytime during a class to get immediate feedback from students, practice information retrieval , and prepare students for an assignment or activity. Simply give your student a few minutes to write on a specific prompt. For example, you might ask them to write down (on paper or digitally in an email, Canvas message, on a discussion board, or in Top Hat ) what questions they still have about a subject taught or discussed in class that day. You can begin your next class answering the most important or shared question(s). Minute papers can also be used to prepare for a discussion: simply prompt students with what will be discussed next and give them a minute or two to write down their thoughts first. Different learners have different strengths and weaknesses, and not all learners enjoy blurting out answers in front of their peers, so give your students the option of considering a question first before asking for responses. As mentioned in Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom (Hogan & Sathy, 2022), minute papers can be used to prepare students for the kinds of questions they might be asked to complete on an exam (177-78). On the first day, they can also be used to ask metacognitve questions like, “What helps you learn,” “How has an instructor made you feel included,” or “What would you like me to know to help you succeed in this course?” Any of these methods can help your students acclimate to the active teaching strategies you will use to be more successful in your course, but the goal is to make sure that every student feels included from the first day of class and knows that they can ask you for help (or where they can go to get assistance if they need it). Establish from the first day that you expect every student to participate in their own learning process in order to motivate them to bring their best selves as learners. Looking for more ways to have a great first day of class? Read our previous posts on creating inclusive syllabi , introducing your syllabus , and planning your first day. You can also make a consultation with a CITL staff member to discuss a more course-specific approach to starting your semester. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 315 IMAGES First Day of School Writing Activity First Day of School Writing Activities First Day of School Writing Activity Back to School Writing Portfolio First Day(s) of School Writing Pages by Jennifer Lange My First Day of Class Writing Activity (Perfect for the first day of school or any day) VIDEO first day class in CTTC || #jalivlogs #shorts #viralshorts #cttc #bbsr #hostellife 🔥 My first day class 12 first day class #iim #viral #motivation #delhi #music First day class response ❤️ Tips for writing College Assignment kismat new life jit show COMMENTS During the First Day of Class Utilize the assignments and/or activities on the first day that ask students to connect course material to their own lives, personal interests, or career goals. While the process of making this connection is beneficial to the learning - through its focus on relevance, it also provides you as the instructor insight into your students' lives ... Back to School "What is a Scientist?" Writing Activity - First Day Of School Writing Activities Kick off the school year with an engaging "What is a Scientist?" writing activity, perfect for the first day of school. This interactive exercise introduces students to the exciting world of science by encouraging them to explore and define what it means to be a scientist. Making Memories on the First Day of Class The first day of class should be much more than "syllabus day" - the first day of class is hugely important in setting the tone for the entire semester in many ways. The first day of class is a day on which we can nurture our students' voices and promote their engagement and intrinsic motivation for learning (Saucier, 2020). First Day of School Writing Activities Here you'll see 15 fabulous first day of school writing activities — This list of ideas is packed full of fun and engaging ways to interact with the new group of kids in your classroom. Plus, you'll find nine first day of school writing ideas, twelve new school year resolutions, 8 ice breakers, and 5 school success tips. Oh yeah…. 29 Back-to-School Writing Prompts for the First Day of School Fill up some class time with a few warm-up writing prompts below, or send students home with a larger assignment to get them back into the swing of things! First Day of School Writing Prompts: Middle School Students. Grades 7-8. Classroom Prompt Assignments. Stream of consciousness is when a character lets their thoughts continuously flow. 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities 17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities. By Shane Mac Donnchaidh July 23, 2021April 1, 2024 April 1, 2024. The smell of freshly painted halls, the excited chatter of returning students bursting with two months' worth of gossip to share—it must be the first day at school again. Rusty pens and dusty pencils are hastily pulled from the ... 61 Great First-Day-of-School Writing Prompts for Students 10. Write about two habits you need to change plus what you will do in order to improve. 11. Describe the perfect school day. 12. The topic is the first week of school. Now generate a list of actions and things related to the topic for every letter of the alphabet. 13. Explain the best ways to study for a test. Planning the first day of class A few of our lecturers in PWR have brainstormed a few creative first day of class activities: In her PWR 2 class, Sarah Pittock invites her students to introduce themselves, first to the class, and then to another audience (e.g. Kim Jong-Un, their unborn child). To learn more, read her "Introduce Yourself" activity description. Planning the First Day Further Reading & Resources on Writing Effective Assignment Prompts; Designing Your Syllabus and Assignment Sheets. Designing an Accessible Syllabus; ... Many instructors provide an overview or walkthrough of the syllabus on the first day of class. In an online class, you might consider one of the following modes for this: 12 Fun First-Day-of-School Worksheets (Free Printables) First-Day-of-School Writing Prompts & Back-to-School Writing Paper. Choose from a fun list of writing prompts to get those creative juices flowing. ... Encourage students to share their "3, 2, 1" countdowns with the class. Interview a Classmate Printable. Help students sharpen their speaking and listening skills with this free printable. 17 Great First-Day-of-School Writing Activities for Students 15. Journal. One of the simplest first-day-of-school writing activities is journaling. Journaling allows students the opportunity to reflect, express themselves, and release frustrations all while developing their writing skills. Use monthly writing calendars to kickstart journaling on the first day of school. 16. First Day of Class The first day of class is your opportunity to present your vision of the class to prospective students. It is helpful if you can introduce yourself as a scholar and educator and provide insight into how you will teach the class and what you will expect them to contribute to the learning process. Consider that several of your students may be ... 5 First Day of School Activities for High School English For this activity, have students identify a few core memories of their experience with reading. This can be particular moments, books, etc. They choose the memories and then create a timeline with images to share with the class. This can be done digitally using Google Slides or on paper with some coloring supplies. First Day Lesson Plans for Middle School ELA The First Day of Middle School English Language Arts. Activity 1: The "I Am" Poem. I have a print out of my "I Am" Poem template (complete with sentence starters) laying on students' desks as they first enter the room. My instructions are posted on the projection board and simply state that students are to begin filling out the "I ... Planning the last day of class In planning your last day of class, you might consider incorporating the following into your lesson plan: Class activities that asks students to reflect and synthesize their experiences. You can find some ideas here. Time for them to fill out their final course evaluations. It's strongly recommended that you give students 10-15 minutes of class ... Introduce Yourself to Students With These Clever Ideas Decorate and wear a real T-shirt instead!) 24. Draw a name map. Mapping is an excellent writing strategy, and you can teach the concept early on with a fun name map. Create one to introduce yourself on the first day of class, then have your students do the same. Find out more from TeachWithMe.com. 25. Back-to-School Journal Prompts for the First Day of School As a teacher, the first day of school sets the tone for the entire academic year. One effective way to engage your students from day one is through journal prompts. These prompts not only help students reflect on their hopes and goals but also provide a meaningful writing activity that you can revisit at the end of the year to see their growth and progress. Here are some journal writing prompt ... ELA Activities to Start the Middle School Year As writing assignments become more complex throughout the school year, students move forward with confidence because they've already seen that they can be successful writers in our classroom. Assignment Examples. Getting to know you paragraph: On the first day of school, I provide a list of questions that encourage students to share about ... Ice Breakers It emphasizes writing as a collaborative process that requires input and feedback from others. This exercise works well as an icebreaker in the first week or prior to the first peer workshop. Description: Students exchange ideas with each other to complete an informal writing assignment. Suggested Time: 20 minutes. The First Day of Class "Make the Most of the First Day of Class" from the Carnegie Mellon Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence. Nilson, L. (2003). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (2nd ed.). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. "The First Day of Class" from Carleton College's Science Education Resource Center. First Day of School Activities for High School and Middle School Use Rhetoric to introduce Yourself on the first day. 1. Introduce yourself using rhetoric: Rhetoric is something that English teachers teach regularly, yet it might not occur to you how powerful pathos, logos, and ethos can be when it comes to introducing yourself to your students on your first day. While we sometimes think of rhetoric as a ... The First Day of Class The First Day of Class. The first day of class is one of the most important days for students and teachers alike as it sets the tone for the rest of the course or semester. Good first impressions are vital for establishing a rapport and connecting with your students. On the first day of class, both you and the students will probably feel ... 88 Back to School Writing Prompts for the First Week Today I have a set of 88 Back to School Writing Prompts to help you out during the first week of your new school year. They are a great resource for the first day of school! As the new school year approaches, it's time to gear up for some fresh new lessons, a new classroom, and learning ideas. It's difficult on teachers and on students to ... 7 Writing Ideas for the First Week of School The First Day of School. This writing activity is straight forward and simply allows students to share how they felt when they woke up in the morning. It's also a perfect follow up activity to the book First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg . The story has an awesome message about how teachers are nervous on the first day also! I Have to Teach Writing: Now What? Where to Start with Your First Includes the best of BusyTeacher: all 80 of our PDF e-books. That's 4,036 pages filled with thousands of practical activities and tips that you can start using today. 30-day money back guarantee. You walk into your writing class on the first day of the semester. Your students are sitting patiently with their textbooks and laptops, waiting for ... Activities for the First Day of Class Using an icebreaker on the first day is a high-structure way to ensure that students get to know one another (Sathy & Hogan, 2019). When used effectively, icebreakers ensure that every student has an opportunity to speak and feel heard in your classroom from the very beginning. The trick is to find an icebreaker that affords each student the ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review thesis