It's exciting to start a new school year! We are full of enthusiasm and thrilled to meet our new students. We feel that "we've got this" and have learned from our past mistakes. We know we will teach more effectively and improve our classroom management. That's what I think of at the beginning of the year.
Based on my 19 years of classroom experience, I'm about to share with you one of the critical things teachers need to do to begin the school year. It has to do with the students' names: Put them in full view!
Your students' names should be on display in the classroom and on their desks to help them feel welcome. I've talked with a few colleagues who let the children chose their seats on the first day. I wouldn't advise beginning the year in such disarray while putting that responsibility on the kids. Some children may be stressed by having to choose where to sit and next to whom.
At each desk or place, a beautiful, colorful name plate should be placed. Not only will it give the children a spot all their own to go to, but it will give them a sense of belonging.
Similarly, a bulletin board displaying the students' names is also a welcoming sight. Decorations should stop there. Why? Because the rest of the classroom decorations should be made by the students so they can be surrounded by their own creations instead of yours or commercial ones. This fosters a sense of ownership. Students should feel that the classroom belongs to them.
For the first decoration and activity, I enjoy creating acrostic poems with the students. For this project, have prepared sheets of copy or construction paper with a first name written or printed vertically. If helpful, include a line to write on beside each letter as shown below.
You may print these or make them by hand with bubble letters.
In addition, provide your students with a list of personal adjectives in alphabetical order. This will help them choose words to describe themselves. Of course, they don't need to be limited to the descriptives on the list. Click here or on the photo below in order to download and print the adjective list.
As an alternative to acrostic poems, students can make their own bio-poems for display in the classroom. The first and last lines of the poem are usually the person's first name, and then last name at the end. Click here for free template.
With either the acrostic poem or the biopoem, it's nice to post a photograph of each student next to their respective poem. I take these photos on the first day of school while they are working on the activity.
Think of how you feel when someone addresses you by your name. It's friendly and kind. Learn your students' names the first day of school and try to greet as many as possible by name every morning. Help them feel that the classroom belongs to them and that they are warmly welcome.
I wish you a successful and rewarding school year!
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