In either case, it is possible that students may be a little overwhelmed to come to school. Sometimes, a break can be so refreshing that it may take them a while to get adjusted to the school and classroom atmosphere. Although it may be a similar experience for teachers too, it comes as their duty to make students feel at home.  

To ensure enough preparedness of teachers for both the first days, the high schooler has curated a much-needed checklist for teachers pretty much-covering everything they need for making the first day a welcoming experience. 

First-day checklist: Welcoming students after a long break

The first day after a long break does not really have a possibility of a student witnessing new faces around, because all the students know each other and are aware of their class teacher and subject teachers.

However, students do come back after an academic siesta and need some guidance on getting back to track with school. To make the process seemingly easy, here is a go-to checklist for teachers. 

1. Is the classroom sanitized?
2. Is the blackboard/whiteboard/smartboard cleaned?
3. Are the benches/tables and chairs in order?
4. Is the cupboard organized?
5. Are the first aid and emergency medicines in place?
6. Is the school’s RO functioning properly?
7. Has the canteen stacked fresh edibles?
8. In case of extended leaves, are substitution teachers informed of their duties?
9. Is the school premises cleaned?
10. Is the timetable up to date?
11. Are the washrooms clean?
12. Are the toiletries re-stocked in the washrooms?
13. Is the lesson plan for the rest of the academic session ready?
14. Is the grade book up to date or is there a requirement for a new one?
15. Are there enough resources for an ice-breaker game for the students?
16. Is the classroom restocked with essential stationery items such as marker pens/chalk/duster/correction ink, etc.?
17. Are the classroom’s teaching-related technologies such as projectors, sound systems, smart boards, and routers working efficiently?
18. Are there any changes in classroom policies or will the old ones suffice?
19. Is your ‘teacher’s planner’ ready?
20.  Is the teacher’s desk/podium organized?
21. Is the list of time-filler or brain-break activities ready?
22. Have you skimmed through the remaining curriculum and syllabus?
23. Is the academic planner/calendar for the rest of the session up to date or does a new one need to be issued?
24. Is the classroom tailored to meet the needs of specific children with unique preferences?
25. Is the library stocked with reference books essential for the upcoming semester?

First-day checklist: A teacher’s first day at school

The first day of school is a day that all students and teachers will remember. New faces and new environments become the talk of the town! It is okay for students to come unprepared as a blank state because they solely rely on teachers to help them around.

But it is also possible that it might actually be the first day of a teacher as well. Considering the same, here is a detailed checklist for first-time teachers to ensure they are well-prepared and manage to make the first day memorable for their students. 

1. Have you prepared your introduction?
2. Are you aware of the in-time and out-time of the school?
3. Do you know the names of your colleagues?
4. Have you prepared a lesson plan?
5. Do you know the names of the students who have enrolled in your class?
6. Have you prepared an ice-breaker activity for the students?
7. Are you aware of the recess timings?
8. Are you aware of where the first-aid kit is?
9. Are you fully functional with basic first aid?
10. Are you aware of the technologies used in the classroom for teaching purposes?
11. Have you organized the cupboard?
12. Does the classroom have relevant posters and informatics on the wall?
13. Have you gathered your teaching materials and resources?
14. Is there relevant information on the bulletin board?
15. Is the timetable placed for an easy glance by the students?
16. Is the library equipped with relevant subject-related books for the students?
17. Are students allowed to carry phones to the classroom?
18. Have you received the academic planner/calendar?
19. Is the grade book with basic details such as students’ names, ready for use?
20. Is the teacher planner ready?
21. Are you aware of the attendance procedure?
22. Have you decided anything on setting up a classroom procedure that aligns with the expectations of the students as well as the institution?
23. Are you aware of the location of the school’s library, playground, cafeteria, administration, principal/dean’s office, staff room, etc.?
24. Do you have any resources in place for a classroom management plan?
25. Are you aware of the policies and procedures governing the school?

General first-day preparedness for teachers

Besides the checklist above, here are some pointers that you can use to kickstart your first day at school!

1. Try to make your introduction lil creative and funny!

Young minds keep pondering around, so the idea is to grab their attention with a funny, quirky, and creative introduction. Ensure you cover the most basic things including your name and the subject you will be handling. 

Another way to put this around is to keep the students guessing about the subject you will be handling for them. You can give them hints such as famous scientists or personalities in your field of the subject, or you can simply list out some unheard concepts relating to your subject. 

2. Plan for an ice-breaker activity!

No student likes studying on the first day at school, and that is a universal fact irrespective of grades. Also because it is the first day at school, students may have some questions on their minds and mostly may feel nervous, excited, or overwhelmed. This mixed bag of emotions smoothens once they get to interact with each other.

Hence, you can organize a fun icebreaker or warm-up activity that will bring about giggles and laughter around the classroom! You can make them play classic games like dumb charades, dog and the bone, or the famous sit-stand game.

3. Get to know your students better!

Ensure you ask the students to introduce themselves. Their names, their hobbies, their previous schools, and general stuff such as what led them to choose your course. You can also ask them about what their expectations are with a new school and new course.

It is suggested that you keep a list of survey questions ready. This list will help you understand your students better. In this way,  you can also customize your teaching methodology which will indeed help you connect better with the students. 

4. Be punctual

‘Better three hours too soon than a minute too late’ is a famous saying by William Shakespeare and applies in this case too. Ensure you are punctual and more importantly, try to arrive before your students so that you can prepare the class for the lecture.

This is if you are the class teacher of a particular grade and section. If you are only a subject teacher, ensure you are on time for your class. It is also a good practice to end the lecture on time. 

5. Decide on classroom rules

If you are handling a subject for a particular grade and section, you can make some rules governing your class. For example, some teachers prefer students to ask doubts at the end of the class while others prefer students raise their hands and ask the doubt as and when the concept is being taught. You can set these rules based on your preferences. Also, having these rules in place calls for a positive classroom environment.  

6. Come prepared with a lesson plan for the week.

You may choose to have the first day at leisure, but ensure you come prepared with what you shall cover in the coming week. Also, discuss your goals and targets for the week with your students. Brief them about project works or assignments that you shall be allotted. 

7. Be flexible

Your class has students who are unique in their own way. Thus, they may come with unique needs and requirements. You will need to incorporate their requirements so that you make them feel inclusive. But it is important that you also know where to stop so that it is not termed partiality. 

8. Establish a connection with parents. 

Knowing the needs of your students and helping them in their academic journey is best done when you give it a personal touch. Go the extra mile and coordinate with the parents. Talk to them about their feedback on your subject and how they think you can provide better to their child. 

9. Reflect

Reflect and reflect at every step! Take every day as learning and use it to improve the upcoming days of your teaching with the batch. Utilize every day to understand your students better, and how you can teach them in ways that help them grasp the concepts and retain them. You can also check out high school blogs that are run by expert and professional high school teachers for effective tips and strategies.

10. Self-care is essential

This is the most important pointer. Always remember you have to do well if you want your students to do well. Take good care of your emotional and physical health and well-being. Take breaks, stay hydrated, eat nutritious food, and pick up a hobby that helps your mental health. 

Conclusion 

A first-day checklist can serve as a useful tool enabling teachers to come prepared or make preparations for the first day. As discussed, the two effective checklists can help in preparedness on the first day of a new academic session or after a mid-term break.

Performing everyday academic-related tasks also becomes easy and hassle-free because teachers have the necessary resources in place. Hence, these checklists are every teacher’s go-to to hit the play button after a brief pause!

Sananda Bhattacharya

Sananda Bhattacharya, Chief Editor of TheHighSchooler, is dedicated to enhancing operations and growth. With degrees in Literature and Asian Studies from Presidency University, Kolkata, she leverages her educational and innovative background to shape TheHighSchooler into a pivotal resource hub. Providing valuable insights, practical activities, and guidance on school life, graduation, scholarships, and more, Sananda’s leadership enriches the journey of high school students.

Explore a plethora of invaluable resources and insights tailored for high schoolers at TheHighSchooler, under the guidance of Sananda Bhattacharya’s expertise. You can follow her on Linkedin

The first day of school opens many opportunities, including knowing your students, and activities can be a great way of doing so. These can be set up for many reasons, whether it is to make students feel welcomed or establish rules and regulations from the first day itself. Fun activities never fail and always interest the students. 

In this post, you will find the various first-day activities for high school students which will help them know their peers better, and also help out teachers know their new batch. 

Need of First Day Activities For High School

The first day in school is an important day for every student as it can turn memorable just by a few positive moments. It is the day that sets the tone for the student and gets them prepared for their entire high school life. First day activities for high school has the following purposes and benefits –

• These activities inculcate the best and positive impression on the school environment, attire, and norms.
• Students get a chance to introduce themselves effectively with those features that actually help them in their high school life. 
• The institute can set a level of discipline and expectations for the students, thus preparing them for future days.
• Students get to know each other to develop great peer relationships. These bonds are crucial in many phases of high school.
• Students’ level of understanding and knowledge is understood; simultaneously, students are made aware of the content and course of the sessions. 

First Day Activities For High School 

First-day activities have a special place in welcoming the new students to the school. These activities stimulate introductions, make students get free and talk without hesitation, and set the right frequency and tone for all the students according to institutional standards. 

Here are some of the first day activities for high school students which the teachers can pick up cues from- 

Activity 1 – Introduction With An Adjective

The first days of high school involve a lot of introducing yourself. Imagine how fun it would be if you introduced yourself with an adjective. For example, ‘Hi, I’m Pretty Sonia’ or ‘Hey! I’m Tall Tom.’ This would also be engaging as students would pay more attention to their classmates and get to know them better and faster. Through this activity, the teachers would also get to know this new lot of high schoolers.

Teachers could also ask the students to hear the introductions carefully, try and memorize their adjectives, and later, ask each student randomly about another student’s introduction or the adjective they used. This way, students would get to know who is who on just the first day. 

Activity 2- Be Unique, or Sit Down

This is another great that teachers can indulge their high schoolers in. High school is a period where everyone wants to stand out and be unique. Give them this chance on the very first day. Ask the students to stand up, and each one should say something unique and distinctive about himself. 

For example- Hello, I’m Tom, and I can speak four languages. Or, Hi! I’m Sonia, And I have a certification from NASA. But the catch here is, whichever student has the same quality, qualification, or uniqueness, must point out, and then both the students would sit. That means, if another student speaks four languages, this quality is no more unique in the class; and so, both the students must sit down. The ultimate goal of this activity is to keep standing for as long as possible. This is a great activity as it encourages students to know about each other and also, to interact more with one another. 

Activity 3- Say it On the Bulletin Board

The first days in high school can be full of anxiety. But, once you have friends around, it’s no more a plight, but actually quite the opposite. The teachers must keep an interactive board activity and give students some questions, a paper, and a pen. The questions can be something like-

• What do you wish to achieve in high school?
• Tell us 3 things about yourself?
• Have you ever wished to get fame in school?
• What is your biggest fear?

Students need to answer these questions and stick their paper on the board. Later, students should be given time to read each other’s answers so that they can get to know their peers in this new world. To make it more interactive, teachers should initiate a discussion by pointing out a particular sentence that a student must have written, and asking the other student about it. For example, ‘John, Tom says that he wishes to make a lot of friends this year, do you also have a similar goal?’

Activity 4- Who Said This?

This is an interesting game in which the students are asked questions and are later read aloud. As the name suggests, the responses are kept anonymous. Teachers start this game by preparing a few questions about the high school student’s year or life ahead. The questions can be like – 

• What is the biggest goal this year?
• Who do you think you’ll get along with the best in high school?
• What do you think of high school?
• What expectations do you have from high school?

This game makes students know that they are not alone with their views. After this session, they will feel that many other students have the same ideology and thus feel a sense of belonging to that place. That is one of the reasons why this game acts as one of the best activities for high school students on their first day.

Activity 5- Say Something Nice!

In this activity, each student is given a compliment anonymously. This way, the student will come to know their strengths. While each student picks a classmate to compliment, they feel positivity on the first day of their new journey. Moreover, knowing their strengths will increase their academic performance due to the motivation they get from this game.

Activity 6- This Or That? 

This activity includes asking students questions having two options to choose from. The questions can be related to their career options or their habits in general. Asking such questions would help students know each other, and the teachers would also get to know their new bunch of high school kids. 

The questions can be like – 

• Would you rather be an actor or an artist?
• Would you rather top the class or get fame through extracurricular activities?
• Would you rather have a private jet or an expensive sports car?
  

This session makes the students understand who are alike and who are not. This makes it easy for them to understand others and make friends quicker. The other goal is that the students get the right perception of life if the questions are suitable enough. 

Activity 7- Stranded on An Island

This activity initiates a conversation between students on the first day itself and helps them smoothly break the ice between them. The teacher must ask students to divide themselves into pairs and then think of one item that they would take with them if they were stranded on an island. To make it more interesting, the teachers could make up rules like no two pairs can choose the same item. For example, no two pairs can say ‘Mobile Phones’ or ’Water.’ So, whoever says it first, the item gets canceled, and the pair must quickly think of a new item. This initiates correspondence between students and helps them feel less alone on the first day of high school. 

Activity 8- Spot The Lie

This is a guessing game that initiates an interesting conversation between two students. This is an interesting game that works by dividing the entire class into pairs. As the name suggests, students need to make up a statement, which states two truths, and one lie, and the other pair needs to guess which two things said are right and which is the lie. This game is an interesting activity to learn about other students. The students can understand their classmates without any stress and with great interest. Moreover, being in pairs gives them a feeling of being together and not feeling alone in a new place.  

Bottom Line

The first day of high school can be intimidating. Seeing all new faces, new teachers, and a fresh atmosphere can be bewildering and appalling. In such situations, indulging in a few activities to make students comfortable can be great. The activities mentioned above will help students adjust to these new surroundings, and making friends would be facile. 

Sananda Bhattacharya

Sananda Bhattacharya, Chief Editor of TheHighSchooler, is dedicated to enhancing operations and growth. With degrees in Literature and Asian Studies from Presidency University, Kolkata, she leverages her educational and innovative background to shape TheHighSchooler into a pivotal resource hub. Providing valuable insights, practical activities, and guidance on school life, graduation, scholarships, and more, Sananda’s leadership enriches the journey of high school students.

Explore a plethora of invaluable resources and insights tailored for high schoolers at TheHighSchooler, under the guidance of Sananda Bhattacharya’s expertise. You can follow her on Linkedin