Beginning of the year activities

Get to know your students this back to school season with these ideas and freebies. Start your first day of school with these the perfect ice-breakers and activities. You'll love these… More

With so many different times throughout the year that you can use this in your classroom (first week of school writing activity, New Year/Back from break writing activity, end of the year writing activity), we’ve included all the writing prompts to go with them, making this an easy and low-prep writing activity for your students. Display these for the cutest bulletin board idea!

Teachers tend to use icebreaker activities for the first day of school and during the beginning of the school year. While they are definitely a perfect getting to know you activity, there's also great value in using them throughout the year to build classroom community and student engagement. Not only are they ideal for class meetings they also work well for virtual meetings. These FREE icebreaker games for kids are sure to improve student motivation! #thereadingroundup #icebreakeractivities

An engaging back-to-school writing activity. Use Skittles to help students brainstorm things to introduce themselves during back-to-school.

Don't spend all of your time making up your own first day of school activities. I'm sharing my list of first day of school activities that...

The first week of school is a critical time to teach all your classroom procedures and expectations. I usually spend the first week of school…

The ultimate list of activities on the first day of school to make students feel welcome, excited, and ready to learn! Crafts, games...

Are you looking for some fun ways to get to know your students better? Here are three great getting to know you activities for back to school! I use them at the beginning of the year, when we get a new student and/or change groups. Click here to get your

Today I'm sharing one of my favourite tasks for building community in the classroom. Students are able to share an important aspect of themselves (the story of their name) with the class and with me, their teacher. Through this task we are also working on important skills, like reading comprehension, writing, and reflection. Day 1 To begin, I asked my students to write any name they wish they had on a sticky note. They then placed it in a mason jar. I read my class the story "The Name Jar"…

Start preparing for the beginning of the school year with my FREE back to school activity! This activity is perfect to use with your first grade or second grade students, and it's a great way to get to know your students, and also build classroom community! Students will complete their "all about me flag" and then they can share with the class! The flags can also serve as classroom decor as well! Download your FREE back to school activity here!

Back to School Night can be the first time you meet many of the parents in your class. It is important that you communicate all of the information the parents will need to help their child have a successful school year. Here are my top tips for planning an informative and stress free Back to School Night: Have a Sign In SheetHave parents sign in on a sheet as the enter the room. This will allow you to keep track of which student's parents were able to attend. Be sure to send home copies of…

The first week of school can be a daunting time. Not only are you getting a brand new group of students that you need to get to know, you are dealing with paperwork, classroom organization and management issues, AND your specials usually haven't started yet. This means that getting into a routine can be T.O.U.G.H. I have five activities that can help make that time a little bit easier.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break! I hate being the bearer of bad news, but Back to School is quickly approaching…Yikes!! I’m sure many of you are clinging on to those last few days of vacation. If you are having trouble setting down the margarita and jumping back into school mode, I totally

The First Week Back Activity Pack is stuffed full of activities for your first week of 2nd grade. To make it all make sense, I've included a free PDF of lesson plans for the first week of school that blends the activities from this pack with the routine and procedure lessons you need to teach! Click to download your FREE lesson plans for the first week of school, and have your best first week of school, EVER.

The beginning of the year is always a whirlwind with the first few days of school and Open House/Visitation. Whether you have your Open House/Visitation before school starts, or once the year is already in full swing, it’s still a huge undertaking! Today I’m sharing with you my 5 favorite tips for your Open House ... Read More about Kindergarten Visitation!

The first week of school is focused on reviewing rules, expectations and procedures. Check out these 15 children's picture books to help your little learners grasp the importance of following the rules! Each book comes with an activity idea.

3 Ways to Get Started with STEM at the Beginning of the Year: By teaching procedures through read alouds and STEM students are more engaged. They are also more likely to remember the routines and procedures when they are taught in a hands-on way! The following are 3 ways to integrate STEM at the beginning of the year! #backtoschool #stemactivities #stemeducation #stem

Looking for some read-alouds for the new school year? Here are 27 books that encourage kindness and empathy and promote positive mindsets!

Nearly 400 teachers weighed in on their favorite back-to-school activities and ice breakers - and here are their top picks! The most popular, practical, and unique back-to-school activities loved by teachers around the world!

Need a fun and easy activity to build relationships with your students? You’ll love this getting to know you first week of school activity!