I am really looking forward to this new school year. I am teaching a Grade 2/3 classroom in the afternoon and doing some primary prep in the morning.

As usual, I have over-planned my day. I think it is a good idea to keep things moving on the first day of school to set a tone.

Here is a brief section of my day plan.

11:40 – Set-Up: Set out enough hula-hoops in the room for each student. Inside each hoop, have a piece of cardboard, a can of PlayDoh and the instruction sheet that says something along “Make something and be prepared to share” Make sure that “Grade 2/3 Mr. March’s Class” is written on the door and the board.

11:40 – Independent Work: Please quickly find the hula-hoop with your name, and when you sit down, you will find an activity there. I think you will enjoy doing it. Please begin working on it right away. Thank you.

Any student who does not come in the room correctly, ask them calmly but firmly to return to the door, tell them why, give specific direction, and acknowledge that they understand

I am sorry, but that is not the way you enter the classroom everyday. When you enter this classroom, you walk in quietly, go directly to your seat, and get to work immediately on the assignment that is posted. Are there any questions? Thank you, _______. Now show me that you can go to you seat properly.

Make it routine on how to enter the room and reinforce it everyday.

11:50 -Teaching the Quiet Signal: Introduce the signal.

Students, I am a hip-hop musician and we have a tradition that’s known as “call and response.” Has anyone heard of it? Basically it means that the musician says something and the audience responds.

So, when you hear me call, “Hip-Hop!” you need to respond “Ya Don’t Stop” and then stop.

1. Freeze
2. Turn and face me; pay attention and keep your eyes on me
3. Be ready for instructions. I will have something to say

I expect you to be ready to listen within three seconds.

Ask the students how they listen respectfully and elicit the following . . .

1. Eyes on the speaker
2. Mouth quiet
3. Hands Free
4. Feet still
5. Ears listening.

Tell the class that they have 5 minutes left to finish their Play Doh creations. Remind them that they will be doing a show-and-tell of their creation as well. At this point, make sure that you make a play doh sculpture as well.

11:55 – Quiet Signal: Use the quiet signal “Hip-Hop” – “Ya Don’t Stop” and then praise them if the do it well. If not, reinforce how it works and why. This is not the time to sharpen a pencil, keep writing, or talk. All eyes must be on me. No exceptions. Thank you.

Have the students come to the carpet area and sit in a circle. Instruct them that we will go around the circle, say our name, and then describe what we built.

For example, “My name is Mr. March. I built a Daredevil because he is my favourite superhero” and then pick the students sitting to your right or your left and go around the circle so the students each have a chance to show and tell in turn.

12:00 – Welcome: Welcome to another school year.

Welcome to Grade 2 and 3. I am looking forward to being your teacher this year.

You are going to have a great year. We will study all of the regular subjects, but we will also be creating and performing for each other and online audiences. I will also share with you some life-skills traits that will help you be successful in the world outside of school.

We will have a lot of fun together this year and I hope we are all looking forward to a great year.

We will call each other by our names every time we speak this year.

12:05 – Venn Hula-Hoop: I am now going to have you work in groups of 3, as such. Demonstrate how you want them to move with one group.

The group members will form their hula-hoops into a three-circle Venn for each group. Students talk in their groups about themselves and the things they like to do. After a brief discussion, students must…

– decide on at least three ways in which they are all alike; they write those things on a paper slip and place it in the area of the diagram that intersects all three circles.

– find ways in which they are like one other student in the group and record those ways in the appropriate areas of the diagram.

– determine a few facts that make each of them unique and write those facts in the appropriate sections of the diagram.

Download the PDF of my First Day of School Lesson Plan – it is very detailed and 5 pages in length, I hope you will find it useful.

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