The first day of school with Classroomscreen
Nadia Fourie & Alice Whitting7 min
The first day of school is a pivotal time to set a positive tone for the school year. Let's create an engaging and welcoming environment for your students using our library of ready-made screens. Here’s how to make the most of our tool to foster a smooth and exciting first day.
Greet students & introduce yourself
Of course you have to say hi! Making students feel welcome, happy and ready to learn is an important step in developing a great class atmosphere.
Give your students a cheerful welcome
Our cheerful welcome screen template has all the key widgets you need to get the first day of school started.
A clock, timetable, timer and customizable stationery list will be ready at your fingertips to take away some of the stress of the first few minutes. Just add the key information your students need to get settled down and ready to start the day!
note:
If you are teaching younger students or are in special education, it might be good to also have a Timetable widget going over the day's events to calm anxious students and establish what will happen throughout the day.
Introduce yourself in meet the teacher
Once your students are settled down, it is time for them to get to know you! Our ‘Meet the teacher’ template is designed for you to use in this situation.
This gorgeous introduction screen is ready for you to customize like so:
- Add some intro text such as “Welcome to 3rd Grade! I’m Ms. Smith. I love painting and have a cat named Whiskers. What’s your favorite hobby?”
- Add a picture with your pet or in your favorite place!
Establish rules and expectations
Setting clear expectations from day one is crucial, as it helps not only you but also students feel secure in their new environment and interact with other students in an appropriate way.
There are two different types of templates to set and display rules and expectations using Classroomscreen - use the Digital brainstorm with your students to add sticky notes of values to the board, or use one of the Rules & values templates to display the expectations and standards within your classroom.
tip:
Read more about how to set effective rules & values in your classroom in this blog.
Try these three energizers to break the ice
It’s time to get to know each other! We have lots of fun back-to-school activities that can be adapted for different age ranges and languages.
Explore the classroom & school yard
If your students are new to the classroom, or to the school in general, it is important to show them where everything is! Using the Draw widget or annotation tool, you can create a simple map of your classroom and demonstrate where the key points are on your screen, then take them on a tour or mini treasure hunt around the school. This will help students feel more comfortable and independent by familiarizing them with their environment.
Let’s take a breather
The first day of school can be a hectic time! If you are looking to calm your students down with a relaxing activity, we have a few suggestions up our sleeve. Bring some creativity into the first day with Paint like Picasso, where students use dice to randomize their artwork! Alternatively, if you are looking for something quick and simple, our Mindful Yoga template is the perfect brain break to get students relaxed and focused.
Have a great first day
By integrating these activities and templates from Classroomscreen, you can create a dynamic and supportive environment that sets the stage for a successful school year. Tailor each activity to fit your classroom’s unique needs, and enjoy a great first day!
