Clip & Save Checklist: Get Ready for the First Day of School!

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There's so much to do before your first day in the classroom. This easy to follow checklist will have you relaxed and ready for your students and their parents to arrive!

Plan your bulletin boards.

__ Where do you want to post the announcements, menu, and calendar?

__ What kind of welcome back display do you want to make?

__ Which boards will be for subject area work, and which boards will students design?

__ Where will you display your students' original work?

__ Set up two or three learning centers to get started.

__ Create signs for your room to help your students learn classroom rules and routines.

__ Prepare your class rolls and permanent records.

__ Post a cheery sign with your name outside the door. Also post a class list. Students and parents will appreciate  it when they go looking for the right room.

__ Make student name tags for desks (unless you are planning to have the students make their own).

__ Find out your students' schedules for lunch, gym, art, music, and library.

Gather and organize all your supplies:

__textbooks and supplemental materials

__ plan books

__ classroom reading books and read-alouds

__ attendance materials

__ paper clips

__ various types of paper (e.g., writing, construction, math)

__ folders

__ different kinds of tape

__ grade book

__ rubber bands

__ stapler and staples

__ pencils/pens

__ tissues

Prepare take-home packets for your students.  Some of the items you'll want to include are:

__ emergency forms

__ school rules

__ supply list

__ bus or transportation rule

__ welcome message to parents/request from room parents

________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________

__ Find out which students may be going to special classes.

__ Check out library books and read-alouds.

Set up a folder for a substitute to use in case of emergency, containing the following:

__ daily schedule

__ seating chart

__ reproducible activities

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__ Prepare a file for correspondence from parents.

__ Prepare a file for faculty bulletins. 

__ Obtain a copy of state and district curriculum standards.

__ Write tentative lesson plans for the coming week.

__ Make copies of materials you'll be handing out during the first few days.

__ Write your name and other important class information on the board.

__ Make a checklist for returned forms (can be used later for report cards and other items).

___________________________________________________________________________________

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This checklist was adapted from Learning to Teach...Not Just for Beginners: The Essential Guide for All Teachers by Linda Shalaway, © 2005, published by Scholastic, Inc. This book is available in the Scholastic Teacher Store.

 

 

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