Grade: Kindergarten Ideas for my first days of school plan were taken from Michelle Huberts classroom at Scottish

Corners Elementary School, Dublin Ohio and OWUs Early Childhood Center, Delaware Ohio. Infrastructure 1. Organize space: Figure out how you want your classroom set up. Where centers will be, tables, library, meeting area etc. You can draw out different plans or use the class set-up tool by scholastic. This way you can see all the different ways you can have your classroom and have the most space. After label each table with a different number. Have the numbers hang from the ceiling over the table. 2. Math Center: Organize all math manipulative into clear bins. On the bin have a label of the item inside and the name of it. Put a small carpet down with numbers on it so it is a space that is solely math. On the wall have a number chat and numbers written 1-10. Label the center and have the same icon as the workstation chart has. 3. Writing Center: Create a space where children can write and be able to look out side as they write. Have pencils, crayons and paper organized and labeled in bins. Also have some white board slates with expo markers so the children can practice writing words. Have a small alphabet up on the wall along word cards such as mom, dad, friend, I On rings write all the children in the class so they can use their names if writing letters to each other. Label the center and have the same icon as the workstation chart has. 4. Imaginary play center: This center will change throughout the year, but at first have it as a house keeping area. This was in most pre-school classes so it is something they can relate too. Have food in different bin, plates and cups in bins, and cooking supplies in bins as well. Have all the bins labeled. Have recipes that the children look at and have cards and pencils where they can write their own as well. Label the center and have the same icon as the workstation chart has. 5. Art Center: At the art center have easels cleaned and smocks on hooks by the easels. Organize all markers, crayons, and paints into different bins labels. This way you can easily access them when needed. Have construction paper organized by color and computer paper out as well. Wash off all table clothes and fold them. All supplies should be organized in bins labeled. Label the center and have the same icon as the workstation chart has. 6. Library: Organize books into different categories. Such has animals, fairy tails, different authors etc. After label the books and the bins that the books go into. Tape up books that have been loved. Take an inventory of what

you have and what you may be missing. Put posters on the wall that are about reading. Make the area warm with beanbags and pillows. Add a few lamps to make it feel homey. 7. Work Mats: The work mats will be for the children to have at their seats. One side will be AM kindergarten the other side will be PM. On a large piece of construction paper I will glue the alphabet, numbers 1-10, and their first and last name on sentence strips. AM will be on blue paper and PM on green. After I will laminate them. This will allow my students to have their own place when they come into the classroom but allow me not to have assign seats and for the students to meet all their classmates. 8. Partner pads/going home folders: Buy folders all one color and laminate them so they do not fall apart. On the folder put a label in the top corner with the childs name on it. Label the folder as partner pad, take home folder, VIP folderIn the folder put line paper in it. This will be the folder they take home every night with their work and assignments in it. It will also be the place where parents can write notes to the teacher and communicate with them. I will check the partner pads every morning and write back to the parents if there are questions. I will send home these pads and a note on how to use them the first day of school. 9. Classroom Theme: Choose a theme for the year and decorate the classroom with this theme. If it is ladybugs create a bulletin in the hallway saying, spotted kindergarteners excited to learn! Eventually you can put pictures of the children learning and about me projects on board. In every center have the theme and use the same boarders and lettering so the classroom seems unified. 10. Create a warm classroom: Put lots of pillows around the room, beanbags, and different areas should have different carpets. Add lamps and live plants. Try to use as much natural lighting as you can. This way children will feel comfortable and at ease when they walk into the classroom. 11. Letter introduction: Two weeks before school starts write a letter to your future students at home. Tell them about yourself and what you did this summer. In the letter explain how excited you are about them being in your class. Give them a few things that you will be doing this year to get them excited. Give the students your e-mail and ask them to write you if they have any questions. 12. word wall: Use a huge space on the wall for the word wall. Cover the space in colored bulletin board paper. At the top in large letters put word wall then space out every letter throughout the board. Add the words A and I and the students names to the word wall. Put a boarder around the word wall.

13. Desk supplies: Get caddies and in it place crayons, glue sticks, pencils that are sharpened, colored pencils, scissors and erasers. Put the same number of glue sticks and scissors to the amount of people sitting at the table. Write the number on the items that coordinates with the table number it is at. This way you can stay organize and see who is missing what throughout the year. 14. Phonics dance alphabet: Color the phonics dance alphabet. Then mount it on construction paper and laminate it. Through out the year we will be adding the letters on the wall once we learn the letter. Put magnets on the back of each letter so it will be easy to put up when it is time. 15. Calendar board: Cover the area in colored bulletin board paper and put a boarder around it. On the board put a calendar, days of the week words, an area where the children can put what day of the week it is, what yesterday was and what tomorrow will be. Have a weather chart and weather icons that children can out up to represent the weather for that day. Place a school day count chart with straws to represent hundreds, tens, and ones. Finally, have a tooth loss graph where children can document when the loose a tooth. 16. Files: It is important to know what type of children you have in your classroom. Look through the files you are given and find out who went to pre-school and who did not. Also see if there are any documentation on the children and if any children have IEPs. This way you can be prepared and not blindsided when you meet the children, Community 1. Introductions: Have the children come to the meeting rug and introduce yourself by explaining that you are their kindergarten teacher and you are so happy to have them in your class. Show a picture of your family so they can relate to you that like them they have a family. I will also tell them 3 things I enjoy and have objects to represent them. This will be a common ground with all the students that they are able to know about me. 2. Attendance: Take attendance in a way that allows all to meet each other. Say good morning and they will say good morning Miss. Hargis. We will do this every morning in order for children remember names and feel comfortable in the morning. 3. The right way to sit on the carpet: When children come to the carpet show them that they need to find an X on the carpet and sit on it. Remind them to sit criss-cross-applesauce. Explain that if we all respect each others space we will be able to focus and learn better!

4. Self Portraits: In class have students create with watercolor a self-portrait of their faces. Have the children look at themselves in mirrors and look at what they see and how they look at a big kindergartener. After Have the children write their names on sentence strips. Remind them to use their nametags on their tables. Once they have done this if the children want to have them share with the class and one thing they are excited about kindergarten. Hang up the self-portraits and keep them up all year so the children are reminded how far they have come! 5. Classroom Promise: For kindergarteners this is a 2 to 3 day project. Every day read a different read-aloud book about respect and together as a class create a classroom promise. After you create it explain to children ways we can follow our promise. Have the children sign it after you create the promise. 6. About me project: Have the students fill out a survey about themselves at home. Have them bring it in and present 2 things to the class. Then mount the survey on construction paper and hang it up along with a picture of themselves from the first day of school. 7. Parent Communication: After making the class promise send home a copy of it to the parents so everyone is on the same page. Also here you can introduce yourself again and give them your contact information. This is a great way for the parents to know your expectations and know that they are always welcome with questions! 8. Be a good friend: Read the Clifford book Be a Good Friend to the students. After have the students in their journal show through pictures and words what a good friend it. After discuss why it is so important to be a good friend. And present their thoughts to their friends at their tables. After at the end of the day have the children give each other a high five and say, thank you for being a good friend. 9: Friendship circle: At the end of the day have the children come to the rug and get in a circle. Remind them the proper way of sitting on the carpet. Pass around the talking wand. When a child gets it they can say their pow and wow (high and low). This is a great chance for children to get to know each other and understand each other as well. For a teacher it is important to listen and document what they liked and didnt like about the day so you can help them enjoy their next day. This friendship circle should happen at least 2 times a week for the rest of the year! 10. The First Day Jitters: Read this story the first day of school right after in introduce yourself. This is a way to for the children to see that many people get nervous and it is okay. This story all allows communication in your

classroom. As you read the story have the children put their thumbs up if they can relate to that part of the story. 11. How I Spent My Summer Vacation: In their journals have the children use words and pictures to show how thing they did this summer. This is a great chance for the teacher to circulate and ask questions. Also to see where children are at with their writing. 12. Paper-Bag Sharing: When you send the letter to the students introducing yourself in it send a paper bag and ask the students to fill it with 3 items that represent them. During the first week of school everyone will get a chance to share their bags and what they brought. Children are allowed to ask 2 questions about the bag as well. 13. Time Capsule: Make a copy of the all about me survey and put a picture of every child, a class picture and have everyone writ their name. Then write on chart paper with the childrens guidance a note to themselves. After put it in a shoebox and wrap it up. At the end of Kindergarten they can take it out and see how much they have grown. 14. Create class puzzle: In the art center put a large piece of tag board: Every person needs to draw something they enjoy about school. After cut it up and place it in a box. This can be used in the game center later on. It is important that every child signs their name next to their drawling and you ask them about their picture. This way you get to know what they like about school. Encourage the children to share their picture with their peers. 15. Kissing Hand: Read the Kissing Hand after on a large sheet of paper have the children put a red handprint on the paper. On the handprint glue a cut out heart on it. Have the children draw a family portrait and glue it under their hand. They can take this home to their parents and explain I do miss you at school, but I know you are with me. This is a great way to connect the parents and the children with the school. Learning 1. Tour of Classroom: Explain to the students over 2 days what all the different parts of the classroom are and the centers. Show that every area has a label with a picture and the words. After you leave each area ask the children what is was called. Do a little review after having them point to where the areas are in the classroom. 2. Math Center tubs: For the first week take out a new math manipulative. Make sure those are the only ones you have out and slowly add to the math center. Have the children look at the objects, touch them, and observe what they are. Then have them make predictions of how we could use them in our

math centers. Explain to the children what they are called and times we can use them. Show them the picture on the tub and the words. Remind them to put the manipulative back in the correct tubs. 3. Library: At first do not have all the tubs out. This can be overwhelming to students. Have 4 to 5 bins out and explain the categories. Show them the label on the back of the book matches the label on the tub. Go over ways we should treat our books and how we need to care for our classroom library. Remind students to always put a book back where you find it. 4. Work Station rotation: Over 2 days introduce each workstation and show the icon that goes with the workstation. Place children in groups and write them on cards and put it next to the workstation rotation chart. Read off the names and tell the children where they are supposed to go. Tell them after 15 min there will be a bell and that means go to your next workstation. 5. Staying Organized! When children come into school show them where to hang their backpacks. There will be a nametag with their name by a hook. After show them their partner pads and explain that everyday they need to take their partner pads out of their backpack and put it on the table. Then the teacher will put it away in their mailbox. If they finish work that can be taken home they should always put it in their mailbox. This way at the end of the day they can quickly grab everything. After explain that all finished work always goes in the finish work bin. Remind the students to always clean up after themselves and if we keep everything in the right places then we will be able to stay organize! 6. Recess: Introduce the playground equipment to the students. Explain safe and unsafe ways to use the equipment. If there are limited amounts of swings have a stop watch and tell the children every 3 minuets they need to switch so every gets a turn. After a few days I will bring out other items such as balls and jump ropes for the children to play with as well. Remind children to always put things back where they belong. 7. Fire Drill: On the second day practice what the classroom does if there is a fire drill. Have everyone line up and take the children to where they are supposed to go. Practice saying their name have them answer here I am. This way when there is a fire drill the children do not get scared and know exactly what to do! 8. Morning Meeting: Have the students come to the carpet and sit on their X. Explain that every morning after morning work they will come to the carpet and we will have morning meeting. They will know it is time for morning meeting when you here music play. Every day there will be a lucky duck and they will do calendar, days of the week, weather, and counting the days we will be in school. The first two days be the lucky duck for the

children to demonstrate how to do it. Then guide the children, as they become the lucky duck. After calendar go over the schedule for the day. Tell the children that everyday we will have morning meeting at the same time and it will always go the same way. 9. Quiet Cues: Introduce different ways that you will get the childrens attention. It could be if you can hear me clap once. Or Repeating different claps. Have the children talk and then do the quiet cue. 10. Number writing: Through out the first week ask children to write the number 1-10 on handwriting paper. Have them write their name and put this in their file. This will help you see where the children are at with number writing. During the kindergarten pre-assessment (children come in during the weeks leading up to school) you will be able to see if the children know number one-to-one correspondence and number correlation. Use this information to see where to start in the math curriculum. 11. Tour of school: Show the children where they need to walk in every morning. Then show them where art, library, gym, and music are. Remind children that they will most likely not be going to these places with out a teacher so not to worry. Show the students where the office is and where the principals office is. Have the principal say hello to them and great them. After go back to the room and remind the students that we have a restroom in our classroom (if not show them where the restroom is.) Remind the children to always flush the toilet and wash their hands. 12. Reading Level: Before the children start there will be a kindergarten test that assesses the childrens reading level, although through out the first 2 weeks of school I will try to have a DRA on each child. I will do this during workstations. This will help me see what type of books I should send home with the children to practice at home and where the children are with their reading. Usually kindergartners are all over so it is important to know where the children are so you can help each child succeed. 13: Sight words known: Have a parent helper come in and take one child at a time into the hallway the first month of school. Have the children look at different kindergarten sight words and see what they know and what they dont know. Document the words they know and dont know. This can help me see what words should be on our word wall already and words we need to learn. 14: Letter recognition: During the kindergarten test the children will be asked to identify letter. I will use this information to see how fast I should go with my letter curriculum and the phonics dance. 15: Word Wall: Show the children what the word wall is. Ask the children if

they see any words they know already on it (their names). Introduce the word I and a. Explain that every time we learn a knew word that kindergartners should know I will put it on the word wall. Remind children to always use the word wall when writing to help them learn how to spell words.