There is Only One First Day of School

1. Am I in the right room? The first day of school can be a daunting

and stressful experience for students. As a teacher and guide through
the process, I will welcome students at the door, and have signs and
information posted throughout the class and on the dry erase board
with specific information pertaining to my name, the grade level, the
period, and the course details. Furthermore, role will be taken at the
start of class.
2. Where am I supposed to sit? In the initial period of getting familiar
with each other and the classroom, students will be invited to their
assigned seating based on random order. Then as the school year
progresses, seating may be changed to organize students according to
gender, and different levels of mastery of the material to work in
groups.
3. What are the rules in this classroom? From the get go students will
be made aware of the classroom rules, consequences, rewards, and
procedures. There will be a large bulletin board with the main points, in
addition to paper copies handed out at the beginning of class.
4. What will I be doing this year? During the first few weeks of class,
procedures, and modeling will be ingrained to the students psyche by
repetition and rehearsal. For example, there will be a routine for
obtaining warm up handouts at the start of class, maintaining a
reduced level of noise, working without disrupting others throughout
the class period, and performing a recap before being dismissed from
class.
5. How will I be graded? By the third day of class, a graded assignment
will be given, with instructions and a rubric for how students will be
assessed objectively and subjectively for grading purposes throughout
the year. An emphasis will be placed on attendance, completing
assignments, and obtaining a passing grade average for tests and
quizzes.
6. Who is the teacher as a person? At various times during the first
week of class, the teacher will place various photographs of family,
pets, hobbies, and other personal snippets of information at the end of
the lecture slide show.
7. Will the teacher treat me as a human being? All students are
entitled to dignity, mutual respect, and compassion. To do this, the
teacher will get to know the names of all the students, showing them
patience, understanding, and kindness. Further, the teacher will come
to class prepared and organized for each days lesson plan, and ready
to confront and tackle various problems as they occur.