The first day of the middle school year can be just as daunting and stressful for teachers as it often is for students. While there may be a few surprises, like having students added to your class lists at the last minute, preparing a well-thought-out plan should ensure the day runs smoothly. So, what should teachers do on the first day of middle school?
On the first day of middle school, teachers should prepare stress-free activities to help students settle in and feel comfortable. This can be achieved through fun icebreakers and team-building activities that will allow students to get to know each other and the teacher. Teachers should also make time to establish the expectations and procedures in the classroom.
The first day of middle school should be used to ease students into their new environment, set the tone for the year, and guide students toward the behavior you desire for them to exhibit in your class.
The better prepared you are, the more confident you will come across to your students, and we have some fantastic ideas and tips to help you make the first day of middle school go as smoothly and successfully as possible.
What Should Teachers Do on the First Day of Middle School?
When planning for the first day of middle school, teachers may experience all kinds of nerves, which is a sign that you want to do well.
Middle school students are unique in that they are young enough to show genuine enthusiasm and cooperation but old enough to participate in more meaningful activities.
On the first day of middle school, you will need to cover a few of the usual formalities. These include:
- An introduction of yourself as the teacher
- Timetables and classroom procedures
- Curriculum expectations for the year
- Behavior expectations in your class
- Knowing where resources are
While all of these items can be covered in a single presentation, students will likely feel overwhelmed and lose focus when faced with so much information in one go. Teachers typically get better results when they engage their students in activities that help them discover the procedures and are involved in creating rules themselves.
Let us look at a few ideas of what to do on and before that crucial first day as a middle school teacher and how you can inspire your class for the year ahead.
Learn the Names of Your Students
Teachers usually receive class lists before the first day of school. If you are fortunate enough to have this information at your disposal, learn as many names as possible before the first day.
Some schools even collect background data on students when they join. I’ve worked in schools where parents happily provided us with their child’s report cards from elementary as a point of reference for the middle school teachers.
Again, if such information is available, use it to help you create an understanding of your new students, which will be developed once you eventually meet them.
Even by learning five or six names and preparing a seating chart for your middle school classes, you will appear well-organized, thoughtful, and committed.
If you have only learned a few names, call on those students on the first day to make a significant and lasting impression of competency. Learn the others as soon as you can.
Send Introductory Emails to Parents
If you have the contact details of the parents of your middle school learners, consider sending an introductory email before school starts.
In your email, tell the parents and students a little about yourself, your class, what the students will be learning, how they can reach you, and the best times to do so. The email is an excellent opportunity to ask for any supplies, books, or digital apps the student will need for your class.
You can end the email with fun facts about yourself and the school, and even include a picture if you wish.
Introductory emails are an easy way to begin forging a connection with your students and their parents. Having a solid relationship is the first step in a successful learning year.
Introduce and Create Class Rules
There is no getting around introducing the class rules on the first day of school, as these will be crucial in creating a safe and encouraging learning environment. Thankfully, there are ways to make the activity a little more engaging and inclusive.
I start the activity with a picture of the teacher on display with the question, “What do you expect from your teacher this semester?” Most would find it an odd question, with students scrunching their faces with cynicism.
Allow them some thinking time, and soon you will get suggestions like, “We expect our teacher to be supportive and understanding,” and, “The teacher should have good subject knowledge.” Get students to write their responses on sticky notes and place them around the picture of the teacher.
Next, have a picture of the class (if available) with the question, “What do you think your teacher expects from you this semester?” Again, give them some reflection time before they write their ideas on sticky notes.
Every time I have done this exercise, students’ responses have been sensible and fitting.
Not only is this an engaging way of setting rules, but it also allows students to take ownership and play an active role in creating a positive classroom. You demonstrate that their opinions matter and that you are willing to listen to and take them seriously.
When you and the students are happy with both sets of expectations, the key is to emphasize that these rules serve as an agreement between the teacher and the students; the teacher will endeavor to meet the expectations of the students, and in return, the students will try their best to follow the agreed-upon rules.
Keep the pictures and responses on display to act as a reminder for students throughout the semester. If you want to take the activity even further, use an icebreaker activity to get students into groups (explained below), then get those groups to brainstorm the expectations.
Go Over Important Procedures
While it can be tempting to let students know everything on the first day, it is essential to remember that you are not the only teacher giving them information. Chances are that all your prudently prepared and delivered instructions will be locked in the shock of information overload for most students who wish they were still on summer break.
A method that works reasonably well for introducing procedures is teaching them as needed.
For instance, if lunch comes directly after your lesson, explain the procedure five to ten minutes before it is needed. The students are likelier to remember what to do since it is relevant and makes sense to them then and there.
Or, if you have a class right before the school day finishes, it might be useful to remind students about the end-of-day dismissal routines.
Another routine that could be introduced from the first day is an attention-getter (also known as a call and response).
Consider using a clapping call and response since it requires students to drop what they are doing and clap along. The premise is that every time you clap a rhythm, the students repeat it back. This is their cue to stop what they are doing and be ready to listen to your next instructions.
This approach of going over procedures only when necessary cannot be applied to all courses of action. Fire and safety drills, for example, should be shared and practiced at the earliest opportunity to ensure that everyone knows what to do in worst-case scenarios.
Explain Where the Classroom Resources Are
Just like classroom rules and procedures, where to find resources should also be covered early on.
Remember that middle school students will be moving around the school campus frequently to attend various subject classes – something entirely new for most of them moving up from elementary school.
Their math classroom will likely be different from the science room, which will likely differ from where their Art lessons take place.
It shouldn’t be assumed that students will instinctively know where resources are in every classroom they visit, so it is worth going through the basics.
Fortunately, there are fun ways to introduce this information that surpasses listening to a teacher explain it.
Why not have a classroom scavenger hunt
? Create clues for students to follow in order to locate particular areas and items found in the classroom. Clues can be questions like:
- Where do books go to get turned in?
- Where do we see the classroom agreements displayed?
- Where do hall passes hang out?
Students can check the items off on a checklist, or you can simply observe them finding the listed resources. You can also have them work alone, in pairs, or in groups.
With such an engaging activity, students are more likely to remember where to find the things that they will be using in the classroom throughout the year.
Plus, developing a familiarity with their working environment will only ease students’ anxiety and promote the appropriate use of classroom resources (meaning a more comfortable and tidy space for all).
Icebreakers to Get to Know Each Other
On the first day of middle school, it is imperative that you get to know your students; they get to know each other, and they get to know you.
This will obviously be an ongoing process that will continue to grow throughout the year, but the activities you do on the first day of middle school will be the springboard for these relationships.
Here are some icebreakers you can try:
Two Truths and a Lie
This is a simple yet fun way to find out more about others. It can be demonstrated by the teacher before students have a go themselves.
You must come up with three statements about yourself, two of which are true and one not. Disclose the statements and encourage students to ask follow-up questions to work out which is the lie.
After some question-and-answer time (where students are learning even more about the teacher), let them vote on which statement they think is not true. Eventually, put them out of their misery by revealing the lie.
Now it’s the students’ turn to think of three statements about themselves that they can share with a partner or with a group. These can be about anything: the number of siblings, hobbies and interests, past travel experiences, and even favorite pizza topping. The more nuanced the statements, the better!
Whether students work out each other’s false statements or not, they will undoubtedly enjoy getting to know more about their teacher and classmates, which is essential on the first day of middle school.
Snowball Fight
Having a snowball fight in class is another cool (pardon the pun) way to learn more about each other.
Get students to write a few facts about themselves on paper. Stipulate the number of points each student should write to keep it fair. I suggest keeping it between three and five.
They can be facts like:
- Alex loves macaroni and cheese.
- Alex hates listening to rock music.
- Alex plays for a hockey team.
After they have written their facts, the students scrunch up their sheets of paper to resemble snowballs. When everyone is ready, the snowball fight commences. When the teacher yells, “Stop!” everyone stops throwing and picks up a paper snowball.
The students open the paper they have collected and find the person to which the snowball belongs to before reading out the facts written on the paper to the rest of the class. Once all the “snowballs” have been read out, the teacher can quiz the class to recap what they have found out about each other.
Again, this is a fun, non-threatening way for students to share information about themselves while learning more about their new teacher and classmates.
Human Bingo
Everybody enjoys a game of bingo, especially if it involves moving around the classroom.
For this activity, the teacher needs to prepare bingo cards with several statements on them, such as:
- Find someone who can play a musical instrument
- Find someone who has two or more siblings
- Find someone who plays for a sports team
- Find someone who wears glasses
The aim is for students to find classmates that meet the various descriptions on the bingo card. Once they do, they must write the person’s name next to the corresponding statement.
The winner is the student who completes their bingo card by matching each statement to someone in the class and then calls out, “Bingo!”
For an added challenge, limit the number of times students can use the same person’s name on their bingo card. That way, they are pushed to talk with more people rather than limiting their interactions to only one or two classmates.
Having some prior knowledge about the class will allow you to include more personalized and nuanced descriptions on the bingo cards. For example, if you know that one of your students likes horse riding, you can include a statement like, “Find someone who has been horse riding before.”
Teachers shouldn’t be shy about getting involved in the activity, too – the more, the merrier!
Group of Three
This is another simple icebreaker that involves plenty of interaction and moving around.
As the name suggests, students need to form a group of three by finding others with something in common.
The teacher will call out various criteria that group members should share. Here are some ideas for criteria to use:
- Make a group of three with those who have the same number of siblings as you
- Make a group of three with those who have visited the same city/country as you
- Make a group of three with those who support the same sports team as you
- Make a group of three with those who are born in the same month as you
The criteria for making a group can be pretty much anything as long as students are engaging and learning more about their classmates.
And don’t get hung up on the name, as this activity can easily be modified to become ‘Group of Four’ or ‘Group of Five’ – whichever suits the teacher and the class.
These icebreakers help to build bonds between classmates as they notice what they have in common. They are also a great way to alleviate the first-day nerves that most middle schoolers face.
For more icebreaker ideas for middle school and high school, watch this video:
Something to Remember the Occasion
The first day of a student’s middle school is a magical time. It is a sort of portal. From this end, you can almost see to the other side, where a group of mature, well-educated young adults emerges on graduation day.
But on the first day, it is wise to remember that these young students are still children, full of hopes and dreams. Therefore, why not use this special day to have your students record notes to themselves for the future?
There are so many ways you can do this type of activity. Our favorite two include the following:
Write a Letter to Their Future Selves
Ask the middle schoolers to write a letter to their future selves. If they struggle with what to say, provide a few leading questions and topics on the board. When they are done, keep the letters folded and safe until the end of the year.
On the last day of the year, return their letters to them and watch how they react to reading letters from their past selves.
Create a Time Capsule
Creating a time capsule is another beautiful way to capture the magic of the first day of middle school. Ask your class to write notes, anecdotes, letters of encouragement, and more and place them inside a jar.
Keep the jar safe for the year and open it together on the last day of the school year.
These activities are excellent ways to assess how much your students have learned and matured throughout the year.
Set Goals
Goal setting is another valuable activity to introduce early on because having goals allows the class to work toward a common outcome with purpose.
Consider getting your students to create personal targets for themselves on the first day of school. Provide a few guiding questions and brainstorming activities, and then let them write their personal goals on paper to be placed on a notice board in the class.
Help students formulate SMART goals – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. You can have goals set per lesson or per week, depending on your preference.
At the end of the semester, evaluate how many personal goals have been reached and what can be done to help those falling behind on their targets.
You might like to make a whole-class goal for the year with a reward like a class outing or pizza party once achieved.
Look After Yourself
The first day of the school year is typically very testing. But to make it a pleasant experience for everyone involved, look after yourself!
Here are a few simple ways to make the most of the first day of middle school to ensure you are healthy, rested, and in good professional form.
- Get enough sleep – Slightly earlier bedtimes should help you adjust to waking up earlier.
- Plan and prepare in advance – Having lesson activities and resources ready before the first day of school should make you feel more relaxed.
- Leave for work early – To avoid the possibility of being late to school on the first day, start your travel to work early. This will also give you extra time to prepare for the day ahead without feeling rushed.
- Decide on what to wear in advance – Have your clothes picked out, ironed, and ready the day before. You don’t want to be stressing over what to wear the morning of the first day.
- Pack a healthy lunch in advance – Nutrition is important, so have snacks and lunch ready for the first day.
- Make time to eat lunch and drink water – Going hungry or dehydrated will adversely affect your body and mind, so be sure to eat and drink throughout the day.
- Decorate your teaching space – Make it personal and attractive. You and your students will enjoy spending time somewhere with a personal touch.
- Take photos – The memories captured can be shared with parents as an update or simply to inspire you when you feel a little run down later in the year.
- Enjoy the small moments – In teaching, the little moments often keep us going. A funny thing a student said, a kind gesture from a colleague, a flower picked by a student for you. These small things can make it worthwhile and remind us that we are making a difference.
Final Thought
The first day of middle school can be stressful for any teacher – but it doesn’t have to be if they are well prepared and follow an effective plan.
Teachers should help students learn the rules, procedures, and expectations on the first day of middle school. They should make it a priority to learn students’ names and have a seating arrangement ready. Icebreakers help students get to know each other, and spending time on activities to remember the occasion and setting goals can also help students settle in.
Sources
- 20 Fun, Engaging Back to School Activities for Middle School
- First Day of School Activities for High School and Middle School English
- 10 Things Teachers Must Do on The First Day of School
- First Day of School: Suggestions for Teachers to Prep Middle and High School Students to Learn
- Teachers First Day of School Checklist For 2023-2024
- First Day of School Icebreaker Help for High School & Middle School, High School Teacher Vlog
