AFT - American Federation of Teachers

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Managing Your First Day of School

To be an effective classroom manager, you need to get off to a good start on the first day of school:

  • Be prepared, organized, and in charge
  • Create a sense of comfort and order for students
  • Establish your leadership role

Use this worksheet for tips on starting your first day and to create your first day plan.

Try ItWelcome Map

New students can come from lots of different countries these days. So, to make her high school students in Orlando, Fla., feel welcome, guidance counselor Terrie Scott uses a map of the world. One of the first things new students see is the map, which shows how many international students the high school has. The new students add their own pin to the map, marking their name and place of origin. She says it is a good conversation starter and helps assure nervous students that they're in a kind environment.