Clearly, I love first grade! First-graders are beginning to grow in confidence and are truly excited about their learning journey. They are ready to become independent readers, writers, and students. I absolutely love being a first-grade teacher. But, I know it can also be nerve-racking stepping into the classroom as a new teacher. I hope these tips help you feel more confident as a new first grade teacher or even if you’re just looking to make some changes for a new school year.
Get Organized
Picture this: you’re sitting at the beach enjoying your summer and scrolling Pinterest. You see all these beautiful and perfect classrooms, and it’s overwhelming. I’ve been there. While I love a beautiful classroom, an organized classroom makes life much easier. Organize everything that you can, from school supplies to bookshelves to managing all your materials for centers. Having these things prepped, labeled, and organized will help you feel less exhausted and more prepared for those first few days of school.
Plan the First Week
Over the past few years, I have learned that prepping for the first week of school ahead of time has helped tremendously with stress levels and allows me to enjoy the first week of school. I plan my welcome activities, print everything out, and even have my read-alouds picked out and placed into a basket ahead of time. I turned my first week of school lessons and ideas into a resource that makes planning the first week a breeze for other teachers. I use this time to play fun games and creative ice-breakers, allowing my students to get comfortable with their new peers.
Morning Meetings
Morning meetings are my absolute favorite way to start the day, and it’s a way for my students to come together to be prepared for a new day. It’s also an opportunity for me to sit with my students as a whole group and connect. If you’re interested in learning about all things morning meetings, check out my post about the benefits of using morning meetings.
Build Relationships
Relationships are the foundation for a safe, loving, and inclusive classroom, so I want to ensure that building relationships is at the forefront of my teaching. When students feel a part of their classroom, it helps not only strengthen relationships but also reduces negative behavior, increases confidence, and creates successful students.
Build a Classroom Library
It has taken me years and years to build up a classroom library, but I love having books for my students that I can grab that address a multitude of issues but also that students can identify with. Take advantage of book sales, garage sales, and resale shops; you can find some hidden gems. I love to read, so having a classroom library that reflects my love for books is very important!
Classroom Management
Classroom management is a significant teaching component that can make or break your classroom setting. Be sure to think about the types of strategies that you would like to use in your classroom. Classroom management is not a one size fits all approach, so I recommend researching different systems and implementing them immediately. Consider how you want to handle behaviors, reward systems, and your expectations of your students. Trust me. All teachers have had years where they’ve had to tweak their strategies and find new ways to handle behaviors. And, I will tell you I’ve had a few chatty classrooms in my day. I share all about it in this post which includes some helpful strategies.
Here’s some FREE cheers and chants to help with classroom management.
Focus on Social-Emotional Skills
Make social-emotional learning a priority. I truly believe if a student’s emotional needs are not being met in the classroom, how can we expect them to be successful learners. It is our job as teachers to ensure our classrooms are where students can feel safe, loved, and supported by not only us but their peers. If I can give any teacher advice, it’s to take the time each and every day to include a lesson on an SEL skill, whether it be a calming strategy, relationship skill, or focusing on a growth mindset. Educating our students on these skills helps them become successful students and puts them on the path to becoming successful adults. If you’re interested in learning more about incorporating SEL skills in the classroom, here is a post that will guide you through the process!
Include Fun and Hands-on Centers
Engaged learners are motivated learners. At the beginning of the year, I always remind myself that this fresh set of first graders just came out of kindergarten, or depending on where you live, maybe they didn’t attend kindergarten. Either way, they are still young, and they need to play. I love including hands-on centers, from games to play-dough, to using Magnatiles. It’s important to include activities for all different types of learners that allow students to be up and moving with a hands-on approach.
Give Yourself Grace
I’ve been a teacher for a long time and still face challenges. But, remember, you are only human. And I promise you will figure it out. Lean on your co-workers and give yourself grace. There is no such thing as a perfect teacher, and when it all feels overwhelming, take a step back, breathe and remember, you got this!
Become a member of the blog to find some great freebies that will help with teaching first grade here.
I will be the first to remind you that first grade is such a great place to be, (in my opinion, the best grade!) and you’re going to be great!
