How to Have the Best First Week of School Ever!
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That first week of school is always the most hectic, but let’s make it fun too! Stay organized, use engaging ideas and resources, and enjoy the week.
First week of School Quick Tips!
Let’s brainstorm a little about the first week of school! I have resources, ideas, free stuff, and more already prepared for you. Go!
- Decorate your classroom before that first day. Preparing bulletin boards and displays for students is a great way to make your classroom inviting and pleasing to everyone. (I love creating bulletin boards!)
- If you need posters for STEM and Science, I have those!
- Start thinking about encouraging teamwork in your groups- whether it is a STEM project or a regular classroom. I have a fabulous blog post about Teamwork activities.
- For your first STEM Challenge, you need something that is engaging and low prep! Try the Paper Chain activity.
- And, because I know how fun these are, try a mini escape!
MORE DETAILS BELOW!
Decorating for the First Week of School!
For your STEM classes, you are going to need an engaging poster set with safety rules, the Engineering Design Process, and perhaps the Scientific Method.
You might also want some teamwork motivational quotes to display.
Another great display are Kinds of Engineers or Scientists.
Guess what- I have posters for all of these!
You might also need paper and borders for displays! Here are my favorites:
- Boho Style Bulletin Board Border
- Bulletin Board Paper (this is wrapping paper, works well, and it’s less costly!)
- Fun Font Letters in a Variety of Colors!
Easy Prep for the First Week!
What if you could tackle a STEM Challenge that only uses ONE material? Yes, that’s right! ONE.
Each team receives one piece of paper and they must create the longest chain possible using that one piece of paper.
I have a fabulous blog post with all the details. And, this one is a guaranteed easy prep, engaging STEM activity. Plus, it’s a great tool to use to encourage teamwork at the beginning of the year. #winwin
Mini Escapes- Perfect for the First Week of the Year!
The Case of the Missing Teacher is the most fun ever! Teams are trying to find their teacher (who is just hiding from them) and they must solve 4 puzzles to find a ‘lock code’ to discover the location of their teacher.
This one would be great for the first week because it’s a paper/pencil, low prep activity, and very engaging. Kids love these mini escapes:)
The Case of the Stolen Glue Sticks is one of my favorites. Teams discover their glue sticks are missing and they cannot complete an art project (about dragons). They must solve 4 puzzles to find the stolen glue sticks. The best part of this one is the inclusion of a dragon Color-by-Number worksheet of a dragon!
First Week Jitters Go Away with Fun Activities!
We love using this flip booklet set at the beginning of the year. It’s a perfect way to introduce the design process and your STEM lab. Students complete pages of a mini flip book all about STEM or STEAM!
Easy prep, just make copies! Students take it from there. They will be so busy, you can catch up on all those beginning-of-the-year forms students bring in.
This worksheet set is an excellent way to assess your new students’ math skills. It includes math worksheets, an ‘All About Me’ (and Math) sheet, and Math games students can try when they complete a few tasks!
Let’s make your first week exciting and fun – and still maintain some academics. These ideas cover many topics, and students love them!
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Materials and Books to Start with on the First Day!
The post How to Have the Best First Week of School Ever! first appeared on Teachers are Terrific.
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