Your First Day Checklist

As you begin your teaching journey, it’s normal to feel both nervous and excited before you start your first day. There are lots to do and think about on the lead up to the big day to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible, so to help alleviate some of your nerves we’ve created you a quick checklist.

Step 1: Choose Your Introduction

You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so make it count. You may want to write a short bio to relay to your class or you can stick to the traditional ‘write your name on the whiteboard’. You could also include some icebreakers or fun facts about yourself and get the class involved, make it interactive.

Step 2: Practice your Lesson Plans

It’s always best to be over-prepared, so it’s a good idea to create detailed lesson plans for your first week. Another good way to prep for your class is to have extra lesson plans on hand each day as you learn your classes pace of learning.

Step 3: Organise your Teaching Supplies

Before you start, it’s best to gather and organise all your teaching supplies. Alternatively, you can buy ‘Teacher Starter-Packs’ that include things like marking pens, stickers and staples.

Step 4: Outline Classroom Rules

Your first day is a perfect time to establish and assert your classroom rules. It’s important to stick to these rules so your students know you mean business and won’t accept anything less. Be consistent with your rules clearly outline what you expect from your students and what they can expect from you. Work together.

Step 5: Decide a Seating Plan

In your first lesson, you can establish who sits where. You can also choose to arrange desks in rows, clusters or other formations depending on your teaching style. Bear in mind that your seating plan will probably be temporary, so be open to changing it depending on behaviour and your lesson plans.