The first day of kindergarten is always a mix of feelings. I’m nervous, excited, and everything in between. I seem to forget how hard the beginning of kindergarten is each year (maybe I block it out of my mind on purpose), but somehow, I always make it through! So if you’re feeling this way about the first day of school too, know that you’re not alone!
The Reality
My goals for the first day of school are that everyone feels safe in our classroom, and that everyone makes it home at the end of the day. If those two things happen, it’s a win for me. In kindergarten especially, we have to take things slow and practice things many times. We also have to remember that our students’ attention spans are short, so we can’t expect them to sit for lessons on routines and procedures for more than 5-10 minutes at a time.
So what do I do in my classroom on the first day of school? Our first day is jam-packed with lots of modeling, practicing, and moving. Some of the things we learn on our first day are:
- The quiet signal
- How to sit like a whole body listener
- Walking in line with Marty the Marshmallow
- Choosing a center and cleaning up that center
The Rest of Our Day
Free First Day of Kindergarten Lesson Plans for You
Of course, that’s not ALL we do on our first day of school! If you’re wondering what the rest of our day looks like, click here to download my first day of school lesson plans for FREE! I’m excited to hear if you do similar things on your first day! What do you have planned for the first day of school?
And if you’re still feeling completely overwhelmed, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Everything you need for the first day of school is ready for you if you click here!
