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1) Establish class norms.
I know everyone says that you should discuss your class rules on the first day of school. It's even trendy now to share your class rules using memes. Yes, that's clever and may appeal to the students, but what about giving the students some say in how the class is run?

I'm not saying that if the students say, "we get to sit where we want and have our phones all the time," then you should agree to that.

What I mean is, if you are the one that is always making the decisions, then you are establishing an authoritative style of leadership which is less effective than, say, a coaching style of leadership.

So instead of listing your class rules on the first day, ask the students some questions like, "How should we approach learning?" or "What should our classroom discussions look like?" (I highly recommend the book High-Impact Instruction by Jim Knight - chapters 10 and 13 will give you some ideas for how to establish expectations in your classroom).

Maybe your school has some established norms that you *must* cover on the first day. That's fine. Don't survey them on the first day. Give yourselves a week or two to get used to each other and then survey them about the class climate.

Some other specific questions you should think about are:

How are you going to allow students to answer questions? Will you do cold calling? Will you put their names on popsicle sticks or in some random name generator (flippity.net)? Will you only call on students whose hands are raised?

Will you allow test corrections or retakes? How much will they be worth?

Will you allow smartphones in your classes? How will you handle it if a student is caught with a phone in his or her hand? My recommendation is to NOT allow the use of phones during class. Have a box or a pouch where students store their phones as soon as they walk into the room.

If you establish class norms early and consistently follow through, this will cut back on many discipline issues. And don't be afraid to change the norms. We are all human and make mistakes. If you have established a norm about cold calling on students and this is not working for you, tell the students that it's not working and you want to try something different.

Addendum. I am not a "no smile til Christmas" kind of teacher (I tried that once, and it backfired - I got called into the principal's office). I am firm, but I am reasonable. I always have a seating chart in my classroom. I will let a student break a rule, but if they or other students try to take advantage of me, I will call them out on it. (I'm looking at you, "T," who took 20 minutes to go to the bathroom.)
2) Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."
And be sure to follow up. I've been teaching for over 20 years and still get stumped by some questions. If I don't know the answer, or I need more time to sit down and think about the solution (there's nothing like 20 pairs of eyes staring at you while you try to concentrate, amiright?), I will make a quick note (scrap piece of paper, sticky note, send myself an email). When I have time, I will find the answer to the question, and then I put it as part of my agenda for the next time I have that class.

Let the students do some of the talking. I remember when I was student teaching, I asked the students a question, and one of them said, "I don't know, but I'm sure you're going to tell us."

Now I make sure that if I ask the students a question, I will pause after I ask it while I wait for an answer. Often students will realize that I'm waiting for an answer, and someone will ask me to repeat the question (because they weren't listening).

Giving students time to process the question and then think of their response is essential. Imagine if someone asked you, "What do you think we should do about the economic crisis?" and then waited only 1 second before answering the question himself. You would probably think that person is not really interested in your opinions. (This is a good life lesson, too. Give others time to answer and respond.)
4) Don't raise your voice.
If your students are talking a lot and their voices are getting louder, you should get quieter. Trying to talk over them is tempting, but that is never a successful technique. The students will just get louder.

I remember years ago, I lost my voice after having a cold. I tried to talk loudly, but I just couldn't. I tried to say something to the students, but they couldn't hear me. Someone in the front shouted, "be quiet! she's trying to talk!" It was the quietest that class had ever been!

To me, this is an obvious one. If you're talking to someone, you should make eye contact with them. And, of course, try to spread your eye contact around the room. It's tempting to keep eye contact with only the people looking at you, but be sure that you look at the students who are not looking at you.

We once had a teacher come in for an interview. As part of the interview process, a candidate has to teach a lesson. I was in the room during his lesson. When the candidate wasn't looking at the board, he looked at the ceiling on the opposite end of the room. He rarely looked at the students. I kept looking in that direction, wondering what he was looking at. It was strange.

This is particularly important when you are dealing with discipline issues. Talk about how the student(s) behavior affects you or the other students in the class. Also, make sure you comment on the student's behavior and not the student's personality.

Say, "I did not like how you were talking when I was talking," instead of "you are always talking while I am talking."

Say, "I would like you to do your homework more often" instead of "you are lazy."
7) Ask positive questions or give positive commands.
A simple rephrasing of a question or command can change the tone of the question and therefore change the kind of response you get.

Say "quiet please" instead of "stop talking." I once heard that if you negatively give commands, like "stop talking," the last word you say is what the students hear. In this case, they would hear the word "talking" and are likely to continue talking. Make the command what you do want them to do instead of what you don't want them to do.

Say, "what are your questions?" instead of "do you have any questions?" I like this one. I heard this at a teaching conference once. If someone asks you, "do you have any questions?" the first word that probably comes to your mind is, "no." Saying, "do you have any questions?" often shuts down the student. If you phrase it "what are your questions?" then you are assuming they have questions and are open to hearing what they are.
8) Don't be their friend.
This one can be tough if you are in your early to mid-20s and teaching 11th and 12th graders. You were in their shoes not too long ago. You feel they could benefit from the wisdom you have gained since you were their age. And the students are probably interested in you and your life. But you have to remember that you are not their friend.

You are their teacher. You are more like a mentor. Like an older sibling - or even better, the mysterious friend of the older sibling that you would never dare attempt to call or text.

Don't befriend your students on Facebook. Don't follow your students on Instagram or Tik Tok or Snapchat, or whatever platform is popular with the students. Don't allow your students to follow you.

You run into dangerous territory if you cross the student/teacher relationship line. Students will respect you more if you maintain a level of privacy about your life and don't open up to them like you are their friend. (Also, be careful about how much interest you take in their personal lives. You don't want to be that creepy adult who is privy to the high school social drama.)

I always keep my private life private from my students, even when I was 22 years old and first starting out. My college and student teaching experience really scared me about the dangers of getting too close or personal with the students. We were told the stories of accusations of assault, lawsuits, lost jobs, revoked teaching licenses, and being banished from teaching forever. Be aware of where the boundaries are and do not cross them.
9) Be sensitive to learning differences
I now have more students with learning differences and disabilities than when I started teaching over 20 years ago. And while some folks are skeptical of these diagnoses ("I didn't need accommodations, and I turned out fine"), in my experience, most students that have accommodations genuinely benefit from them. I have seen students with the skills and intelligence but slow processing time.

One year I had a student who, more than once, asked me a question about a problem that I had discussed 5 minutes before. So while I'm thinking, "why is she still thinking about that problem? we have moved on from that," she found an error or a new approach to the solution more than once. I realized that there is a legitimate reason why she gets extra time on assessments.

Be sure to avoid making shameful comments about students who get accommodations, and make sure that you read students' learning profiles or IEPs *before* you meet them.
10) Fake it until you make it
Often new teachers will experience "imposter syndrome." We feel that we don't belong there, we shouldn't be in charge, that these kids shouldn't be listening to me. I know I felt that when I was 22 years old and had a class with 17 and 18-year-old students in it! Even if you *feel* that you don't belong there, *act* like you do belong there. One of my acting teachers told me once, "if you cannot be confident, act confident." Good advice in many life situations!

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1) Establish class norms. I know everyone says that you should discuss your class rules on the first day of school. It's even trendy now to share your class rules using memes. Yes, that's clever and may appeal to the students, but what about giving the students some say in how the class is run?

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Tips for a new math teachers : the importance of staying positive, making mistakes, and building number sense - 3 practical tips for a new math teacher.

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As we all know, first impressions are everything, and the first day of school is no exception. In the upper grades, it's especially important to leave a positive impression on your students. You want them to be both comfortable and excited for a year full of growth and learning!

Here are some tips for a memorable and smooth first day of school!
​

1. Scrap the Typical "Icebreaker" - Engage them with a Unique Activity
Some kids dread icebreaker activities. I was one of them! Instead of an ice breaker that may push some of your students too far out of their comfort zones, consider trying a fun and simple get to know you activity!

I put together this free activity that is not focused on the students themselves. There is no spotlight on anyone! Kids work in small teams to try to complete a number puzzle. They feel like they are getting stuck until they think outside of the box! You can lead them after a while to reach out to another group. It turns out that it is only possible to complete the number puzzle when they combine forces! With two sets of cards, suddenly it becomes easier.

​​This can be followed up with a discussion about how the principle they learned relates to math class, or teamwork, etc.

If you do want more of a get-to-know-someone option, my friend, Kate, from Kate's Classroom Cafe shared a great post on Fun Back to School Activities. She provided a free downloadable Get to Know You True/False Activity that sounds perfect for this.

Students create their own T/F quizzes, and then quiz each other to get to know one another. This allows them to talk about themselves, open up and relax, and builds classroom community. You may even bring out the competitive spirit in some of your kids!

2. Go Over Rules and Procedures in a Fun Way

"Fun" is the keyword. Make this engaging, or they will forget it all! They'll be hearing many versions of classrooms rules and procedures throughout the first day of school, and not only do you want them to enjoy themselves, but you want them to commit the information to memory.

Consider making a fun powerpoint presentation filled with hilarious memes. Find the best teacher memes here. Humor has many benefits to learning, so why not start from Day 1? Create slides with your usual rules and procedures, but add a few memes to complement the information.

For going over your syllabus and expectations, try the doodle-style syllabus to spice it up ( free download here).

3. Let Them Get to Know their Teacher

Just as the students should get to know each other, getting to know their teacher is an awesome way to build classroom rapport!

You can join the students in their Get to Know You Activity, like creating your own T/F quiz mentioned above. Or, you can choose to go a different route.

A big favorite is "Ask Me Anything". In this game, the students are able to write down any questions they may have for you on an index card; they can ask you absolutely anything, no matter how random (staying school appropriate, of course.) Then, you mix up all the index cards, and read each one aloud and give the answer. They'll have so much fun hearing their questions answered aloud, while learning a little more about you!

I've also put together a little "Meet the Teacher" doodle note set that you can use for introducing yourself to the students. You can also use this at parent night!

Without taking up too much time (you don't want to bore or overwhelm them), summarize what the class will cover throughout the year. You can create a few powerpoint slides. Include the topics and subtopics within the subject your teaching, as well as any unique side topics that might peak their interest.

This is also when you should briefly explain any major tests or project, so they are well aware of what's coming!

5. Teach Doodle Note Skills

If time permits and you plan to incorporate doodle notes throughout the year, consider introducing the doodle note concept with this freeEngage Your Brain Doodle Note Page! It's a great way to spend the first day of class when you are not ready to jump into lesson content, but want to set the stage.

Doodle Notes are filled with awesome brain benefits, like increased focus and retention through activating the right hemisphere of the brain.

​With this page, students will discover these benefits and give concrete examples of activities they do daily that are associated with each hemisphere. Then, they can practice combining these to cross the corpus callosum and activate their brain for learning! Later, they'll notice that extra focus and increased retention kicking in once they try it!

6. Provide a Special Treat (OR Better Yet, Structure a Way to Earn One in the Future)

This one is completely optional, but providing a special treat is a sure-fire way to win over your students! Students are almost always down for a sweet treat; you can't go wrong with anything sugary!

If you're concerned about allergies or your school has a no-food policy, don't sweat it; there are plenty of inexpensive thoughtful gift ideas. Consider giving each student a fun pencil, or assembling a back to school Welcome Kit.

I don't always prefer to start out this way, so I'm a proponent for option 2: Show how the class can work TOWARD a treat in the future. Set up a structure where they can slowly earn some kind of reward.

A simple way to do this is by coloring one item in the letters "MATH" each time you determine they have earned one. You can set this up however you want. You may want an item to get colored only on each day that ALL students submit completed homework. Or you can use it as a reward when a student gets caught doing something great. Say "I love the way you just ___. Go ahead up and color one math tool on our "MATH" board."

​Once the full word "MATH" is all colored in, the class can earn a reward. I've also included a mini version for a desk-sized individual option. Each student can work to earn their own reward by coloring it with a special glitter marker you only hand them as you walk around to check daily homework. If they have it complete, you offer the special pen to color one math symbol as you authorize it.

Click here for the free download if you want to give it a try.

​Do you have any favorite Back to School Activities? Let us know in a comment how you're planning to make this year's First Day the best one yet!
Remember to enter your email to subscribe to Math Giraffe!

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How to Plan an Effective First Day of Class

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As we all know, first impressions are everything, and the first day of school is no exception. In the upper grades, it's especially important to leave a positive impression on your students. You want them to be both comfortable and excited for a year full of growth and learning!

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Curriculum Ideas

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The IM K-5 curriculum provides teachers with coherently sequenced materials based on the standards and research-based learning trajectories to support students' learning in these early years. IM K-5 Math is rigorous, problem-based, and fully aligned to the standards, with coherence across grade bands.

Launch Curriculum

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The IM K-5 curriculum provides teachers with coherently sequenced materials based on the standards and research-based learning trajectories to support students' learning in these early years. IM K-5 Math is rigorous, problem-based, and fully aligned to the standards, with coherence across grade bands. Launch Curriculum

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Classroom Resources - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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