On the first day of kindergarten don’t, under any
circumstances…
Well—let’s say—if at all possible, please don’t…
1) Don’t
collect all the supplies bags
Many
kids bring shopping bags full of supplies.
Some are for personal use, such as pencils and crayons. Others are for shared class activities, such
as glue, markers, or tissues. Don’t
collect the supplies and place them all in the back of your classroom. You’ll find that many students did not label
their supplies and you’ll never figure out whose they are.
Don’t
let kids unpack all their supplies either.
This will make a huge mess, and it will be awkward for kids who don’t
have any supplies. Unless you have
parents or a teacher’s aide helping you unpack and sort supplies during those
first few minutes, kids can leave their bags on the floor next to their chairs
for the moment.
Later
you can unpack and sort the supplies yourself.
Or, during a writing activity you might let an early finisher help
collect certain supplies.
2) Don’t
bring students to the meeting area first thing
Have
kids sit at their tables, where you have placed their name tag, and quietly
read a book.
Take
care of meeting and greeting parents and kids, seat them, make name tags for
the kids who don’t have one, take attendance, and make a quick seating chart.
3) Don’t
give kids toys or manipulatives first thing
Give
them each a high interest book to read, and place a basket with more books on
their table. Coloring and toys can
become a—you guessed it—huge mess until they know the rules.
4) Don’t
do anything until you teach rules
Be
clear and detailed starting from the very beginning: teach exactly how to get out of your chair,
push it in, and walk to the meeting area quickly, quietly, and sit carefully in
your right spot.
Don’t
say, “Boys, line up,” “You, go to the bathroom,” or, “Everybody, go back to
your seat” until you’ve taught them precisely how.
5) Don’t
ONLY teach rules
Do
fun stuff, too. These will soothe kids’
first day anxieties and create the expectation that kindergarten will be
wonderful. Sing a song, make them laugh,
read a fun book, let them write and color, give them a sticker or award…and
leave them wanting more!
In other words, don’t do anything you will later regret and
wish you could un-do...
Please do...have a pleasant first day of kindergarten!
For more don’ts
and plenty more dos on the first days
of kindergarten, you might want to study my Kindergarten Kit Bundle. It’s thoughtfully compiled by yours truly, a
longtime kindergarten teacher, and it will take you step-by-step through your
first day and beyond.
