The transition from summer vacation to back to school can be difficult for some students. Here are 5 ideas to help students feel welcome and comfortable as they go back to school.

1) Host Class Introductions

First things first, have  students introduce themselves. To help students feel more comfortable talking in front of the whole class, start with a one-on-one introduction with each student. Talk a little bit about yourself. Then, have each student talk a little bit about him/herself in front of the class.

2) Send a Welcome Postcard 

Send students a postcard 1-2 weeks before school starts.  They will love getting a surprise in the mail from their new teacher. Tell them how excited you are for him/her to be joining your classroom and that you have lots of fun activities planned for the new school year.

3) Fill Library Pockets with Classroom Goodies

Fill a Library Pocket full of classroom goodies like stamps, erasers, and Welcome to My Class Wristbands and place it on their desk. This will help them get excited about the new year.

4) Bring a Summer Souvenir. Ask students to bring a special item that sums up their summer. Have the student do a show and tell and talk about what makes the item a special summer souvenir to them.  This will serve as a great ice-breaker for students.

5) Make All About Me Posters

Give students a chance to describe themselves. Have each student fill out an All About Me Poster, complete with information about their family, and their interests. They can even draw in their answers.

Setting up a successful writing center for your students is easy. All you need is a little prep work, and your students will be motivated to improve their writing skills. We created a writing island and added all the resources students would need to practice their writing skills.

Create an “Other Ways to Say” bulletin board in your writing center to help students improve their vocabulary and understand synonyms that can be used when writing. First, write words on Library Pockets. We wrote words like “happy, good, and bad”. For each word written on a library pocket, write two synonyms on a mini accent. In this photo we used Chalkboard Bright Mini Accents, and glued them to Plastic Craft Sticks. Keep the synonym craft sticks in a decorative box in the writing center. Students can start with a synonym activity by placing the synonym craft sticks in the corresponding library pocket. From there, ask students to use Smart Start Writing Paper to write a story. In their story they must include synonyms reviewed in the activity. You can also have students choose a topic to write about using Writing Prompts. Students can choose writing prompts in six different categories: Narrative, Expository, Persuasive, Descriptive, Poetry, and Journal Writing.

Establishing a set of classroom rules on your first day back to school will set the tone for a productive new school year.  Pick 5-10 classroom rules from the big list below that would best fit your students.  Write down your main classroom rules on a chart and hang the rules in a highly visible area of the classroom. Put the rules on your main bulletin board as a reminder of classroom expectations.  See big list of classroom rules below:

Be ready to learn
Use kind words and actions
Listen when others are speaking
Always be honest
Share & take turns
Start each day with a smile
Do your best
Follow directions
Celebrate each other’s success
Listen when others are talking
Say please & thank you
Work quietly
Be positive
Keep hands and feet to yourself
Be respectful to yourself and others
Play safely
Raise your hand
Try new things
Work hard & have fun
Believe in yourself
Work together
Raise your hand before you speak
Help others
Treat others how you want to be treated
Be a caring friend
Learn from your mistakes
Keep your desk organized and clean
Complete your work on time
Be a Friend
Walk, don’t run
Dream big
Take responsibility for your actions
Be a team player
Never give up
Use your time wisely
Be Creative
Be polite, kind, and true
Wait your turn
Listen carefully

Ready-made Classroom Rules Charts are also available.