What are some of your favorite back to school tips? We’d love to have you post them to share with others and get some chatter going.
I surveyed the girls that work at Debbie Diller & Associates to bring you a few of our favorites:
From Christe Cantu: In the K-2 classroom, I like to take quick pictures of the kids as they come in on the first day of school. That way, we’re ready to sort the names in the pocket chart in order to get the Names Station up and running as quickly as possible. Plus the pictures can go home later in the year as keepsakes of the first day.
In the first day go-home packet, I also ask parents to write a letter telling me something special about their child. I received some really touching letters and learned things about my students I might have never known. It’s wonderful to see children through the eyes of their parents!
From Gretchen Childs: One thing I did in my kindergarten class was that as soon as I received my class list, I sent a postcard to each student saying “Welcome to kindergarten and I can’t wait to meet you!”
From Pam Pierce: I used to take my kids on a scavenger hunt around the school to get them familiar with the office, library, cafeteria, nurse’s office, gym, etc… I had little clues at each location and we would solve the clue and then go to the next spot. It was fun!!
From Debbie Diller: On the first day of school, I’d write a letter to my 3rd graders introducing myself to them. I’d include things about my family and what we liked to do, as well as what kinds of books I liked to read. Then I asked students to write a letter back to me. What a quick, easy assessment this was! I got to know my kids and quickly learned quite a bit about their reading, writing, spelling, and even handwriting! I still have some of their letters. These were special keepsakes.
Debbie Diller 
In first grade I do a flipchart with pictures of my family and let them ask questions to get to know me. It helps me get to know them too; through the comments they make and questions they ask. I also do a flipchart of our school staff and what each person’s job is at our school. We tour the school, with me “playing” tourguide. They decorate the first page of their journals to personalize them. Of course we have storytime and they start learning the routines and procedures for our room and our school. I take a First day in First Grade picture of each student to decorate our class bulletin board and later add the picture to their memory book. This year I will also use the pictures for our work station rotation chart.