A few years back, around this time of year, I saw the tweet below. I felt so validated because Lisa Van Gemert is an icon in gifted education, and I couldn’t agree more with her on this!
“I’m concerned by the tweets and posts I’m seeing about how teachers are spending a couple of weeks building relationships instead of diving into curriculum. You can and should do them simultaneously. They are not at war. It’s not an either/or….We can use our content to connect…”
Lisa Van Gemert, Gifted Guru
I have always wanted to hit the ground learning on the first day of class. I want my students to get a taste of what our class will be about – the joy of learning… novel challenges that will stretch brains – and I also want students to feel a sense of community from Day One, to feel they belong in the class and can feel safe.
I’ve previously shared IN DETAIL exactly what we did on the first day of GT class in each grade level. You can find those videos here.
However, some of you have very limited time with students, and I’ve spent some time thinking about what I would do with students on the first day of class if I only had 45 – 60 minutes. With that constraint, I think I would set up station rotations- not a new idea, but one of the best ways to accomplish a lot in just a little time.
So, below are some ideas for stations you can easily set up, each with a specific purpose.
I’d allow a few minutes to welcome students, and then introduce the stations by saying, “I want to accomplish so much today, and I also want to be able to walk around and visit with you a bit. So, I’ve set up some activities for you to do. I’ll be walking around and can help you or answer any questions. Stick together with the people sitting near you, and I’ll go ahead and tell you where to start…”
STATION IDEAS
The number of stations you set up will depend on the number of students in the class and the amount of time you have. You can control rotations, maybe about 7-10 minutes apart, or allow students to freely move about from one station to another.
(1) BE YOU-NIQUE
Purpose: to convey and celebrate the uniqueness of every individual AND sneak in some advanced vocabulary. (If you’ve ever used the Mystery of Me resource, this is a spin-off! Alternate titles: KNOW THYSELF or YOUR PERSONALITY POPS
Set-Up: Write the title of the station on a sentence strip or use bulletin board letters like my 4-inch Scrabble letters. Place colored dot stickers like these at the station. Print out these pages to display under the title on a wall, door, or bulletin board.
The Activity: Students will read the meaning of each word and, if they feel it describes them, they place a colored dot on the page. The pages will reveal the diversity of personalities in the room, yet keep it safe since no one is identified. This could be fun to revisit after a few weeks.
(2) NUMBER GAMES
Purpose: to give a preview of things to come: novel (but safe) challenges that stretch brains. This is also an idea I’ve shared previously here.
Set-Up: Print out and post this mini-poster and provide jumbo popsicle sticks, colored Sharpies, and a clasp envelope.
The Activity: Students write equations they can make, using only the digits in the number, on popsicle sticks, and place them in the envelope so that students in the next rotation can’t see them. Students may want to write their initials on the equations they make, and later the class can see how many different ways they made 24. Alternative activities: set up a Which One Doesn’t Belong display (as shown here) or one of the open-ended “off-the-wall” number games shown here.
(3) TEACHER TRUTHS and LIES
Purpose: to build community; share a little about yourself; put students at ease
Set-Up: Write things that are true about you on large index cards, one truth on each card. These can be things you’ve done in your life, places you’ve visited, facts about your family and pets, etc. Aim to write at least eight to ten things. Then, write at least three to five statements that are NOT true. Have red pencils or thin red markers set out near the cards.
The Activity: Students identify three statements they feel are NOT true. They make a red X on those three cards. You can reveal the truths and falsehoods at the beginning of the next class!
(4) WHAT in the WORLD?
Purpose: get students thinking globally in an engaging way
Set-Up: Display this site on your Smart board or devices at a table. (Note: if this can’t be done digitally, you could display a world map, as suggested here, and prepare cards with the names of countries on them for students to find on the map.)
The Activity: Students have fun testing themselves on their knowledge of countries around the world (or other activity on the site).
(5) VENN ICEBREAKER
Purpose: to build community; to get students talking about commonalities
Set-Up and Activity: This one involves a very small purchase, but it’s close to what I envisioned, and why reinvent the wheel? You can find the activity here. You could make this a hexagonal display using similar instructions.
(6) SUGGESTION BOX or NOTES to the TEACHER
Purpose: to build or enrich relationships with students
Set-Up: Have index cards or notebook paper and pens or pencils set out. Post instructions for students to write some thoughts to you. You might include prompts such as “What do you hope we will do this year?” “What would you like me to know about you?” or “What did you like most last year?”
The Activity: Students take a few minutes to communicate with you privately. Have them place their notes on your chair or desk, or in a slotted box, to keep them private.
(7) CLASS PREP or HOUSEKEEPING
Purpose: save valuable time later by having students prepare notebooks or “learn the room”
Set-Up: Post instructions for students to follow that would otherwise eat up class time another day. Set out any materials needed.
The Activity: In my class, I might have students use glue sticks to paste in a blank Table of Contents page on the first page of their notebooks. I loved having students fill in the page numbers and contents of their notebooks for quick reference throughout the year. In your class, it could be as simple as sharpening colored pencils, putting tabs in a binder, or whatever would help you save time later.
| If you have a theme for the year, you could post a phrase at each station that connects with the theme. For example, at a Number Games station, you could say, “There are so many MYSTERIES and patterns to discover in mathematics!” or “The way we use numbers can have a huge IMPACT.” If you’re trying to come up with ideas for this, you can request help from me! I love making connections! |
I may add to this if additional activities come to mind! If you have ideas for “first class” stations, I’d love for you to share them below in the comments!
RELATED POSTS:
Back to School ~ A Few Ideas to Surprise and Delight
Icebreakers and Jitter Shakers ~ First-Day Activities to Create Community
Sneak Preview ~ Activities to Share With Students Before Class Begins
Find more HERE under August/ September!