Starting the School Year (the First Day)

The way you conduct the first day of school will be a major factor in developing a positive atmosphere in your classroom. The best way to handle a discipline problem is to prevent them before they start. On the first day it is essential to communicate your expectations. You want to establish that your classroom will be fun as long as students meet those expectations.

A schedule is an essential part of a successful first day of school. If you are well prepared and confident, students will be unlikely to test you. Therefore, it is wise to schedule the day so that students are constantly occupied, even making sure that free time is structured. If you do not prepare an adequate schedule, students are likely to have slack time with nothing to do. If this happens, you will have behavior problems. Some students will misbehave to see if they can 'rattle' you. If they are successful, classroom management will be an uphill battle from then on.

Step 1: Establishing Goals.

To begin establishing a positive learning environment, the first thing you need to do is establish goals for your class as a whole. The goals you set should be related to the behavior you desire students to exhibit in your classroom. Try to determine for yourself the kind of classroom environment that will lead to the most learning on the part of your students. You needn't think of specific academic work - that can come later. For now, just think about how you want your students to work, how you want them to treat each other, and how you want them to treat you. This may seem obvious. However, if you don't let your students know what you expect of them, they will assume that you do not care how they behave.

Therefore, it is important to clarify your goals so that you can work effectively toward your objectives. Jot down some of your goals The following are samples that might help you get started:

• I want my students to work independently.
• I want my classroom to be a calm environment.
• I want my students to be helpful to me and to each other.
• I want each student to continually strive for improvements in all areas.
• I want each student to learn as much as they are able to learn.

Step 2: Developing Classroom Rules.

Rules are an essential part of any classroom. Some people object to specifying the rules because they feel that rules are restrictive. These people do not recognize that all of us follow rules in every setting we are in. The rules may not be overtly specified, but that's because there is an assumption that we have learned the rules and will follow them automatically. We don't yell in a theater. We are generally polite to people. We don't go through red lights when we drive. We don't hit other people when we disagree with them. We follow these rules because we have learned that they provide guidelines to help us function in a complicated society. In the same way, you need to help your students function in a very complicated society - your classroom.

Do not assume that students know how to behave in a classroom - regardless of their age. Students in the early primary grades need to learn a tremendous amount about social interactions and how to behave in an academic setting among twenty or more peers. Older students have learned that the range of acceptable behavior is wide, depending on the teacher in charge. Some teachers let you talk; other don't. Some teachers let you chew gum; others don't. As a result, rules should be designed so that students know exactly what your goals and expectations are, and you should go over the rules soon after the students have entered the classroom.

When you're designing your rules, don't go overboard. You don't want to have so many rules that your classroom sounds like a penal colony. Usually four or five well-planned rules can cover your expectations for general classroom behavior One tendency is to make rules that begin with the word "don't". "Don't" rules imply that you actually expect students to misbehave. For example, during independent seatwork activities you might state the rules as follows:

• Don't talk.
• Don't get out of your seat.
• Don't bother your neighbor.
• Don't be late handing in your work.

In the example above, four rules were required to cover independent work. Stated positively, one rule could have the same function:

Work quietly and independently at your seat until you have completed your work.

If you state a general "at task" rule, any number of misbehaviors are automatically excluded, and many desired behaviors are included. Rules stated as positive expectations provide non threatening, assertive guidelines without making you sound like a dictator.

Rules should be tailored to your individual teaching style and to the vocabulary level of your students. Two sample lists follow. The first could be used with primary students; the second with intermediate students. You should modify these rules or design your own to reflect the goals you have established for your students. In other words, students following well-designed rules will be meeting your expectations.

Some suggested rules for primary students are as follows:

• Always do your best.
• Listen when the teacher or someone else is talking.
• Raise your hand if you have something to say or to ask.
• Get along with your neighbors.
• Work quietly at your desk.

Some suggested rules for secondary students are listed below:

• Give every task your best effort.
• Listen when someone is talking.
• Raise your hand when you have a question or comment.
• Co-operate and get along with your peers.
• Work quietly and independently at your desk until you have completed your work.

Take a few minutes to brainstorm rules for your classroom. Write down as many rules as you can. Combine specific rules to reflect your general expectations. Your final list should consist of four or five comprehensive guidelines for your students to follow. Step five of this section will cover how you should present your rules to the students.

To complete rule preparation, decide what the consequences of rule-breaking will be. Will you punish those who misbehave? Will you reinforce the behavior of students who follow the rules? You should decide how you are going to enforce your rules before the school term begins.

Step 3: Enlisting Parent Cooperation

Well-informed parents often provide teachers with additional support. A letter to the parents on the first day of school will demonstrate that you are interested in establishing open communication. Your letter should set a positive tone, stating your goals for the year. It should go over the rules that students will follow. It should also stress that you are available for conferences or phone calls. You may also want to request permission to keep students are school so that academic and behavior problems may be solved immediately.

A sample letter is provided here. You may want to modify it to suit your particular goals and parental expectations.

Step 4: Preparing the First Day's Schedule.

You need to prepare a schedule of the first day. This schedule will be different from your usual routine, as there are many activities that are specific to beginning a new year. Follow the subsequent guidelines in designing your first day at school. (Step 5 will help you implement the schedule that you plan here.)

A. Find out what time your class is scheduled for mandatory activities. You need to be aware of everyday schedules, classes held a few times each week, and special assemblies and events. Add this type of information to the bottom of your everyday schedule. Click here for an example

B. Find out from your principal or curriculum director about any pretesting required or recommended by the school district. Be sure to record the pretesting activities, before completing the rest of your schedule. Determine which subject areas will require placement tests to determine student ability levels. Many programs will include placement tests and guidelines for test administration. Some placement tests will require individual testing; other will be administered to the class as a whole. (Placement testing is generally used in reading and math programs, and sometimes it is helpful in spelling programs.) Write a list of testing and diagnostic activities and the amount of time required for each. Be sure to specify if each activity is administered individually or to the whole group. Your list should be similar to the following example:

C. Prepare a list of potential large-group teaching activities, including the approximate instructional time required. These may or may not be a part of the general curriculum. Some examples and approximate times are listed below:

• Introduce social studies text - practice using index, table of title page, contents, glossary_____40 minutes
• Dictionary lesson - alphabetizing_____20 minutes
• Following directions - exercises in_____15 minutes
• Lesson on decision making_____30 minutes
• Lesson on brainstorming_____20 minutes

D. Prepare a list of filler activities in which you whole class participates. The activities will be used to fill time in case you finish an activity ahead of schedule and have an odd five to fifteen minutes left over. Here are some examples of filler activities: • Discussion on current events (intermediate students)
Sharing (primary students)

• Names games or getting-acquainted games
• Brain teasers
• Word games
• Films or filmstrips
• Tapes or records

E. Prepare a variety of cushion activities that can be done independently. You need to prepare something for students to do when they have completed their independent work assignments. One of the most difficult things about running a classroom is to accommodate the wide range of abilities. If you give an independent math assignment, some students will need thirty minutes while other will complete the assignment in fifteen minutes. (Students who don't complete the assignments are discussed in solution sheet 4 entitled "Not Completing Assignments: A Minor Problems".) For students who complete assignments early, you need to have additional activities.

Nobody can just sit and do nothing for long periods of time. Students who finish early will find something to do. This maybe talking to a neighbor who has not completed his work, or tapping a pencil - just loud enough to drive a teacher crazy. This kind of problem can be prevented with cushion activities. The following are some sample cushion activities:

• Reading a library book
• Going to a listening centre Art activities
• Color sheets
• Quiet games
• Mazes, crosswords, and other activity sheets
• Learning centers
• Puzzles
• Working with blocks or building sets
• Bonus assignments such as story writing, keeping a journal, or newspaper activities

The first days of school are a good time to teach students how to work on cushion activities. It is also a good time to familiarize students with their free-time options and the responsibility each option will carry. For example, if you have easels in the classroom that are used during free-time activities, make the students responsible for cleaning the brushes, closing the paint jars, and removing their paintings from the easels five minutes before the work period is over. You should also point out that students will need to make good judgments in determining what activities are worthwhile in the free time they have. You might ask them questions like, "Should you paint if you have five minutes left in the work period? What would be a good alternative? If you had twenty minutes of free time, what might be a good activity to choose?"

One risk with well-planned activities is that some students will be enticed by the potential fun and, consequently, rush through their work. If this problem occurs, make the student re-do the work the next day. Most students will soon find that it is not worthwhile to do a quick and sloppy job. However, If this procedure does not work before a student is allowed to begin a cushion activity.

F. Your next step in preparing for the first day is to put together a packet of work for students to complete independently. This will allow you time to complete your screening and placement tests. It will also give you a rough idea of what each student is able to do independently, and so a well-prepared work packet can work diagnostically for you, in addition to placement testing. A sample packet might include the following papers: • A handwriting page

• A math page, beginning with easy problems and progressing to more difficult problems
• A time-telling sheet
• A reading worksheet
• Cushion activities - crossword puzzle, color sheet, and number puzzle

You can tell students that they have to complete the first four pages in the packet by a particular time. Tell them that the other sheets are optional fun activities for students who complete their work early.

G. You should by now have gathered the following information and materials: • A schedule of events such as breaks, library, assemblies, and so on

• Diagnostic and pretest requirements
• A list of group instruction activities
• A list of group filler activities
• A list of independent cushion activities
• Independent work packets

This information will allow you to design the actual schedule for your first day. On a separate sheet of paper, list the schedule of events. It should look similar to the schedule below. Be sure to leave spaces for filling in your plans.

H. Now you can begin to fill in the remainder of your schedule. You should start with the activities you know you will include. First, you should decide on an activity for students who arrive before the beginning bell. Next, plan on spending thirty minutes introducing yourself, going over rules, and finding out a little about your students. "Procedures for conducting your initial class session are available in step V) You will need to allow five to ten minutes preparing for lunch. You will also want to plan fifteen minutes at the end of the day for reviewing your first day, discussion goals for your second day, and for passing out take-home materials (including a supply list and the letter to parents). Write in the activities on your schedule.

I. Next, schedule some get-acquainted activities. You should plan the activities for late in the morning, rather than first thing. If you begin with the less-structured activities, your less mature students will think Gosh, this room is going to be a snap. We're just going to sit around and talk all the time. Having highly structured activities first will show the students that they will have to work. It will also give you the opportunity to demonstrate that good workers will have a good time. You should also avoid scheduling the getting-acquainted activity immediately after recess. This time should be reserved for a highly structured activity. Students need to know that they must get right back to work anytime they enter the classroom.

Getting-acquainted activities might include name games or sharing activities. Students can complete sentences like "I like it when people...". You might avoid discussions about summer vacations, as talk of spectacular trips tend to diminish other experiences. Remember that just because this is not a highly structured activity doesn't mean that you can't have high expectations for student behavior. If students become too loud or rambunctious, stop the activity. Wait until there is complete silence, and calmly tell them wheat the problem was. Then go back to the activity to see If they can maintain acceptable behavior. If they can, praise them. If they cannot, calmly stop the activity. Wait until it is completely silent and then go on to another activity. Explain that you are sorry but they cannot handle the activity you were just doing. If they do well at other things, they may be able to try the activity again later.

J. To complete the schedule, use the list of testing and diagnostic activities, the list of large-group activities, and an estimate of independent seatwork time. The first activity following your rule introduction must be a structured academic activity - a reading or math assessment test or an instructional lesson. The structured activity will show students that you expect them to work very hard.

In planning your first day, you should try to complete as much of your placement testing as possible. However, If there is a tremendous amount of screening required, you may need to spread it over the first few days. You do not want the first day to be boring and arduous. Balance individualized tests with group activities. Intersperse fun activities throughout the day. You should not expect students to work in their seats for long periods of time. You will begin to lose the attention of many students If you expect them to stay on the same task much longer than thirty minutes.

Plan breaks and transitions. Include all the information you will need to easily follow the schedule at a glance. Your completed schedule should look something like the following example: At first, it might seem that the schedule is too full. This is not the case. It is always better to over-plan than not to have planned enough. If the above schedule works out as anticipated, you have covered most of the diagnostic testing that needs to be done. You will be ready to begin your regular schedule as soon as you can determine placements. If you were not able to complete diagnostic testing, go through the same steps you have just completed to prepare for the second day. When the testing is completed, you are ready to design your regular schedule, which is covered in step VI.

Step 5: Conducting the First Few Days of School.

At first point, you have designed your classroom rules and your first day's schedule. Next, you must prepared in detail how to conduct the first day of school. If the first day is run well, you can prevent behavior problems from the beginning. The following guidelines suggest ways to handle the first day's activities.

A. First, handle the introductions. Meet the students at the door. Introduce yourself and ask their names. Say how nice it is to have each student in your class.

Instruct each student to go to one of the desks and begin working on the worksheet provided. The worksheet should be something that all students - even the lowest performers - can do easily. The purpose of this worksheet is not to test or teach, so don't give a difficult science assignment. The purpose of this activity is to show you are in control, that the day is scheduled, and time will not be wasted. It also gives you an opportunity to praise students for hard work from the beginning. (For kindergarten and first-grade children, you will have to modify the procedure. You could use a coloring page, or another activity the children can do independently.)

Most teachers will have the students go to their desks and wait until the other students have arrived. Your last pupils will probably arrive ten to fifteen minutes are the first. Expecting students to just sit is unreasonable. If they use that time to just sit and chat, you are misteaching them about what your classroom will be like. You are saying 'This class is really easy. You have time to talk all day'.

B. Pay particular attention to how students enter the classroom. Any student who is rowdy or noisy coming down the hall or entering your classroom should be sent out of the room. You should calmly say, 'I am sorry, but that is not the way you enter our classroom. Please go into the hall and try coming in again.' If the student is rowdy, noisy, or rude again, send him or her out again with the same instruction. Repeat this as many times as it takes for the student to come into the room correctly. Most of the students will enter the class correctly the first time. It is rare that any student will need to repeat the entry step more than twice.
Your manner should be gently, but firm. Your voice should communicate that you are not the least bit angry or flustered. You simply know exactly what you expect from your students.

Many teachers will try to avoid any disagreement with students. They will let misbehavior go with the attitude that they have lots of time to shape up student behavior Avoiding disagreement is unfair to the students. They won't know that you care about the way they enter the class unless you communicate that concern to them. Asking students to enter the classroom appropriately indicates that there are very definite boundaries regarding what they can and cannot do in your room.

After introductions are completed, you are ready to go over the classroom rules. As you go through each rule, explain why the rule is important. The rule to listen when someone else is talking can be explained by saying, 'This rule is important because it shows that you respect the person who is talking. If John is giving a report to the class, and I start talking at the same time, it gets confusing. When someone is talking, we all need to listen'.

Some of the rules may be arbitrary because of varied teaching styles. Also, you may feel stronger about some rules than others. If this is the case, feel free to let the students know when a rule is important to you. For example, 'This next rule says that you should raise your hand if you need help or have a question. That rules helps me give everyone a chance to be heard. I'm able to work better in a quiet room. I think many of you will also be able to work more efficiently if you aren't bothered by noise'.

Role playing can help you demonstrate the effectiveness of rules. After discussing the importance of raising hands, appoint a student to play the role of teacher. Have several students talk to the teacher at the same time. Ask the student if it was possible to understand all that was said. Then discuss how it feels to be pulled in several directions at one time. Although role playing can be a very powerful procedure, you should be careful. It must be structured so that students do not think it is a time to misbehave. You must maintain order throughout the exercise.
If students followed the rules during the role-playing activity, be sure to give them positive feedback. 'I appreciate the way everyone followed the rule about sitting quietly and listening to the person who is talking.' If one or more students were misbehaving, ignore them and give positive feedback to those who followed the rule. If you focus your attention on a student how misbehaved, you are communicating that you are looking for students who misbehave. If you focus your attention on students who follow the rules, they will learn that you are pleased with their performance.

C. After you have gone over the rules and made sure that the students have no questions, go immediately to your next scheduled activity. Use the following guidelines for conducting each subsequent activity:

• Specify the task.
• Make sure that all students have the material necessary to complete the task (paper, pencil, book, and so on).
• Go over the expectations in detail. Tell the students how you expect them to behave. Describe how neat their papers should be. Tell the students how long they have to complete the assignment. You can't be too specific.
• When students begin the task, praise those who are doing a good job. Let students know that you appreciate their following the rules. Immediate feedback to students will show that you are going to notice and praise their efforts.
• At the conclusion of the activity, give feedback on student performance. Praise students who followed the rules. If some students did not follow the rules, do not identify who they were. You do not want them to get your attention for misbehaving. Keep your attention focused on the students who did it the right way.

D. The final activity for the day involves spending fifteen minutes to review your first day together, and to go over expectations for the next day.

The review of the day's events should include things you were really pleased with and things you felt could be improved. The review might sound something like this: Well, people, we made it through the first day. Let's finish this day by going over how it went. I was very pleased with the way that all of you worked on your assignments. It was quiet, and you completed everything. I was impressed with the way that everyone got along together. Everyone was polite and respectful. I was pleased to see this because I feel very strongly that everyone should be treated with respect. However, we do need to work on raising our hands. It's hard to remember, but I know that we can do it.'

'I can tell that this is going to be a great class - not because you are in my room, but because I can tell that we have a terrific group of people here. I hope that very soon you will feel proud to be a part of the class. With all of us working together, it can be a very special year.'

The tone and vocabulary of the above talk should be adjusted to the grade level and maturity of the students. Notice that names were not used. This final talk should not single out individuals. The purpose is to show that you are looking at their performance as a class, as well as individual performance. By having this discussion, you will reduce potential management problems because students will have an investment in making the class run smoothly. If there was a behavior problem, handle it now by making a positive statement of how you expect students to behave in the future. For example:

'I know that getting along together is not always an easy thing to do; but I would like everyone in my classroom to work very hard from now on at getting along and co-operating with each other. I know if we try, we can do it.'

Following the talk, go over the handouts to be taken home. Remind students of your rules and the general conduct you expect from them the next day.

'Don't forget to show your parents the blue paper you have. It's a supply list. You should have a set of colors, at least two pencils, a loose-leaf notebook, and one hundred sheets of notebook paper. In addition, your parents should fill out the immunization form that is attached to the blue paper. Try to bring these supplies and signed forms back to school tomorrow.'

'When you come in the room tomorrow, you should hang up your coat and go quietly to your desk. I will be watching to see who can remember what to do without my help. I'll also be watching to see who remembers the way to get my attention by quietly raising a hand. Thank you for a good day. I look forward to tomorrow.'

'Let's see. Table 2 is quiet. You may line up at the door. I like the way table 2 is walking and quietly lining up at the door. Table 3, let's see how you can do. Great! Nice and quiet. Table 1, you are excused. You did a nice job of waiting. I appreciate the way that everybody lined up. You may go quietly down the hall, and I will see you tomorrow.'

Notice the amount of feedback that the teacher is giving the students. This level of feedback can be reduced when students know exactly what you expect of them. However, beginning with this amount of feedback is essential, to show students their behavior is important and that it will receive your positive reinforcement.

E. Spend some time preparing for the second day. When the students have gone home, take some time and think about the behavior of the students. By the end of the first day, you should have a sense of which students will need extra help in following the rules. They may not have acted badly, but you should still be able to tell where some potential problems might be. On the list below, write the names of any students that you are somewhat concerned about. Write the behaviors that concern you for each of those individuals. You might have an entry about Mark, who seems to get angry and yell when things do not go his way, about Mary who has not interacted with other students, and about Chris who loves to talk.

You should also be aware of situations where the whole class needs to improve. Under the heading marked 'potential group behavior problems', you should list such things as noise level during independent work times or while getting ready for lunch. The things that you specify on the list will be things that you want to watch on your second day. Anytime you see Mark handling a disagreement well, tell him you are proud of his maturity. Anytime you see Mary interacting with other students in the class, let her know that you are pleased to see that she is making an effort to be part of the class. When Chris works quietly, let her know she's a hard worker. When the group is quiet during independent work times, tell them you are pleased with their performance.

Now that you have an idea of how your first day might go, put your schedule in front of you. Imagine exactly what you will be doing and what it will be like as you go through each part of the day. Do you know what to say? Do you know what to do? What will you do if students are late?

Keep imaging the way students will enter the room until you feel you know exactly how this activity will go. Try to imagine some unexpected occurrences. What will you do if a new student enters the classroom by announcing, 'I hate school and I hate you'? Can you see your reaction? If you can't, you are not ready for the first day. Your imagining should include your ability to handle the unexpected. You will not be able to anticipate every event that will take place. However, if you can imagine yourself handling the unexpected, the chances are less that you will be caught off guard.

Repeat this 'visualizing' process for each activity in your schedule. If you are uncertain at any point, you are not ready for that activity. Try to identify why you are not ready. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my goals for this activity?
• What materials am I going to use?
• What teaching methods will I use - lecture, discussion, small groups?
• What assignments will I give?
• What kind of behavior do I expect of my students?
  What are students doing independently while I'm engaged with a small group? What are they doing during breaks, recess, lunch, in the halls, and so on?

Can you see what you are doing during each of these activities? Can you see what your students are doing? Do you know what your responsibilities are? Do you know how you will react if a student misbehaves? You should also imagine the transitions from one activity to the next.

Continue 'visualizing' each activity until you can almost see a movie of the entire day. If you think carefully through each activity, you will be ready to begin.

Will each activity go just like you've imagined? Probably not, but if you have imagined yourself dealing with the unexpected, you're more likely to be able to handle it when it occurs.

After finalizing your plans for the second day, go home and relax. You deserve it.

Step 6: Designing the Final Schedule.

The schedule you design for the remainder of the year should reflect your educational priorities. Try to implement your regular schedule by the third or fourth teaching day. The sooner you get started on the final schedule, the sooner your students will know exactly what your classroom is going to be like.

In developing your schedule, decide what subjects should get the most time, what subjects should get the least time, what subjects happen every day, and what subjects happen only a few days each week.

Because you are expected to teach a cast amount of material and a diversity of subjects, you will have to make value judgments regarding how much and how often you teach any particular subject. Without a set schedule, you might reach the end of the year and realize that you did not cover certain subjects because you never seemed to get around to them.

Designing a schedule does not mean that you can't deviate from that schedule. It simply means that you know your educational objectives. The schedule will help you keep on target. Follow the six steps outlined below to design your schedule.

List all the subjects you need to teach. Find out from your principal or curriculum director what subjects you are required to teach. Add to that list any other thins you want to teach.

Find out when the students leave your room for other subjects. Do the students go to another teacher for music, P.E., and so on? If they do, when are they out of your room?

Specify any items on the list with set time constraints. For example, your district may specify that you must spend a minimum of two hours per week on social studies, one hour per week on health, three hours per week on math. If you don't know whether your district has any such time constraints, check with your district curriculum director, your principal, or other teachers at your grade level.

Decide which items on the list need to be taught daily. Assign an amount of time to those activities. For example, you will want to have reading, arithmetic, and possibly English or oral language five days per week. If you are going to be grouping for reading, decide how much time you need to run a group. Decide how many groups you will have. This will help you determine the amount of time you need to schedule daily. It should be obvious that you will not be able to group students by ability in many subject areas unless you have an instructional aide or a team teacher.

Assign other items on the list to particular days. For example, you may want to specify that on Tuesday and Thursday you will have social studies for forty-five minutes, with science on Monday and Wednesday. Some of these items will be specified for you, and you will need to plan your schedule around those assigned times. For instance, you may be told that your students will go to music from 10:45 to 11:15 on Tuesday and Friday. Your students may also be assigned specific times for library. PE, and so on. If this is the case, you should request that you be informed of these schedules as early in the preparation week as possible. Until you are informed of the times, it is pointless for you to go any further in designing your own schedule.

Remember:

• Your schedule should reflect a balance of independent work, large-group activities, small-group activities, structured activities, and unstructured activities.
• Your schedule should reflect the things that you consider to be priority items.

Once your schedule is set up, things happen that will require you to modify your schedule. The PE schedule may be rearranged. Students may be pulled out of your class for special services and so on. Try to remain flexible. Rearranging the schedule is generally a matter of substituting one activity for another once you have developed a plan. Examples of schedules for two grade levels are given here. In each of them, the letters A, B, and C represent different levels of ability.

Step 7: Checklist - Finding out things you should know before school begins

In any teaching assignment, there are many details that must be taken care of. These details may seem overwhelming if you are no adequately prepared. A first-year teacher named Judy had an interesting experience on her first day of teaching. She felt she was very well prepared. In terms of instructional plans, she was. However, when it came to administrative plans and procedures, she had not done her homework. As Judy was taking her class down to the lunchroom, another teacher said, 'What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to have your class go through the other doors to pick up their trays. You new teachers!' Since Judy's students overheard the comments, Judy felt rattled. Her self-confidence was shaken.

Unimportant details can become important if you do not know about them. This section lists questions you should ask before your first day of teaching. Go through the questions and identify any that have not been answered in preservice meetings. Write those questions down and ask your principal, other teachers, or administrative staff for the information. You might find it helpful to put a + or a - next to any items on the list that contain information you should relate to your students.

Questions to Have Answered Before School Begins

1. What do you need to know in order to conduct pretesting?

• Does the district specify the pretests you should give?
• What placement tests will you need to give before you can begin teaching?
• Where do you get the necessary materials?
• What kinds of records are you expected to keep?
• Do you have a copy of the report card students will receive?
• Are you expected to keep anecdotal records of behavior problems?
• Are you expected to provide the principal with your lesson plans?

2. Do you know the attendance procedures?

• What type of forms do you send to the office each day?
• By what time should attendance forms be in the office?
• What must students do after an absence? (Bring a note from home? Go directly to the office?)
• Are you expected to contact parents if a student is chronically absent? After how many absences are you expected to contact the parent?
• What are the school policies on absenteeism?

3. What are you expected to do in regard to lunch count?

• Are you expected to take lunch count?
• What type of form must be filled out?
• Where does that form go and by what time each day?
• Are there any special forms to fill out or are there special procedures to follow for students on Free Lunch Programs?
• Are you supposed to collect the lunch money? Where should you keep that money? When do you turn that money in?
• What do you do about students who have lost their money or had it stolen?

(Check with experienced teachers in the building to determine procedures for streamlining lunch count and money collection procedures so that they run smoothly without taking a lot of valuable time.)

4. Do you know the cafeteria procedures?

• What time are the students expected to be in the cafeteria?
• How do they get to the cafeteria? Are you expected to take them down? Are you expected to supervise them in the lunch line?
• Where are your students expected to sit? Can the students decide where they sit or do they sit in a specified place?
• Are you expected to supervise while the students are eating?
• What are the rules for cafeteria behavior? Even if you don't supervise the cafeteria, you should know the rules so that you can go over them with your students on the first day of school.

5. Do you know the procedures for using the library?

• • Can you send students to the library at any time?
• • How many students can you send at one time?
• • Will you train the students in how to use the library or will the librarian?
• • Are you expected to cover the library rules with your students? If so, what are the rules?

6. Do you know the procedures for the fire drills? Do you know which exit you should use?

7. Do you know when your students leave your class for music, P.E., breaks, and so on?

8. Do you know the duty schedule?

• When are you on lunch duty, hall duty playground duty, bus duty?
• Do you know what your responsibilities are for each of these duties?

9. Do you know the school's expectations for behavior?

• Is there a student handbook you should go over with your students?
• Does the school have a policy on hallway behavior? Do students need to have a hall pass?
• Does the school have a policy on sending students to the office?
• Does the school have a policy on gum chewing?
• What are the school policy and the school rules for behavior on the playground?
• Does the school have a closed campus or an open campus?
• Does the principal have expectations for student behavior in your class?

10. Do you know the school policies for referrals and available services in the event of academic problems, health problems, or behavior problems?

11. What is expected of you in terms of contacting parents?

• When are the first conferences?
• if there is a behavior problem, are you expected to inform parents?
• Does the school have a policy on parent observation and visitation?

12. Do you know the school's procedures on obtaining supplies?

• What material does the school have on hand?
• Do you need to sign the material out, or can you just take it?
• How large is your budget for ordering materials?
• What forms do you need to fill out for ordering materials?
• What supplies are students expected to bring from home? You should give a list to your students on the first day of school.

13. What services are available to you for materials preparation?

• Can you get the help of office aides?
• Can material be typed?
• Can material be run off?

14. Will you have the services of an instructional aide?

15. Do you know how to order films?

• Do you know where to get the school audiovisual equipment?
• Do you know how to operate the equipment?

16. Do you know where the district book depository is?

17. Is there a map of the building for you and your students?

Summary Checklist.

The list that follows is a review checklist for you to go over when you think you are ready to begin your first day. If you cannot check off all of the items, you have some more preparation ahead of you.

Have you read/accessed the sections:

• Roles of the Teacher?
• Making a Discipline Policy?
• Models of Discipline?

Have you:

• Set behavioral goals for your students?
• Designed classroom rules?
• Outlined consequences for following and not following rules?
• Prepared a letter to go home to parents?
• Prepared a list of supplies students will need?
• Prepared pretesting and placement testing?
• Designed whole-class teaching activities?
• Designed whole-class filler activities?
• Designed cushion activities for individuals who finish assignments early?
• Put together seatwork packets?

Do you have the following information:

• Attendance procedures?
• Lunch-count procedures?
• Cafeteria procedures?
• The school's expectations on behavior?
• P.E., music, library schedules for your students?
• Fire drill procedures?
• Your duty schedule and responsibilities?
• Book depository and location?
• Film-ordering procedures?
• Record-keeping procedures?
• Supply procedures?