Get To Know Your Students - Fast!

The beginning of the year can be stressful.  You have so much to do, get your room ready, plan lessons, and build a community in your classroom.  The last one can be daunting, especially if you teach middle school.  You can't wait to meet your students and get to know them.  But, getting to know 150 new to you students takes a long time!

Here are six activities you can do in your classroom the first week of school!

• Create Name Plates - The very first thing I want to do with my students is learn their names.  I do this by having them create a name plate to post in front of them.  I have them take a sheet of white paper, and fold it into three parts (to make a triangle).  Then, I have them write their name really big in the center of one of the boxes.  On each edge of the box I have them write 2 things that interest them, their favorite book, their favorite sports team, and their favorite movie.  (There are endless favorites you could use for this part - place, subject, food, etc.)  This not only helps me learn their name, but I also get to learn a little bit about them - and they get to be creative!

• Get to Know You - Bingo - This is a fun first week activity that not only helps you learn about the students but also helps the students learn about their peers.  For this activity you can use a  bingo card generator and type in things that you think the students might like or have in common (went to the lake this summer, has a dog, likes ice cream, etc.) Students will then go around the room and ask each other if any of the statements are true for them.  When a student finds a box that is true for them, they sign their name in the box.  The first student (or 10) to get a bingo, wins a prize.  

• 2 truths and a lie - This is an easy quick game that can be done at the end of any class and doesn't require any prep.  Tell students to write down 2 things that are true about them and make up 1 lie.  You will then go around the room and ask students to read their three statements.  The class or the teacher can guess which statement is the lie.  Students really like trying to stump the teacher.

• Student interest surveys - This is definitely my favorite way to gather a lot of information about my students in a quick way.  These surveys utilize Google Forms to gather information about your students.  I add a survey to their Google Classroom and have them fill it out.  Once all the students have filled out the form, you can then go to the responses and download all of the responses into a spreadsheet.  You will then have all of your students' interests all in one place.  I love to use the responses when I am trying to make decisions about texts and poems to read, creating homework, etc.  Having these responses all in one place really helps to see what the students in your class like to do.  

• Letter to the teacher - Some teachers (especially English teachers) like to start the year having students write.  This is a great way to set the tone in your classroom, while also getting to know your students.  This activity asks students to write a one page letter to you introducing themselves.  Students can share about their family, their favorite things, their hobbies, their academic likes and dislikes, or anything else they want to share about themselves.  The most important part about this exercise is that you read the letters.  Students will ask you whether or not you read them and you want to make sure that you have.  If you have too many students and you don't think you will be able to read them all in a timely manner, then don't do this activity!!!  Failing to read their letters will tell the students that you don't care about them and this is not the message you want to send the first week of school.

• Journal activities - While reading 150 one page letters may seem like too much, this activity is a little more manageable.  Quick writes are easy journal activities that still set a writing tone in your classroom and tell you a little bit about the students.  However, they do not take as long to read!  I like to do this activity by giving the students choice with their journal entries. I put up several journal topics and tell them to pick one and write about it in their journal.  Some possible topics include:

What are your goals for this year?

What I did over summer vacation.

My favorite teacher in school so far is ___________ because…

Which school rule is most important?  Why?

This year, I wish…

Write a letter introducing yourself to me.

Describe your favorite and least favorite part of school and explain why.

If you weren’t in school today, what would you be doing?

If I could change this school I would…

Good luck with the new school year.  I hope one or more of these activities will help you get to know your students quickly.  

If you are interested in the student interest surveys that utilize Google Forms click here.

If you are interested in the name plate, get to know you bingo, paper student interest surveys and much, much more like a syllabus, procedures for your classroom, sub plan template, etc. click here. 

For no prep back to school activities for the English classroom, click here.