It’s that time of year again! You wake up in a sweat, shaken from the dream where your clock doesn’t go off and you are late. You know what I’m referring to –          – “The First Day of School!” Whether veteran or rookie, we all have mixed feelings of excitement and fear about that day.

Thank goodness, it’s never as bad as it is in your dreams.

As a matter of fact, like a good wine, they have only become better with age.

With that said, here are six tips to help make a good first impression on that first day.

üDress Up! Nothing wrong with looking good on the first day!

üSmile! You can even laugh if you want. It’s OK to let your students know that you are human and have emotions.

üDevelop Expectations! Whatever you choose to call it – expectations, rules or norms – make sure you develop them on the first day. Your students need to know what is expected of them from day one.

üBe Prepared! Simple things become complicated when you are dealing with 20+ students entering your room for the first time. How are you going to seat your students? A seating chart is a good idea until you get to know them. If you are new, ask a veteran teacher for help.

üClassroom Management! The first few days are considered the honeymoon period. But sometimes there is no honeymoon. What do you do then? Make sure you have an idea on how you might handle a situation. Make sure you have a system in place.

üHave a Plan for the Day! The first day of school is a long day — teachers and students need to adjust to being back in the classroom. Think about what you are going to do with the day. Most teachers spend the day on rules. Make this a day to learn about your students, and give your students a chance to learn about you.

The first day of school finally ends, and the rest of the year lies before you. Don’t worry — if you didn’t “get it right” the first day, you still have many more days ahead of you to improve!

By: Carmie Louh G. Guevarra | T-I | Limay National Highschool