Getting to Know Your Students

Get ready for back to school with these printables, activities, and teaching advice. Our icebreakers, classroom introduction lessons, and worksheets will help students and teachers learn about each other and feel more at ease in their new setting. Games, printables, and tips will help you learn and remember students' names. From greeting your students to outlining educational objectives to establishing classroom rules, you'll find the tools you need to prepare for your first day.

First Day of School Resources First Day Celebration Throw a "Getting to Know You" party on the first day of school. First Questions First Get ready for your first day of teaching with these ideas on how to show your personality to your students. New teachers will find this resource particularly valuable when preparing for back to school. Curious George's First Day of School Teacher's Guide Extend and enhance children's enjoyment of Curious George's First Day of School with the lesson planning resources in this printable teacher's guide. Activities include journaling, show-and-tell, interviews, and mapmaking. A Back-to-School Conversation Foster trust in the classroom through this first day of school activity. Student Orientation Learn some general rules about what makes a great teacher. This advice is especially useful for back-to-school and new teachers. More Popular Back-to-School Lesson Plans Meeting Your Students Getting to Know Each Other Getting to know your students at the beginning of the year is crucial in establishing a strong teacher-student rapport. Meeting and Greeting Students at the Beginning of Class The amount of effort a teacher puts into meeting students is a critical benchmark for most children. Classroom Introductions Introduce yourself to your students and discuss year long objectives. Students also introduce themselves to each other. Getting to Know Your Student Send this letter home to parents to help you know your students better. Name Tags Use name tags to help you learn students' names. Name Game Improve students' alphabet recognition and letter-sound associations while learning fellow classmates' names. Getting to Know You Use this sheet to help your students get to know each other and you. Give a copy to each student and one to yourself. Share your answers with the class to break the ice. This is a useful activity for the first week of school. Student Inventory: Impressions Have your students complete the sentences in this sheet and get an introduction to each student.

Similar and Different Students discuss the ways in which they are similar and different. Self-Portrait Help students develop a sense of self while examining race and diversity. Self Portrait Class Book Make a book of self-portraits that you can then use to compare with end of the year portraits. Getting to Know Each Other Through Poetry Students get to know each other through a poetry writing activity. Our First Classroom Book Build classroom community while creating your first classroom book. Getting to Know Me Kids fill-in autobiographical information in this worksheet to tell others about themselves. Use this worksheet at the beginning of the school year to get to know your new students. Icebreakers Personal Mandalas Icebreaker Students create a personal mandala to illustrate how they see themselves. What Am I? Icebreaker Explore an activity that helps students to get to know one another using animal sounds. Getting to Know You Bingo A bingo game will help your students (and you) get to know each other better. Remembering Names Use these fun games to help students remember each other's names. More Icebreakers Related Resources New Teacher Resources Discover everything a beginning teacher will need for a successful school year, from tips for your first day, to classroom-management advice, to printables and lesson plans that will support your curriculum all year long. Back-to-School Headquarters Return to school this fall prepared to conquer any questions you or your students might have about the school year. Our resources range from teaching students the school's layout to assessment tips. Personalizing the Secondary Classroom Find ideas and activities for personalizing your secondary classroom. These articles, printables, and guides will aid teachers in making their classroom safe and inviting for grades 9-12.