[Kjjames2]

Hello,,
I am a new teacher for 2017-2018 school year. I will be teaching 4th grade and I am very excited and nervous. Do you have any advice for the 1st day of school? How do I need to teach expectations and rules.

Thank you,
Karen

[mom23kids]

Hi Kjjames.. welcome to 4th grade! and welcome to teaching! This is the best ever place to ask as many questions as you want! We all help each other.
Advice for the 1st day: Yes, def teach expectations and rules. I have my kids work in groups of 4 or 5 and write on a large chart how they can be kind, a different group lists ways they can be responsible, etc. I tell them I'm watching to see how they collaborate. Then we discuss them and make a chart out of the best ideas. When walking in the halls, insist on quiet. Choose a secret walker i got this idea here. Tell them you are watching the secret walker and onlyl you know who it is. If he/she is a quiet walker in the hall all day, he/she will get a prize at the end of day (piece of candy)
Model all day long how you expect them to move from activity to activity and hae them do it over if its not perfect. Read them a story and have them write a response to it. Give them a focus question (How did so and so change from the beg of the story to the end?) and tell them to write a full page. (4th graders should be able to do that) This will help you see how they write. Teach expectations but remember to teach content also. Keep them busy all day.. No down time. Good luck,, I'm sure others will give more advice. 4th graders love stickers and stamps and still like the teachers to like them )

[Love_2_Teach]

Welcome to fourth grade! My advice for you is to have something that takes them time to complete on their desk. I have them color in and design a notecard that has their name on it. This gives me time to collect supplies and get settled. The cards are used for a get to know you activities.

[SteelerFan]

So, I'll only add that I have been in 4th grade a LOOOONG time and i still love it. If you have any more questions, please come back and ask. Also, I'd love to hear about your first week. I was so tired my first day, I don't think I could have made it online.
Have a great start and keep the questions coming.

[Linda/OH]

Welcome! You have come to the right place

I always include a read aloud on the first day.

Here are some read aloud ideas:
http://www.proteacher.net/discussion...d.php?t=180126

Another past thread on first days:
http://www.proteacher.net/discussion...d.php?t=170778

[Kjjames2]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. I have another question. What type of activities should l plan for the students to get to know other classmates in order to feel comfortable in class.
Do you recommend any books that I should be reading to get me prepared?
Thanks

[dianemcq]

I don't really focus on rules anymore...students know the typical rules by fourth grade so instead I focus on procedures and introduce them slowly over the first few days. There are procedures for turning in homework, unpacking in the morning, using the classroom library, etc. Dropping my class rules discussion hasn't hurt one bit.

Make sure that you plan some time when students are busy independently on the first day so you can take care of the administrative teacher duties! I bought boxes of 100-piece puzzles at the dollar store and each group gets to know each other and develop teamwork with a puzzle assembly on the first afternoon. I also show "Thank you, Mr. Falker read by Jane Kaczmarek" from Youtube, which will give you 16 minutes of time...plus your students will be treated to a fabulous book with a great message you can discuss after. It's one of my very favs and the narrator is wonderful.