Here’s EXACTLY What to Do in the First 20 Minutes on the First Day of School [Episode 215]

Heidi 0:00
This is episode 215 of Teacher Approved.

Heidi 0:05
You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

Emily 0:14
And I’m Emily. We’re the creators behind Second Story Window, where we give research based and teacher approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

Heidi 0:29
We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

Emily 0:36
Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we are diving deep into the first 20 minutes of the first day of school, and we’re sharing exactly how to use those crucial opening moments to set yourself up for a successful day and year. Plus, we’ll share a teacher approved tip for handling those inevitable first day tears.

Heidi 0:58
But let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a favorite quick win that you can try in your life right away. Emily, what’s our suggestion for this week?

Emily 1:05
This week, try giving yourself a compliment out loud. I know it kind of sounds silly, but research shows that speaking positive self talk aloud is more effective than just thinking it. So tomorrow, when you do something well, maybe you handle a tricky situation smoothly, or remember to send an important email, say something like, Good job me, or I handled that so well. It will feel silly, I’m sure, but your brain needs to hear that encouragement, especially during busy times like back to school.

Heidi 1:35
I love this. This is so whimsical and it’s effective. And if you find that saying something out loud feels too weird, you can try writing yourself a quick note in your planner. Future you will appreciate the reminder that present you is doing great things.

Emily 1:48
If you like this idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, could you take a minute and give us a five star rating and review on Apple podcasts? That’s one way that new listeners find us. So every rating and review is just super helpful.

Heidi 2:02
Over the years, Emily and I have created an extensive library of back to school products. So to help you find the tools that will make the start of your new year easier, today we are spotlighting our back to school brain breaks.

Emily 2:15
Well, since today’s episode is about how to make the first day of school run smoothly, we wanted to share an important tool for the first few days, your emergency time fillers. So until you get everyone into their new routine, you have no way of knowing if an activity is going to take five minutes or 25 minutes. And that’s why you need to have some ready to go time fillers that you can grab at a moment’s notice. And that’s where these brain breaks come in handy.

Heidi 2:38
We intentionally designed these to work without technology, so that you can use these on the fly without needing to prep anything. You just print off the cards of the activities that sound interesting and you’re all ready to go to fill any unexpected downtime, or, you know, to help kids get their wiggles out if they’ve been sitting too long for all of your rules and procedures.

Speaker 1 2:39
You’ll be so relieved to have these on hand at the start of the year, but we also have brain breaks to help you manage your class all year long. So you can find a link to our brain breaks in the show notes.

Emily 3:07
Okay, picture this. It’s 7:30am on the first day of school. You’ve been planning for weeks. Your classroom looks amazing, and you’re as ready as you’ll ever be, but then the kids start arriving, and suddenly your mind goes completely blank. Where do you even start?

Heidi 3:22
Yeah, that’s a rough moment. When you’re standing there with 20 something little strangers looking at you expectantly, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the 50 things that feel like they need to happen at the exact same time.

Emily 3:34
So that’s why we’re breaking down exactly what should happen in those first 20 minutes of the first day. Of course, we have some suggested activities, but we’re also sharing the why behind each choice and how they all work together to create the calm, confident start that you’re looking for.

Heidi 3:51
Think of this as your game plan. Just like a football coach scripts the first 15 to 20 plays of a game, we’re going to script those opening minutes so that you can focus on connecting with your students instead of frantically trying to remember what comes next.

Emily 4:05
Don’t worry, you don’t have to keep track of 15 to 20 football plays. Instead, we’re going to organize everything that needs to happen into five goals. Each of these goals serves a specific purpose in helping to make the first 20 minutes the key that unlocks a happy and successful first day of school.

Heidi 4:22
So first we’ll talk about what those goals are, and then we’re going to walk you through exactly how to achieve each one.

Heidi 4:27
So your first goal is to welcome each student and help them settle into this new space. Remember, some of your kids woke up so excited that morning, but others might have really been anxious about this moment for weeks.

Emily 4:39
This is where greeting at the door becomes so powerful. When you stand at your classroom door and personally welcome each child, you’re sending the message that they belong here and that you’re genuinely happy to see them.

Heidi 4:52
Now, in a few days, you’re going to be able to say good morning and send them off onto their routine, but on the first day, your students don’t know anything. So you need to be situated where you can explain exactly what they need to do when they walk into your classroom.

Emily 5:05
So as you greet each student, you’re also giving them their first mini lesson. Good morning, Sophia. Hang your backpack on any hook with a green dot, then choose a lunch from the chart on the board and find your desk.

Heidi 5:17
Keep it simple and specific. It will be helpful to post these steps on the board, and if you really want to take the stress level down, consider adding picture cues next to the words for anyone who might be feeling a little shaky in their reading ability at that moment.

Emily 5:32
And still be prepared to repeat these directions to each student individually as they arrive. It is tedious for the teacher, but it’s better than leaving kids wondering and confused. That will only amp up their first day nerves, and we do not want that.

Heidi 5:46
If it’s handy, you can have name tags with you at the door, or you can have them waiting on your students desks. Consider what makes the best sense for your situation. Helping your students get their name tags on can be a calming point of one on one connection, but on the other hand, it might further complicate an already complicated morning, if you’re holding up the flow of traffic and you have a big line of kids trying to get into the room. There’s not a right or wrong answer for this, just make sure that you are thinking about the pros and cons of your different options well in advance.

Emily 6:17
Yeah, do yourself a favor by making as many decisions as possible ahead of time, because you’ve got enough on your plate without having decision fatigue draining your energy on that first day.

Emily 6:26
And then once you’ve welcomed your students, your second goal is to provide an activity that calms nervous energy while keeping everyone engaged. And that is where we circle back to one of our all time favorite strategies, which is pattern blocks.

Heidi 6:40
If you have been with us for a while, you know we are obsessed with pattern blocks for this exact moment. In fact, we are so passionate about this, we would recommend investing in a class set of blocks, even if you never use them a single time to teach math. And Emily and I really don’t recommend spending money on much for your classroom.

Emily 7:00
Yeah, but pattern blocks can be your secret weapon for inside recess, keeping the siblings of your students entertained during parent conferences, rewarding your class with a fun and easy activity, and so much more. Everyone loves pattern blocks. I’ve even had to drag teenagers away from playing with them. They’re so versatile, but let’s talk about what makes them especially perfect for the first morning of school.

Heidi 7:23
Well, we have a list of reasons. Of course we do. First, pattern blocks require zero explanation. Kids see blocks on the table, they immediately know what to do. Little kids are going to dive right in. Big kids are going to maybe act like they’re too old for them, but they still get drawn in. There are no complicated directions for you to give or for students to follow, and that is crucial to your success when you’re creating new arrivals every few minutes.

Emily 7:48
The second reason that pattern blocks are so amazing is that they’re naturally calming. There’s something about the tactile nature of the blocks and the way they invite pattern making that just settles kids down. Even your most anxious student can find success building with blocks, and if you can afford it, a set of wood pattern blocks is even better than plastic. It just adds to the relaxing vibes.

Heidi 8:09
The third reason that pattern blocks are ideal for the first morning of school is that they are completely open ended. That means at no point will you have to answer the dreaded, ‘I’m done, now what’ question. No one is going to race to the end and start pestering their neighbors. Kids are happy to keep exploring and creating for as long as you need them to.

Emily 8:30
And the fourth reason is that the prep of pattern blocks couldn’t be simpler. Get some dollar store trays, put a pile of blocks in the middle of each table or on each desk, and you’re good to go. Really, any container will work for this. But if you have kids sharing the blocks, it’s easier for them to reach into a container with low sides instead of having to dig the blocks out of one of those bins.

Heidi 8:51
You really, really do not have to stress over this step. I have gotten as low key as dumping them onto sheets of paper because I didn’t think ahead to get containers. And you know what? It worked great. Pattern blocks for the win every time. And look at that. You have your first morning activity planned, prepped and ready to go in about two and a half minutes.

Emily 9:12
If you want to add a little more structure, we do have a set of back to school pattern block mats that we designed specifically for back to school. So there’s a school bus and a backpack and all that fun stuff, and there are two versions of each map. One is more open ended with a blank outline of the shape so students can explore and see which shapes can fill the space, and then the other version has outlines of the specific shape blocks.

Heidi 9:35
We did include both sets so you can differentiate as needed. But when Emily and I taught preschool, we used the open shapes with our preschoolers, and they can handle it fine, so I definitely think any elementary age student should be able to handle it without a problem.

Emily 9:48
Plus, the more open ended the task, the more engaged they will be. And we need to keep them busy for a few minutes so we can get this new school year underway.

Heidi 9:56
One thing I love about this back to school pattern block set is that each of the mats has a get to know you question at the top. The questions relate to whatever the shape is. So for the pizza slice, the question is, what’s your favorite lunch?

Emily 10:08
Yep, and that’s a simple way to help kids feel welcomed in class. If they can read, they could talk about the questions with their neighbors as they work, or when you’re walking around as the kids are creating, it gives you an easy way to initiate conversation.

Heidi 10:22
And we also included some editable slides. If you want to have something posted for the kids to do, you can easily add your welcome message and then direct the kids to explore with the blocks until it’s time to get started.

Emily 10:33
Okay, that’s a lot of information, but don’t feel like you have to remember all this. We also include a Teacher’s Guide to walk you through all the whys and hows. In the show notes, you will find a link to the pattern block set and to our Lego activity mats. It has similar activities to the pattern blocks, but might be a little more appealing to your older kids, assuming you have access to a bunch of basic Legos.

Heidi 10:54
Yeah, but it actually might be easier to track down a tub of loose Lego pieces than to buy a class set of Lego blocks.

Emily 11:00
Good point.

Heidi 11:01
You could probably even get donations from your neighborhood if you want to do this as cheaply as possible.

Emily 11:07
But you really aren’t obligated to use either pattern blocks or Legos. Any calming and engaging activity will work as your first morning of school activity. The key is just choosing something that’s open ended but doesn’t require a lot of setup or explanation from you.

Heidi 11:21
Now, once you’ve welcomed each student and offered them an engaging activity, the third goal of your first 20 minutes is to teach the most important procedures. These are the ones that your students absolutely need to know to be successful today. And we’ve said this before, but it bears repeating, the first thing you need to teach is not your attention signal.

Emily 11:42
We know lots of class management experts recommend starting with your attention signal, but we disagree, because we have weirdly strong opinions about this and many other things. Don’t start with your attention signal. Start with your bathroom procedure. There’s always at least one kiddo with a nervous tummy on the first day, and you definitely don’t want them sitting there worried about what to do if they need to use the restroom.

Heidi 12:05
Plus teaching the bathroom first sends a message that you care about their comfort and well being. This is actually a really welcoming way to start. You’re essentially saying, I want to make sure that you feel safe and taken care of here.

Emily 12:17
Keep it simple and clear. Teach the routine you want to use all year. Make sure they know where the restroom is located and how to re enter the classroom without causing a distraction.

Heidi 12:26
And you can really just play up the silliness. Get your most serious face on and tell students you’re going to teach them the most important thing they’re going to learn all year. Just pause and really let the drama build, and then tell them, let me tell you how to get to the bathroom.

Emily 12:43
Yeah, that’s a sure fire way to break the ice with kids. And once that’s out of the way, then you can move on to your attention signal. Choose something that feels natural to you. Maybe it’s a chime, maybe it’s a clapping pattern, maybe it’s just raising your hand. The key is being consistent about how you introduce it.

Heidi 12:59
You can try something like, when you see me raise my hand like this, that means stop what you’re doing, look at me, and raise your hand too. All right, let’s practice. You keep building with your blocks, and when you see my signal, remember to stop, look and raise your hand.

Emily 13:13
We did a deep dive into attention signals in Episode 98 where we shared all of our best tips and troubleshooting hacks. Definitely make sure to go back and check that one out if you want some pointers or if your attention signal needs some help.

Heidi 13:25
Practice your attention signal a few times while students are working with the blocks. This gives them a chance to experience success with the signal while doing something they enjoy, rather than feeling put on the spot.

Emily 13:34
Once you’ve taught about the bathroom and your attention signal, tell students that they have five more minutes to finish their designs while you handle the fourth goal, and that is to get your administrative tasks out of the way so you can focus on your students. So this is when you handle all of your teacher tasks, like attendance, lunch count, any forms that need to go to the office, all the behind the scenes stuff that keeps the school running.

Heidi 13:56
Here’s where having a clear script for the day really pays off. Write yourself notes like, send attendance, in all caps, so you don’t forget in the chaos of the moment. Trust me, you don’t want to start off the year with the front office having to track down your numbers.

Emily 14:12
Okay, so you got that taken care of. Good. Now here’s a real veteran teacher hack. Don’t be in a rush to jump into the day. Once you’ve sent in your attendance and dealt with your tasks, just take a moment and pause. This is our fifth goal. If the kids are still engaged with their activity, take two minutes to step back and just watch.

Heidi 14:30
Yeah, this might be your last quiet moment until three o’clock. So make it count. Observe how things are going. How are the kids interacting with each other, who seems comfortable, who might need some extra support? Maybe even snap a quick candid photo of the last moment when it’s all still peaceful.

Emily 14:50
And this is the perfect moment to give yourself a little internal high five. Look around at your beautiful classroom, see your students engaged and calm, and acknowledge how much work you put in to make this moment possible.

Heidi 15:01
You prepared for this, you planned for this, and it is working. You can imagine Emily and me there in spirit cheering you on. You deserve to take a few seconds to appreciate that success before diving into the conveyor belt of busyness that is about to kick off.

Emily 15:18
When it’s time to transition, prepare students with a cue in advance. In one more minute, we’re going to clean up our blocks. This preview of what’s coming reduces anxiety and gets them into the rhythm of listening for directions.

Heidi 15:30
Once the minute is up, make use of that attention signal you just taught. Make sure everyone is focused on you, and then explain how you want them to clean up and what they should do after. This transition becomes your first opportunity to practice following directions as a group, which sets you up beautifully for the rest of the day.

Emily 15:46
So let’s recap what those first 20 minutes might look like when you put all five goals together. First, you’re welcoming and settling. You’re going to greet students at the door, give them clear directions for what to do when they enter, and then they’re going to be hanging up backpacks, making lunch choices, and managing anything else that needs to happen.

Heidi 16:05
Next you’re making sure everyone is calmly engaged. That might be sitting down to explore pattern blocks or Lego mats or another open ended activity.

Emily 16:13
Once everyone is in their spot and the bell rings, wait for any announcements, and then start your third goal, establishing essential guidelines. Teach your bathroom procedure first and then your attention signal.

Heidi 16:24
Tell your students they have a few more minutes to explore with the blocks while you attend your fourth goal. Handle administrative tasks, take attendance, make your lunch count, and observe how the group is settling in. Don’t forget to pause to appreciate this moment that you have worked so hard to create.

Emily 16:40
And as your first 20 minutes wrap up, cover your fifth goal and set students up for a successful transition. Use your attention signal to bring them together and give them clear directions for cleaning up and transitioning to the next activity.

Heidi 16:54
And just like that, you have accomplished five crucial goals. Your students feel welcomed and safe and you’re ready to move into the rest of your carefully planned day. You’ve set everyone up for success and opened the door to a calm and confident first day of school.

Emily 17:09
We’d love to hear your best first day of school suggestions. Come join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Emily 17:17
Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s teacher approved tip is have a plan for first day tears.

Heidi 17:29
Oh yeah, you know how it goes. No matter how perfectly you plan those first 20 minutes, someone might still end up in tears. That is just to be expected.

Emily 17:38
Yeah, especially in the younger grades. First, remember that tears on the first day are usually about big feelings, not about you or your classroom. Kids might be sad about leaving mom, worried about making friends, or just overwhelmed by all the newness.

Heidi 17:52
The way to manage this is to have a comfort plan all ready to go. Maybe it’s a special stuffed animal in your classroom that gets to sit with the student. Maybe it’s a quiet corner with soft pillows, or maybe it’s just sitting next to you while the rest of the class continues with their activity.

Emily 18:07
Keep in mind that often the best comfort is just a calm routine. When that crying child sees other kids happily building with blocks and following simple directions, they usually start to feel more secure too.

Heidi 18:17
Trust the process. Your thoughtful planning and calm energy will help even your most anxious students settle in. And remember tears on day one don’t predict how the rest of the year will go.

Heidi 18:24
Alright, to wrap up the show, we’re sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

Emily 18:33
Well, I’ve got some high art to tell you about, because I’m giving extra credit to the new Netflix family movie, K Popdemon Hunters. I had heard all the buzz about it, and my daughters both watched it on their own, and they’re nine and 15, and they both loved it. So I was like, Okay, let’s just watch it. So we watched it last night for movie night, and I have to say, I went in with very low expectations, but it was actually really good.

Heidi 18:58
Good.

Emily 19:00
The characters are like interesting and nuanced, and the music is super catchy. But the biggest surprise for me was that it was actually very funny. I rarely find kids cartoons actually funny, but this was legitimately funny. So if you need an idea for family movie night, check out k pop demon hunters. And even without kids Heidi, maybe you should give it a watch.

Heidi 19:19
I didn’t realize it was animated.

Emily 19:21
Oh yeah. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

Heidi 19:24
Well, I’m giving extra credit to not an animated movie. It’s very different. I’m giving extra credit to my new Laurel Denise planner. I have not had an official planner, planner, grown up planner, since I started teaching, and that’s so funny, because all through high school and all through college, I was a dedicated Franklin Covey girl. I had the binders for each year, the whole bit.

Emily 19:46
Oh yeah, I think I still have some of those in my closet at mom and dad’s house, like the past, the past years, because it was so important to keep my what I wrote on them in high school.

Heidi 19:56
Oh, absolutely, of course it was. But since then, I just haven’t found anything that I could keep up with. I think when I was teaching, I just used my plan book.

Emily 20:05
Yeah.

Heidi 20:05
And I’ve tried different things over the years, but what I ended up using was just a notebook that was basically one long row for the week with like, a to do list for each day. And that worked well, but I hated that I didn’t have a calendar that I could reference. Stuff would catch me off guard all the time, because I couldn’t see the month at a glance. So I would have to, like, remember to look at my phone and see what’s going on, and I didn’t always see that. But this planner keeps that same format with the long row for the week, with the little to do list at the bottom, but there’s a monthly calendar at the top. It’s exactly what I needed, and I have actually been able to stay on top of using it. Haven’t fallen to my bad planner habit of, like, trying something for a few weeks and never keeping up with it.

Emily 20:45
Oh yeah, every time for me.

Heidi 20:47
Yeah. But I am like, six weeks into this one, and it has been great. I love it. There’s a link to it in the show notes if you also need a grown up planner.

Emily 20:57
Maybe I need to check it out.

Heidi 20:58
Yeah, I will say it does take up a lot of space on my desk, so that is the downside. I would, like half the size would be perfect.

Emily 21:04
Yeah.

Heidi 21:05
But you know how things go.

Heidi 21:08
Well, that’s it for today’s episode. Remember that being intentional with those first 20 minutes can help the rest of the day flow much more smoothly. With clear goals and a solid plan, you can create a calm, confident start that sets everyone up for success.

Emily 21:22
And make sure to check the show notes for links to our back to school pattern blocks mats, first day Lego mats, and our brain breaks to help you avoid any unexpected time. Because when you’ve planned this thoroughly, you can focus on what really matters, which is connecting with your students.

Heidi 21:37
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I’m Heidi.

Emily 21:41
And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

Heidi 21:48
You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye for now.

Emily 21:54
Bye.