First Day of School

The anxiety that the first day of school brings with it can't be described in words. The first day always gives me jitters. You don't know the kids and to handle 24 of them at once can be nerve wrecking. But the first day also brings with it a newness and freshness that makes you super excited to start the year.The planning, preparation and setting up the class gives me a great high. So this year was no different and i took precisely 3 days to give my class a makeover( Thanks to all the wonderful ideas on Pinterest). My classroom is quite tiny, so i couldn't make many changes in terms of moving the furniture. But still given the space at hand, i tried making it a warm and welcoming place for the kids.

This is the view from the entrance. My co-teacher hung silhouettes of boys and girls and wrote names of children on them. 

This is the calendar and the whole group meeting area.

Months and days of the week

Helpers chart

Daily Attendance Chart. I love Owls and have placed them in different places in my class. Children read their names and turn their card around when they come in the morning. The backside of the cards have their pictures. We count the number of boys and girls and write it on the pink/blue chart.

This is the birthday chart. Dr Seuss is another favorite !

I found a very cute birthday song from Teaching Divas.

You can download by clicking on the link below.

Birthday Chart

I put up different shapes with a little poem for each shape.

Pete the Cat on the door ! 

I love this cat and i would soon be reading the book "Rocking in my school shoes" by Eric Litwin and James Dean to my Kids. It is a super cute book to introduce various places in the school.

This is my favorite space in the class. The reading area !

Word Wall 

This board is to display children's work. They made self portraits on the first day.

 This is my desk. I did mention that i love Owls ! :)

 This Owl is our class mascot. The shelves are for children to put their work.

Our brain break ideas basket and the Sound Muncher which we will be using when we study letters.

You can download the brain break template by clicking on the picture below:

Children decorated the first letter of their name.

We have been singing some fun songs by Dr Jean to settle the kids down and to help them to know each others name.

Looking through My Window 

I made a picture frame with cardboard and held it in front of my face as i sang this song to the tune of “Go In and Out My Window.”

I’m looking through my window.

I’m looking through my window.

I’m looking through my window,

And I see my friend (first child’s name)

The child whose name i said looked through the frame and took another child's name. The song continued till everyone had a turn.

Another fun movement song was

Shakey, Shakey 

Child’s name, child’s name, sick in bed.

Called the doctor and the doctor said.

Come on, child’s name, you’re not sick.

All you need is an exercise trick.

        So stand up and shakey, shakey shakey.      

               Get down and shakey, shakey, shakey,           

          Turn around and shakey, shakey, shakey,      

              Sit down and shakey, shakey, shakey.          

The first day went off fabulously for me and each child had a smile at the end of the day. I made a small goody bag for them with a poem i found on Pinterest. 

I altered it a bit since we don't get 'smarties' easily in India. I substituted smarties with 'Five Star'

You can download the Poem with the 'Five Star' version here.

You can download the Poem with the 'Smarties' version here.

I would like to end this post with a picture, my husband took of the park which is right across my home. I know it is off key in relation to the post but it is a beautiful picture because it is rare to see natural beauty in the concrete jungle that Gurgaon is ! And it definitely puts a smile on my face. :)