7 Things to Do Your First Day of Class
The new school year has started, and you’re officially ready for your first day of class!
There are a few things I always do on the first day of a new school year or a new semester to start the year off on the right foot. Here are seven things I always do on the first day of class:
1) Find out who the class monitor is
Depending on the country or type of school you’re teaching at, this could vary. But often in Asian countries, each class of students will have a self-appointed class monitor. This class monitor is the leader of the class, and is your go-to for information and communication.
For example, sometimes the class monitor is the one who can provide you with the class roster. If a student is sick or needs to ask for leave, often the class monitor is the one who will fill you in on the details. If the school is canceling or rescheduling the class for any reason, often they will share that information with the class monitor before they share it with you. And if you need help with administrative tasks, such as printing things, your school secretary or the class monitor would help you with that. This student will be your go-to for anything pertaining to that class of students.
2) Set up communication groups
Of course, you could rely on your class monitor for all communication with your class, but I prefer to have the ability to talk with my students directly as well. On the first day of class, I will set up online groups, so that I can send out announcements or students can ask me questions anytime. If you’re in China, that means WeChat groups or DingTalk groups. In the past, I’ve also collected email addresses. Or perhaps your school already has a system set up that you can use.
3) Send class guides out
Each semester, I make a simple PDF that I call a “class guide.” It takes just a few minutes on Canva, and it’s really helpful to make sure every student (regardless of their English level) is on the same page. My class guide includes all the introductory information about our class including: topics to be covered, class rules, class expectations, grading criteria, how late work/absences are handled, and overall class goals for the semester. Sending this out after it’s been discussed in class ensures that each student had the chance to review the information (even if they didn’t understand it when it was spoken in class) and they can also review it anytime they have a question.
4) Send English name PDF to anyone who doesn’t have an English name
Sometimes, you’ll walk into a class where everyone has already chosen an English name. Other times, you’ll walk into a class where no one has an English name. Calling students by an English name not only makes things easier for you, but it also gives them a sense of ownership over learning English, and also helps create an English environment. But choosing an English name can be a daunting task, so I’ve made a simple PDF with male, female, and androgynous names. Students can read through the list (I also recorded myself pronouncing each name) and choose whichever one they like!
5) Confirm English name with student numbers
Once students have chosen their English names, it’s important to make sure you know who is who. Since your school’s records most likely won’t use English, you’ll need to confirm each student’s English name is matched with their real name or student number. I’ve found the best way to do this is have students write their English name next to their name/number on a roster. You can do this with a printed sheet of paper in class or in something like a Google document in your communication group.
6) Add English names to Excel grading documents
When everyone’s name is confirmed, go ahead and make your Excel grading documents that you’ll use to record their grades. Perhaps you’ll be tracking grades throughout the semester, or maybe you’ll wait until the end of the semester—either way, it’ll be nice to get ahead and have this ready to go for grading.
7) Make and print attendance sheets with English names
Finally, make attendance sheets so you can keep track of attendance each class. I do this simply by writing each student’s name down the sheet in Word, and listing the number of total classes each semester at the top. Printing this out allows you to mark it up as much as you need to each semester.
And there you go! These are the seven things I do for my ESL classes on the first day of class. Doing this right at the start of the semester ensures the rest of my semester goes as smoothly as possible.