This contribution to thr Performance Pyramid as made by Kimberly Hill and Jenna Turner in Fall, 2015.
Watch "Kindergarten Cop" Video at the bottom of the page to view how rough that first week of Kindergarten could possibly be.
Teacher Preparation:
All children are different especially kindergartners. These children, starting mandatory school for the first time, will be at various skill levels. Some of the students will have gone to preschool while others may have stayed at home.
Kindergarten is certainly not what is used to be. Most students will have some preparation, but not all! Furthermore, kindergarten is way more academic based than most teachers remember. It is more than just learning the alphabet and numbers. Students are learning sounds, sight words, and basic math skills. Some can even read!
Prepare a letter to send to the parents before the first day of school to give an insight on what it will look and feel like. Everyone’s emotions are at an all time high during the first day of school. Therefore, taking a little time to prepare is beneficial to all. This letter should include things like:
What you do on the first days of school will determine your success or failure for the rest of the school year.
Parents Preparation:
Tips, Tricks, and Ideas:
Line Leader King/Queen - Serves as the line leader for the week and sets the example for the others while in line.
Attendance Secretary - Responsible for taking the attendance sheet to the office and makes other trips to the office as necessary.
Paper Doctor - Passes out and collects all papers and other materials as needed to perform classroom assignments.
Pencil Mechanic - In the morning the pencil mechanic distributes pencils from the pencil box to the students. In the afternoon, he/she collects and re-sharpens the pencils for the next day.
Clean-up Custodian - While all the students are responsible for keeping their desks clean, the clean-up custodian goes around the room at the end of the day to check that everything has been picked up and put in its place.
Lunch Room Managers - Sets lunch tables with utensils and napkins.
Milk Farmer - Passes out the milk at lunch.
Door Police Officer - Opens, holds, and closes the door for the other students.
Electrician - Turns the classroom lights on and off as needed.
One of the most important factors in arranging for a smooth first day of school is setting up clear routines.
How to organize for the first day:
“No age is too young to learn procedures”
References
Clark, Christopher M.. “Asking the Right Questions About Teacher Preparation:
Contributions of Research on Teacher Thinking”. Educational Researcher 17.2 (1988): 5–12. Web.
Danling, Fu, et al. "A Comfortable Start For Everyone: The First Week Of School In
Three Multi-Age (K-2) Classrooms." Early Childhood Education Journal 27.2 (1999): 73-80. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
"First Day of Kindergarten: 8 Survival Skills." Edutopia. George Lucas Educational Foundation, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/starting-kindergarten-8-survival-skills-sarah-richard>.
"5 Things Kindergarten Teachers Wish Parents Knew." About.com Parenting. About.com, Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://childparenting.about.com/od/schoollearning/a/5-things-kindergarten-teachers-wish-parents-knew.htm>.
"Getting Ready for Kindergarten Handouts." Get Ready to READ. National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc., Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.getreadytoread.org/transition-kindergarten-toolkit/preparing-parents/getting-ready-for-kindergarten>.
Herzog, Danielle. "What to Expect When Your Child Goes to Kindergarten." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2015/08/07/what-to-expect-when-your-child-goes-to-kindergarten/>.
"Kinder Tips, Hints & Ideas for Kindergarten Teachers." Kinder Helper. Kinder Helper, Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.kinderhelper.com/ArticlesFirstDay.htm>.
Maor, Hadar. "How to Organize for the First Day of Kindergarten: A Guide For New and Veteran Teachers." EarlyChildhoodTeacher.org. Early Childhood Teacher, 26 July 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.earlychildhoodteacher.org/blog/how-to-organize-for-the-first-day-of-kindergarten-a-guide-for-new-and-veteran-teachers/>.
Maypole, Melissa. "Kindergarten—What Teachers Expect and What You Can Expect." RED APPLE READING BLOG. 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.redapplereading.com/blog/2012/08/kindergarten-what-teachers-expect-what-you-can-expect/>.
Murray, Bonnie. "30 Classroom Procedures to Head Off Behavior Problems." Scholastic Teachers. Scholastic Inc., 2002. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/30-classroom-procedures-head-behavior-problems>.
Nelson, Karen. "50 Tips, Tricks and Ideas for Teaching Kindergarten." WE Are Teachers. WE Are Teaches. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2015/07/07/50-tips-tricks-and-ideas-for-kindergarten>.
Steen, Bweikia Foster. "Promoting Healthy Transitions from Preschool to Kindergarten." The National Association for the Education of Young Children (2011): 90-95. Print.
Wong, Harry, and Rosemary Wong. "An Amazing Kindergarten Teacher." Teachers Net Gazette. Teachers.net, 1 May 2008. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.teachers.net/wong/MAY08/>.