First Day of School in a Special Eduction Classroom

The first day of school in a special education classroom is the same as every classroom in the respect that it is full of fun, nerves and excitement! Every kiddo walks through that door with some form of reservation and anticipation for the new school year ahead. I’m going to share some ideas for the first day of school in today’s post.

first day of school printable activities

First things first, welcome the kiddo’s with LOVE to make sure everyone feels safe and welcomed. The morning of the first day of school can be hectic for teacher’s; new staff may be showing up, parents may be lingering, kiddos may be missing their home and you are most likely being stretched way too thin as it already is.

Set yourself up for success by having every minute of the day planned, prepped and ready to go so that you are not leaving any down time for anything to go wrong!

First Day of School Schedule

I get asked all the time, what is your first day of school schedule? Honestly, when I was in the classroom I started my daily schedule from DAY ONE. Students used visual schedules and we followed a strict routine. I am a firm believer in routine and schedules. I started with morning meeting, ran work centers, did my calendar routine and integrated some sensory fun. For the first day of school planning I always say STRICT ROUTINE, SIMPLE TASKS.

student visual schedules on student desks in a special education classroom

First Day Tips

First Day of schools should be celebrated! One little extra special thing I used to do on the first day of school was place a toy/book on the students desk for when they arrive. Students may come in and be nervous, a fun toy could help with the transition of coming to school and saying bye to parents.
Start each day with morning meeting. During morning meeting on the first day of school, incorporate some student and staff introductions. Setting expectations from day one is a must in every classroom. Using a social story to set expectations during morning meeting is the easiest way to review rules and expectations. You can even project it on your smart board if you have one.
Following morning meeting might be a great time to introduce a picture book, The Pigeon HAS To GO To School! Read more about this book down below in this post!
Run work centers as you would normally. Instead of including hard academic work provide some fun activities. This introduces students to the idea of transitioning and earning a reward for completing tasks. Instead of a math worksheet play a board game, play with play doh or color a picture. Regardless of what it is, students will still transition between tables, earn their clips and turn it in for a preferred activity. To read more about my work center system, click HERE.
Calendar skills are ALWAYS an important skill. Simply run a calendar routine as you would any other day, set students up for success from day one.
During a whole group lesson on the first day, review expectations and school rules. Read more below about how I recommend doing this.
STRICT SCHEDULE, SIMPLE TASKS

Talk about What the First Day of School Means

It might seem obvious, yes, that it’s the first day of school. The first day of school in a special education classroom might need a little more prep and discussion than other classrooms. I like to use social stories for everything, there is no secret here. I talk about social stories ALL the time, because I believe they are the most valuable tool you can have in a special education classroom.

After you read this social story, include students in an interactive discussion using these discussion questions and student response sticks.

first day of school discussion questions

The Pigeon Has To Go To School!

This story is a silly story about a pigeon who overcomes his nerves about the first day of school! Everyone loves pigeon books and this is a fun way to talk about first day nerves! I included some lesson plans and discussion questions to help you with your read aloud.

The pigeon has to go to school by mo Willems lesson plans

After you read the story, The Pigeon HAS To Go To School, follow up with some discussion activities. A fun anchor chart is a great way to do a hands on discussion following the story. I have also provided two levels of a worksheet for students to follow along during the discussions of the story.

The Pigeon has to go to school by mo Willems anchor chart and worksheets

This fun directed drawing activity could be a perfect fun activity to incorporate into your FUN first day of school work centers!

The pigeon has to go to school directed drawing lessons

Review Rules, Procedures and Such

I suggest reading a first day of school social story first thing in the morning during your morning meeting routine. Following up to this social story throughout the day will help students to master and generalize the school expectations. Here are some fun activities to ease into the new school year.

Interactive notebook: Discus the difference between the school year and summer.

first day of school interactive notebook

Complete a simple review worksheet.

Document the First Day

Do you have an Open House in the spring where you showcase student work? My district ALWAYS did and I was always in a panic come Spring trying to find a way to showcase their work from over the year. I decided to start creating a student scrapbook portfolio from Day 1 so that everything was easy to go. Pictured are some October pages in the scrapbook I used every year!

The first day of school is one everyone will remember. You want to set the tone for your year as an educator from Day one. Remember, STRICT ROUTINE, SIMPLE TASKS. All students will be successful and most importantly, make sure everyone feels SAFE and LOVED.

Like what you read? Don’t forget it, PIN IT!