First Day 2012

Wow, so far, it seems that I lucked out this year.  I seem to have a really good great class!!  It was probably one of the easiest first days ever for me!  I did arrive (for the first time ever) well before most of the parents.  I usually have a hard time finding a parking space very close to any entrances.  I got a lot done BEFORE I had a crowd of worried parents and kids at my door.  In fact, this year, I really didn't have that many doting parents.  Maybe my class is more mature???  or maybe mom and dad are so glad school started they just dropped them off.  I'm going with the mature factor. (I hope I am right)
I have one little girl that literally read everything I put on the Promethian board, all my charts that I referred to, and most anything else I put in front of her.
I started the year with the usual first day -- procedure, procedure, procedure followed by demonstrated poor choices and resulting clip move down the scale and good examples with movement up the scale.  I was actually with-it enough to remember enough student names to use their names in examples.  We practiced procedures and they even ALL earned a positive move up the discipline scale.
After lunch, I read "The Night Before First Grade" and "First Day Jitters".  I also used a flip chart by Clarissa Miles I found on Promethian Planet.  The kids did a great job listening and answering the questions that I asked.
When we finished both books and discussion, I had them illustrate and write about how they felt last night.  I thought that they did such a great job sounding out words and working so hard.  I even posted them on our bulletin board outside our room.  I am so proud of my peeps!!!
I can't wait to start testing them and seeing where their levels really are.