Tag: Back to School

First Week of Math Class Ideas

You may be wondering what the first week of math class should really look like — especially if you’re teaching middle or high school. Maybe you’re aiming to make everything perfect, or maybe you’re just trying to survive the chaos.

Either way, I’ve been there. I spent over 35 years in the classroom, and I always believed the first week was about more than content. It’s about systems, structure, and connection.

So here’s what I recommend (and what I used myself) for that first week of school.

Start with a Plan and a PowerPoint

For new teachers, I recommend using a PowerPoint on Day 1 to walk students through your rules and procedures. If you’ve read Harry Wong’s First Days of School, you know how powerful this foundation can be. If you’re a veteran teacher, you might prefer to break up the PowerPoint across the week and mix in more community-building and routines practice.

About Me + Name Plates

As students walk in on the first day, I have two things waiting on their desks:

  • An “About Me” page (as bell work)
  • An index card to make a nameplate (Suggestion: Use colored index cards — a different color for each class)

The folded nameplate helps me learn names quickly and gives students something productive to do. I keep these nameplates all year, clipped by class — super handy for randomly calling on students or activities where I move seats.

I keep all name plates for each class on a clip as shown above.

YouCubed

The other thing I liked to do during the first days of my math class was use activities from YouCubed. The ones I focused on came from the Week of Inspirational Math(s). I’ll give more specifics in my weekly plan.

Sample Weekly Plan (Block Schedule)

Mon/Tue

Secondary Math – 1st Week of School
  • Bell Work: “About Me”
  • First Day PowerPoint
  • Make Name Plates
  • Send home parent forms
  • Scavenger Hunt + Syllabus

Wed/Thu

  • Hand out name plates again
  • Finish any leftover intro tasks
  • YouCubed “Four 4’s” activity
  • Start Collatz Conjecture (“Oh Hail the Elephant“) if time allows.

Friday

  • Wrap up Collatz
  • Another YouCubed activity (like Building Shapes, as shown in the picture)
  • Reminder: Supplies needed for Monday + weekend paperwork

Want This All Ready to Go?

Take a look at my 1st Week of School for the Secondary Educator in my TpT Store.

Here’s What’s Inside:

  • Editable Scavenger Hunt: A customizable way to familiarize students with the classroom.
  • Editable Syllabus Template: Easily customize to fit your classroom policies and curriculum.
  • “Get to Know You” Activities: Fun and engaging ways to learn about your students.
  • Parent Contact Forms: Communicate with parents from day one.
  • First-Day PowerPoint: Kick off the year with a polished presentation.

I hope this gave you ideas or reassurance that it’s okay to take your time the first week. And don’t forget to collaborate with your team — every teacher does things a little differently, and that’s okay.

Wishing you a great year ahead!
Lisa
Time Flies Math

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Back to School Activities

My husband and I use certain activities at the beginning of the school year. He teaches biology and I teach math, but we often collaborate and come up with ideas that we both will use. We decided to put these together into a bundle and list them in his store. Here’s a brief overview and a timeframe for when to use them:

First Day – Get to Know You Activity

This activity is a way to get the students up and moving and meeting each other. The activity comes with 30 pairs of puzzle pieces that are used to get the students to find their match. Once they have a partner, then they start the discussion questions that are written on the board. This activity is fun and the puzzle pieces can be used in the future when you need a way to randomly pair up students.

Get To Know You Activity

2nd Day – Individual Goal Setting Activity

Having students set goals is important. This activity gets the students to reflect on the previous year and think about what they’d like to accomplish for the upcoming year. This activity comes in a PDF format as well as a Google Slides format.

Student Goal Setting Activity

2nd or 3rd Week of School – Class Goal Setting Activity

We started using this activity a long time ago. Get students to write class goals and then sign them. We’ve got this activity broken down, so you can work on it a little bit each day until it is done. When finished, you have a poster for students to sign. Great classroom decoration that is a good reminder of what the purpose of being in your class is and your administrators will love it.

Class Goal Activity

Before Starting Group Work – Team Building Activity

Teamwork is important and students need to feel comfortable working together. That’s what this activity is all about. Get your groups together and teach them how to communicate. This activity won’t allow anyone to hold back.

Team Building Activity

Whether you are a veteran teacher or you are starting your first year, you probably are thinking that you need to start either doing some or all of these activities. Like I said, we’ve put them in a bundle, but if you would like to only purchase a specific resource, then you can do that as well. The main thing, is to start thinking about your first few weeks. These weeks are important because they set the tone for your class. A great start to the year will help you have a successful teaching experience as well as help your students. Dive in and start thinking about what you want to do!