My first day at school: Meeting my very first class

And just like that, my very first day was over...

After months of planning and preparation, the day had finally arrived for me to meet my very first class. The first day of term was a Thursday, and it was a pleasant September day. At ITV, my choice of footwear was always a wedge, but stepping into my new role, I needed to be sensibly shod. The wedges were banished to the back of the shoedrobe, and it was hola to the flats. I knew that I'd be doing some running with my class (more on that later), so I opted for trainers. Okay, they might have been chunky trainers with a bit of a wedge :).

                                                      Ready for my first day at school

Pupils were allowed into school from 8:45am, and I met my class at the door.  I recognised a few faces from my visit to Reception, and I was excited to get to know them all. On arrival, I directed my class to their new coat pegs and asked them to find their names on the tables. There were six children at each table, and that would be their allocated table space. I also got my class to write their names on sticky labels to wear, and I did the same. I was keen to learn their names as quickly as possible and for them to learn mine. The class all seemed happy to be back in school, and I must have counted at least four 'Frozen' themed school bags, with Elsa, Anna and Olaf on the front. 

Because I'd previously spent some time in my school (as part of my Teach First summer training), that really helped to alleviate any first-day nerves. I knew faces and names, and I was familiar with where I needed to go. I arrived at school just before 8am, and there was a bit of classroom preparation to do. Guillotining worksheets and sticking them into books would soon become common practice. I noticed that there wasn't an adult chair in the classroom, and I made a mental note to request a teacher chair asap.

Before the summer holiday, my mentor emailed me my class list, and I'd been familiarising myself with the names. There were a couple of challenging names that I needed to check the pronunciation of. Her email also highlighted my class's attainment levels and whether they were lower attainers (LAG), middle attainers (MAG) or higher attainers (HAG). 

I was fortunate to have my mentor with me on my first day, and she modelled the most amazing teaching. She was an experienced teacher and knew the children from Reception. As a trainee, I would initially be teaching 60% of the timetable, but the children were told that I was their teacher.

The first day of school was all about welcoming my class to a new year and getting to know them. Year 1 is a huge jump from Reception, and the class needed to adjust to their new learning environment and new routines. We discussed the school's values and expectations and decided on our classroom rules. We all drew around our hands and decorated them to show that we agreed on the rules. During the morning, there was a whole school assembly online. All classes joined from their classrooms and were welcomed by the Executive Headteacher.

One of the routines that my class had to learn on day one, was the 'run break' routine. During lessons, pupils throughout the school went for fitness/run breaks (see blog on our kids run). Teachers always indicated when it was time for a run break, and pupils followed the rules of the run. Modelling how to run without overtaking was very important.

Some children are very open with their feelings and can innocently tell you that they love you. A couple of girls did just that, and one pupil drew a picture of me in a wedding dress. I took that as a very prophetic drawing :). Teachers often say that you always remember your very first class, and it was a class that I wanted to remember. They were a super bunch, and it was a privilege to be a part of their learning and development.

I brought a packed lunch to school and managed to eat it in another teacher's classroom. We chatted through the afternoon timetable and swapped stories about our new pupils. The school day flew by, and before I knew it, the parents and adults had arrived. After the children had all gone home, it was time to prepare the classroom for the second day of term.