First Day Activities 5

Some activities are all about serious information gathering than.

1. Contact and Other Information - Have students give you the following information: 1) name; 2) nickname; 3) father’s and mother’s (or guardians’) names; 4) home address; 5) home phone number for father; 6) home phone number for mother; 7) work phone number for father; 8) work phone number for mother; 9) birth date; 10) favorite subject; 11) what he or she would like to learn in this class this year; 12) any other important information he or she thinks it would be helpful for you to know.


Pros: This is the best day to get real, honest parental contact information, not on the day that a kid knows you need to call home to discuss behavior problems. Get as many phone numbers for parents that you can on the first day.

Cons: Most teachers require students to fill out this kind of information on an index card. It's not original and students may be bored with this activity. You might want to add a few odd questions to keep them awake such as "What's your favorite jelly bean flavor?" or "What's your favorite book or movie?"


2. Strengths and Weaknesses - Have students chart their strengths and weaknesses in general skills or specific subject-related skill sets on a line sectioned into the following: can help others, can help others sometimes, comfortable, need help sometimes, need help.


Pros: It helps to know where students think their skill levels are. This can point to actual problems or mental blocks. Also a great way to find out what strengths your students have.

Cons: Students may not give accurate feedback, but these charts can be a good jumping off point for discussing strengths and weaknesses with students.


3. Person Goals - Have students make a list of four personal goals for themselves for the class. What would they like to know about the subject at the end of the year?


Pros: If there is class follow-up throughout the year with free choice projects, students can experience what it is to direct their own learning.

Cons: Some students may not be familiar enough with the subject - or like the subject enough - to come up with any personal goals on the first day of class. In that case, a sheet for personal goals could be kept in a class binder/notebook/folder, and students could return to the sheet and add goals later during the first quarter.