The start of school is always a challenging time for students, parents, teachers, administrators, paras, bus drivers, and other education professionals, whether or not we are ready with first week of school activities high school lessons.
Students don’t know where to go. Teachers’ rosters are continually shuffled around. The list goes on! That is why I use my first week of school activities high school go-to worksheets, instead of diving right into a novel or unit.
Keep reading for 7 Unconventional First Week of School Activities High School!
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7 Unconventional First Week of School Activities High School
1. I Am & I Am Not Poems
While I admire teachers who delve into the English curriculum after reviewing the syllabus, rules, and procedures on the first day, I can no longer do that. Too many students are rearranged in the first week, and honestly, I need a relevant and engaging way to start off the year without the requisite sweat and heartache.
Because writing is such a focus and one of the most difficult aspects of teaching high school English, I like to incorporate “I Am” Poems. There are several to choose from that are my personal favorites.
After reading these poems, you might consider using both “I Am” and “I Am Not” Poem Templates as a part of the first week of school activities high school resources. You can learn so much about your students through these poems, and with the opportunity to simply fill in the blanks, these are low-pressure activities.
Print and teach the above templates for the back to school season!
2. Take a Writing Survey
Everyone communicates in a variety of ways. Even though most students don’t enjoy the process of writing or typing things out like essays, most will read or listen to videos about subjects they are interested in. I mean, at the age of 40, who knew I would learn how to make my own yogurt or read nonfiction for fun?
You can ask students these questions to get their brain blood flowing:
- How do you feel about writing?
- What words come to mind when you hear the word “write?”
- What things do you dislike writing, tolerate writing, and/or enjoy writing?
- What would make the writing process easier for you?
- What have you written that you were really proud of?
- How do you think people become good writers?
Students can answer the questions in writing, of course; however, they can also just chat or take an easy writing survey!
Need short story ideas for teaching 9th graders after using first week of school activities high school resources? See the post below!
3. Analyze the Topic of Education
Times are changing when it comes to education, and that is a good thing for many of our students. Long gone are the days when employers required a degree to be a secretary, a manager, or even a computer programmer. The necessary “certificate,” or “diploma,” is a thing of the past. Knowledge is primary!
So why not take a bit of time in the first week of school activities high school classes, to examine the topic of EDUCATION? You can analyze quotes about education, define education, brainstorm about the education needed in future careers, etc. There is a great deal to discuss nowadays, and I am here for it!
Get an easy-to-use activity pack here!
4. Set Diverse Goals
In the world of education, setting goals is practically a given. We all want to do better from year to year, whatever that looks like in your classroom. And I do the same. I have educational goals, but I also want to improve in other areas of my life.
I think our students feel the same; however, they may not fully understand how to identify areas of growth for the new year.
Here is a quick list of areas I like to have students meditate on and write about in the back-to-school season:
- Physical
- Educational
- Extracurricular
- Character
- Relationships
- Generosity
I’m sure there are more, but I have found that these areas encompass most students’ lives. This simple pack of first week of school activities high school resource will engage students and get them back into the swing of things!
5. Teach Low-Pressure Discussion Skills
I am an enormous fan of Socratic Seminars. There are many ways to organize them, and I vastly prefer any of these approaches over a whole-group discussion that is typically dominated by a handful of students.
You might start by talking about identity, the new year, trending topics, etc. I would keep things light, so I like discussing quotes from famous people that will cause students to activate their critical thinking skills.
Before the discussion, you could introduce the quotes in an organizer, have students rate the quotes, play 4 corners in small groups, or do a quickwrite for 5 minutes. After students have reflected on the quotes, you could arrange students in pairs, very small groups of like 3-4, larger groups of 7-10, or split the class in half.
Not every student may want to speak aloud, but everyone can participate in some way:
- Take notes on other students’ thoughts.
- Ask questions using stems.
- Give shout-outs after the discussion.
The speaking and listening standards don’t require whole-group speeches, and I enjoy offering different options (like in this first week of school activities high school resource), so all of my students start to feel at home during the back-to-school time.
6. Create a Vision for the New Year
Most students, no matter the age, are apprehensive about the new year. There are so many questions that we all struggle with:
- Who will be my friends?
- What if I fail?
- Will I be able to fit in?
- What will my teachers be like?
- How will I get back home on the first day?
Ultimately, we want a stress-free first day, week, and/or month, even as teachers! Instead of starting out with rigorous, involved activities, let students have the time to meditate and share their worries with others! Use these organizers easily and effectively!
7. Write a Satire
I know. I know. Teaching satire at the start of the year seems like a lofty task, but the start of the year is actually a perfect time to tackle this writing style.
Here is the prompt I use to generate quality satires:
What “qualities” do students have who are successful during the school year?
You start by asking students this question. Typically, you will get quality answers like “hardworking,” “determined,” or “intelligent.”
Now comes the fun part! You flip the script. What are antonyms for these qualities? Ex. lazy, unfocused, and dumb
From there, students can write a full essay, generate a social media post, or create a visual representing the OPPOSITE qualities to be successful this new school year.
Check out this step-by-step resource for help!
Why use first week of school activities high school resources?
More than anything, we need to realize that we will never have an absolutely perfect year.
Sometimes, students will not listen even if we go over the rules every day for the first month.
The printer may stop working, or the copier may be jammed again!
Cell phones will at some point begin sneaking back into the classroom, and students will gaslight you into thinking that the texting you saw was not, in fact, texting. We all know they never truly stop…
To mitigate this season, have at least a quarter plan with critical thinking first week of school activities high school sprinkled in when times get tough! You will never regret having too many ideas for keeping students learning.
And remember, as always, to slow down and have fun as you set expectations, review your rules, and go with the flow of a chaotic time!
First Week of School Activities High School Resources
This Ultimate First Week of School Activities High School BUNDLE is a FUN way to engage your middle and high school students at the start of the school year!! These critical thinking, writing, and visualization activities are FANTASTIC for middle school and high school students who need practice making and achieving their goals, visualizing the upcoming year, and getting back into the writing process! Have a great time developing connections and getting to know your students during the first several weeks of class!
Need a fun and engaging way to spark high school students’ creativity at the start of the year? This Back to School Writing Satire First Week of School Activities High School Lesson Pack encourages students to write their OWN satirical essays by answering the question: What “qualities” do students have who are successful during the school year?
Students will go step-by-step through the process of planning, creating a thesis, and writing a piece of satire with EASE! Have fun teaching students how to write satire with this first week of school activities high school NO PREP Pack!
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