That first week back always has a very particular feeling, doesn’t it? We naturally have excitement about being back at work and the promise of a new school year. We also have anxiety – we want to build solid relationships with our new students, and their families. I’ve taught long enough to know that how your first week goes has almost nothing to do with luck and almost everything to do with how intentional you are about setting the tone early. So today I’m sharing my 7 go-to classroom management tips and strategies for the first week back, plus how I set up my space this year (World Cup fever included).
1. Teach Routines Like They’re Content
This is the one piece of advice I wish someone had drilled into me my first year. Don’t just tell your class how to line up, sharpen a pencil, or turn in homework — actually teach it, the same way you’d teach a math lesson. Model it. Have them practice it. Do it again if it’s messy the first time. The first week of school I do not stress about digging into the curriculum. My routines and procedures take center stage. I let students know when it’s time for our math block, and we practice how it will run. Where we keep our math books, etc. By the time I teach the first math lesson it runs a lot smoother than it would without the practice. Routines that get taught (not just mentioned once) are the ones that stick past September.
2. Greet Every Student at the Door
It sounds small, but it isn’t. A genuine hello, eye contact, and using their name as they walk in sets a tone of belonging before the day even starts. I like to mix it up with a “handshake, high-five, or hug” choice board taped by my door — it gives kids a little agency and a little joy on their way in, even on hard mornings.
3. Set 3-5 Simple, Positively-Framed Rules (And Co-Create Them If You Can)
Skip the 15-item list. Grades 2-5 respond much better to a handful of clear, positively stated expectations — “We will keep our hands and feet to ourselves” instead of “no hitting”. If you have time in that first week, let your class help build the list together. If you then lump similar rules together, you can inevitably get the list of rules into the 4 or 5 rules you need for your class. Kids follow rules they helped write with far more buy-in than rules handed down from on high.
4. Build In Movement Breaks From Day One
Little bodies (and let’s be honest, big ones too) cannot sit still for 45 minutes, especially in week one when routines are still new and nerves are still high. Plan short brain breaks, stretch songs, or a quick “stand up and find a partner” activity between lessons. Starting this habit early means it won’t feel like a disruption later — it’ll just be how your classroom runs.
5. Get a Behavior System Up and Running Immediately
Whatever system you use — clip charts, table points ( a personal favorite of mine), a marble jar, whatever fits your style — get it live in week one, not week three. Kids need to see the system in action to understand how it works, and starting early means you’re reinforcing expectations from day one instead of retrofitting structure onto a classroom that’s already found its own rhythm (which, trust me, kids will do fast).
6. Set Up Classroom Jobs Right Away
Classroom jobs do double duty: they lighten your daily load, and they give students real ownership over the space. Line leader, calendar helper, plant waterer, paper passer — assign jobs in week one and rotate them regularly. It’s a small structural piece that quietly builds community and gives kids a sense of “this is our classroom,” not just “the room where I’m a student.”
7. Make Your Space Feel Like a Team, Not Just a Classroom
This is where your setup does real work for you. A classroom that feels cohesive, warm, and for them helps kids settle in faster — and it gives you built-in tools for the routines above. This year, I went with a World Cup theme, and it’s honestly become one of my favorite classroom transformations yet.
My World Cup Themed Bulletin Board Kit turns “reach your goals” into a literal, visual theme kids get excited about from day one — trophy and goal-post blackline images for students to write and color their own goals on, an editable welcome banner, and jersey-style nameplates that make every kid feel like part of the team. A few ways I’m using it to reinforce the tips above:
- The “Reach Your GOALS” bulletin board doubles as our week-one goal-setting activity — a natural tie-in with rule #3 above.
- Classroom jobs poster and editable groups poster are already built into the bundle, so job assignments (tip #6) took me ten minutes instead of an entire prep period.
- The welcome banner and jersey nameplates make the room feel like a team before I say a single word about classroom community — which does a lot of the “belonging” work of tip #2 for you.
It also comes with a full year of editable monthly calendars, binder covers, hall passes, and birthday displays, so once the World Cup theme catches your eye, your whole room can be done in one go rather than piecemeal across the first month.
A Few Truths About Week One
Not every day will go smoothly, and that’s okay. Kids are human, you’re human, and some days the routines won’t stick the first (or third) time you teach them. What matters is consistency — coming back to the same expectations, the same warmth, the same structure, day after day, until it becomes just how your classroom works.
If you try any of these tips, or the World Cup bundle, I’d love to hear how your first week goes. Here’s to a strong start!
Happy teaching!
— Michelle
For more Back to School inspiration check out this month’s Teacher Talk.
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