The most important thing you do at the beginning of the school year is to learn the names of your new students! Even before the kids walk in the door, most teachers have name cards in place and display boards with student names waiting for artwork to be added.
Not only do you need to learn the name of all your students, but the students also need to learn the names of all their new classmates. Here
are a couple of fun name activities you can use in the first week of school.
Name
Scoot: Students are given the Name
Scoot paper and asked to write their first and last name at the top. (You
can write it for them if they don't know how to spell their last name.)
There are also two statements they complete about themselves.
During the scoot game, other students learn a little bit about their new
classmates and write a word that can be made with the letters in the name.
All
About my Name
Behind
every name is a good story. Do you know why your parents chose that name
for you? Do you have a nickname? How did you get that nickname?
Sharing
stories about our names is a fun and interesting way to get to know your
students. During the first week, send home this "What's in a Name" survey.
When students bring them back share a few every day as you get to know
your students.
**Please be aware, if you have students who live with a guardian, or in a foster home, this activity may not be appropriate.
Click on the image below to download these two free name activities from my TpT store:
Names
are also a huge part of your classroom management system. It seems I
was always needing a list of student names--checklists, tracking
participation, arranging groups, etc.
Here
are a few tips for managing names in your classroom.
-Full
page checklists with data columns.
Good for tracking assignments turned in through one week or homework
turned in for the month or grading period.
-Single
column checklist. I
used these to attach to a set of papers to track who had turned in their work.
I could fit 3 on one piece of paper then cut them apart to use one list
at a time. These also work well when the office or another teacher needs
a quick student list.
-Name
sticks. Love, love, love name sticks!
They are a great way to keep kids accountable and focused on lessons
because they never know if their name is going to be called. Depending on
the discussion or situation you can always allow students to pass if their
stick is called and they prefer not to participate. I would make up
several sets of sticks and have them in cans around the room. That way
there was always a set of sticks no matter where I was standing or having a
class discussion. If you meet with small groups I would suggest you have
sets of sticks for those groups as well.
-Name
tags. I suggest you have a set of
name tags ready to go the very first day of school. I've seen them made
with the plastic sleeves that pin on a shirt, or on a lanyard that hangs around
the neck. Name tags are wonderful to use when a substitute is there for
the day or on field trip days, too.
-Name
Labels. You just never know when you need
to stick a student's name on something- folders, projects, mailboxes, supplies,
books . . . I learned it was very helpful to print sets of labels with
student names. I usually had sets printed on the small return address
label size (30 per sheet) and the larger address label size (10 per sheet).
That way when I was putting together literature or writing folders I'd
add a label to the corner and each student had a folder, ready to go.
-Mini Cards. Small name cards can come in real
handy. I kept several sets in my desk drawer. I'd use them to make new
desk arrangements, sort students into project groups, or set up partners for
field trips.
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