Teacher Tips to Ease First Day of School Jitters

Easy and Practical Ways to Reduce Back to School Anxiety

Aug 12, 2009

A well prepared teacher can ease a child's anxiety over starting school.

A young child starting school for the first time often suffers from that anxious feeling called “first day jitters”. Parents can help prepare a child at home, but a prepared classroom teacher can soothe a child’s fears and create a safe and trusted learning environment. Preparations begin before the first day of school and ease the transition from home to school for every child.

Teachers Should do Home Visits

A couple weeks before the first day of school, the classroom teacher should contact each family and arrange an informal at home visit. A child who meets a new teacher at her own home will feel more comfortable and at ease on the first day of school. A teacher, who makes a home visit to each child in the class, will learn valuable information about the child’s home life and interests. A home visit should last no longer than 20 minutes and focus on casual positive conversation with the parent and child. The home visit is also a good opportunity to offer important classroom handouts and to tell the child about one fun activity that is planned for the first day of school.

If making home visits to each child is not an option, compose a letter or email to each child. A child will be excited to receive a letter and learn about her new teacher. The letter should include an age-appropriate greeting, one fun fact about the teacher, a picture, and a surprise hint about something planned for the first day of school. This is not the time to send supply lists, volunteer requests or other parent correspondence, keep it light and positive.

Request a Family Photo

Invite each child to bring in a family photo to leave at school for the school year. In a preschool or kindergarten classroom, in which materials are set up on low shelves, framed 4X6 photos that a child can move around are ideal. If space is limited, request unframed photos and create a wall display in a visible classroom location. Having a family photo in the classroom, that a child can see everyday, gives a child the comfort of family and home while being independent at school.

Plan an Open House

If the school does not have a formal orientation process, plan a classroom open house before the first day of school. Invite all children and their families to visit the classroom, bring their supplies, tour the school and grounds, and ask important questions before the first day. Schedule the open house in the evening or weekend before school begins when both parents can attend, and keep it short and simple. A fun activity for an open house is to create a 10-item scavenger hunt list for each child and parent to search for in the classroom together. This gives a child the opportunity to become familiar with the school and classroom before the first day of school.

Create a Treasure Basket

Plan ahead for an anxious child on the first day of school, by having a treasure basket ready. A treasure basket is an assortment of interesting items that engage a child senses and focus her attention in a calming and peaceful way. While the exact items in a treasure basket will vary based upon the ages of the children in the class, they should be interesting and require hands on exploration.

Use the information learned about the children’s interests during the home visits or open house to choose items for the treasure basket. Ideas for the treasure basket include a sand timer, a pinecone or shell and a magnifying glass, a shaker bottle filled with scented tea bags, nuts and bolts to screw together, and assorted containers to open and close. After an anxious child has explored the treasure basket she will be relaxed and be ready to transition into another activity.

Create Meaningful Jobs

Most children who experience first day jitters adapt well once the routine of the day is established. Plan ahead for a child who continues to experience uneasiness at transition times by having meaningful jobs to offer during these times. Structure, routine and purposefulness help to alleviate anxiety. Often times, teachers assign classroom jobs that are done at the end of the day, and rotate them among the students. Consider trying a new job jar system.

In one jar place popsicle sticks with the name of various jobs written on the lower half of the stick. The second jar begins empty, as a child chooses a stick and completes a job; the stick is moved into the empty jar. Invite a child who is anxious or needs redirection to make a selection from the job jar. The opportunity for the child to engage in a meaningful job will help her to feel self-confident and centered.

Think outside of the box to keep the job jar choices fun and meaningful. Some ideas for non-traditional classroom jobs include, offer a friend help, choose a book for story time, fill the plant mister, sharpen 3 pencils, pick up 5 scraps of paper or wipe down 2 desks or tables.

First day jitters affect teachers and children alike, but a smooth and successful first day of school can be achieved when teachers follow these easy tips. So, this school year try some of these new strategies and create a low stress back to school for teacher and students.

The copyright of the article Teacher Tips to Ease First Day of School Jitters in Teacher Tips/Training is owned by Jocelyn Scotty. Permission to republish Teacher Tips to Ease First Day of School Jitters in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.