If you had thirty minutes to tell a novice middle or high school teacher how to successfully start the school year, what would you tell them?

“The Magnificent Nine” is the name I have given to a sequence of first day classroom activities that meet both student and teacher needs. Done in sequence, they maximize student perception of teacher competence and increase teacher influence over the larger group. I developed the “Magnificent Nine” from my research on the first days of school. This research included comparative studies of novice and expert teachers, as well as studies of more and less successful classroom managers. This research also included interviews with middle and high school students about what they hoped to get from teachers on the first day. It turns out that the most effective middle and high school teachers select and organize their first day activities to simultaneously meet both student and teacher needs. More efficiently, expert teachers meet both student and their needs in the same sequence that they emerge. As needs emerge, the appropriate activity meets it!

Activity One:
Students want to be welcomed. Greet students as they come into your classroom room. This is done before the bell rings. Students will want to know if they are in the right classroom, so make sure your name, room number, period and course title are on the board. (Greeting)

Activity Two:
Students want to know what is going to happen on the first day. Once the bell rings, call the class to attention with something businesslike phrase like “That was the bell. You should be in your seats. We have a lot to do today.” Have your “Magnificent Nine” listed on the board or on a handout, so you can show students your sequence of activities during the first class session. (Advanced Organizer)

Activity Three:
Students want to know where they should sit. Let them self-select seats. Once you have introduced the session, take roll. You can make out a seating chart while you are asking students what name they want to be called. You know who is in the room. You can help anyone who is in the wrong class. You have a seating chart to call them by a preferred name as you move around the room. Carry this with you. (Roll and Seating)

Activity Four:
Students want to know if you are interested in them as individuals. Have everyone complete a 3x5 student information card that includes their name, address, cell phone numbers of parents or caregivers, You could ask for their schedules, favorite subjects, teachers, movies, music, magazines, books and any extracurricular activities they are in or work they do outside school. You can call parents if you need to and they know it. (Student Information Cards)

Activity Five:
Students want to know what the rules are going to be for your classroom. Review the five most important rules for your classroom. Expert teachers always stress the same five rules.

1.  Be in your seat when the bell rings,
2. Don’t talk when I am talking,
3. Raise your hand if you are going to answer or ask a question,
4. Don’t mess with anyone else’s stuff or space, and finally,
5. The bell does not dismiss you, I do.

Expert teachers use student rationales to explain these rules. They explain and personally manage the consequences. They provide examples when appropriate. For example, “No photo finishes as you come into class. Be IN your seat when the bell rings. Sliding into your seat as the bell rings is tardy.” Your school will probably have rules about cell phones and texting. Follow those rules. (Rules and Procedures)

Activity Six:
Students want to know what they are going to be learning in your class, how you plan to teach the subject, and how you will grade homework, assignments and tests. This is the activity where you review the goals of the class. You describe the first lessons. You discuss your grading system, late homework policies etc. My advice is to start with half a chapter. Test half a chapter. Take fewer points off for mistakes to start the year. Give everyone a chance to succeed early. (Instruction and Evaluation)

Activity Seven:
Students want to know if you will take their ability levels and preferred learning styles into account. My Web site has many examples of tools that can be used to assess preferred learning styles. Consider having your students complete a short, hard copy questionnaire. You will create the impression that you are even more interested in them as individuals. (Preferred Learning Styles)

Activity Eight:
Students want to know who you are. This is the activity where you can share your background, interests, hobbies, and extracurricular interests. This is a great place to talk about the classes you learned best in and ones where little or no learning took place. (Self-Disclosure)

Activity Nine:
Students want to know what will happen tomorrow. This is the activity where you can summarize the first session and point to what they need to bring to class for the next session. Tell them what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. Thank them for their attention. Dismiss them. (Closing)

Now, imagine these nine activities in other sequences. What would the impression of you be? Self-disclosure first might leave the impression that you are needy or concerned with self, not them. Consider not doing one or more of the activities. Would student first impressions of you be as good? Would you start the year with as much influence? Most importantly, would you meet student needs?

Dr. Douglas Brooks  is a Professor in the School of Education, Health and Society at Miami University. He teaches graduate and online courses in grant writing and consults with school districts to build grant writing capacity.

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