The Best First Week of School Lesson Plans for Middle School
The first week of school is such an important time. It lays the foundation for the rest of the school year. It is during this time that many students decide whether they will like a class or teacher. To help you kick off the new school year, I have the BEST first week of school lesson plans for your middle school classroom. It doesn’t matter what subject you teach, these back to school activities will benefit your students all year long. And. . . we are not talking about icebreakers here. We are talking about lessons that will help them thrive right from the start.
To set the stage for the year ahead, I use four key lessons that will set them up for success. These lessons are designed to introduce our students to what they’ll experience, what will be expected of them, and how they should handle different situations. You might call them life skills for middle school lessons, and they not only lay the foundation of what is expected but also teach students important skills that will help them be successful.
Laying a Foundation for the Year with Expectations
At the beginning of the year, we need to dedicate time to teaching our middle schoolers, especially those incoming middle schoolers, about expectations. For those leaving the elementary building, middle school can be a bit overwhelming. And for those returning grades, we all know they can use a little reminder after the summer. Taking the time to walk them through what’s expected isn’t just beneficial but essential. When our students clearly understand the guidelines and expectations from the beginning, it creates a more organized and respectful classroom environment.
Middle school brings a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. By clearly laying out what’s expected of them, you’re helping to ease that transition back from summer or into a new school. But this is more than just setting classroom rules and behavior expectations. It’s about helping them understand how to be successful in middle school. It’s about giving them the tools to be successful in middle school. That’s why these first week of school lesson plans are so important. They are so much more than just rules and expectations.
The Four First Week of School Lesson Plans
Now that we know why these lessons are so important, let’s dive right in! I’ve created a Back to School Lesson Plan Bundle with four first week of school lesson plans that will help you start the year with a strong foundation. But. . . you can use these lessons any time in the year if you see a need so don’t fret if your year has already started.
Each of these lessons tackles a different aspect of classroom life, ensuring our students feel prepared and confident as they navigate the school year. Let’s dive into these lessons and see how they can transform our classroom experience!
1. Behavior and Character
The first lesson in my first week of school lesson plans focuses on behavior and character. It’s all about setting the groundwork for a respectful and positive classroom environment. Middle schoolers need to grasp the basics of classroom behavior and understand the importance of having good character. A few of the goals I have with my students is for them to identify their personal character strengths and areas for growth. This helps introduce the goals and vision for our classroom.
The lesson starts with a clear goal and then moves into creating an honor code together. We read a powerful quotation about character, which sets the tone. To make it interactive, we go through 17 round-robin questions and four role-playing scenarios that highlight different aspects of good behavior and character. One of my favorite activities is building a brick wall of character, where each student contributes a “brick” with a character trait they value. We also have a fun classroom etiquette mix-and-match game that students can play in pairs or small groups.
At the end of the lesson, we discuss the class’s purpose and expectations. I do this to ensure everyone is on the same page. We wrap up with some directions and questions to reinforce what we’ve learned.
This lesson is super flexible and comes in PowerPoint, PDF, and Google Slides formats. The text is editable, so you can tweak it to fit your unique classroom needs. I’ve even included “Add Your Own” slides under each section, so you can insert your own tips, ideas, questions, rules, or expectations as you go through the lesson. This makes it easy to personalize the lesson and keep it relevant for your students.
2. Locker Organization
Let’s move on to the second lesson in my first week of school lesson plans bundle, which is all about teaching students how to keep their lockers organized. When our kiddos hit middle school, it’s often their first time having their very own locker. I still remember how excited I was about my first solo locker! The first thing on their minds is usually what cool stuff they can fill it with. That’s why it’s crucial to take some time to go over how to keep their lockers organized and their belongings safe.
My goal with this lesson is to help my students learn how to come to class prepared with the right materials, maintain those materials, and avoid those pesky unexcused tardies. An organized locker can make a world of difference! And. . . there’s a very good chance no one has ever taught them how to keep their locker organized.
As a class, we go through four round-robin questions to get my students thinking about what they need and how to keep things tidy. We talk about organizing their pencil bags or boxes so that finding their school supplies is not an issue. Then, I show them some locker examples and share 12 helpful locker tips and rules. If possible, I like to give them some time to set up their lockers, putting into practice what they’ve learned.
At the end of class, we wrap up with a three-question closing to ensure my students have a good grasp on the importance of locker organization. To add some motivation to keep lockers organized, I will do random locker checks giving out reward tickets to my students with the tidiest lockers!
3. Teaching Personal Organization Skills
The next lesson in the first week of school lesson plans series is about teaching personal organization skills. Let me tell you, this is the longest lesson, but it’s packed with important life skills that will help your students inside and outside the classroom. Our middle schoolers often think they can keep everything in their heads, so it’s up to us to show them how planners are incredibly helpful tools. They might groan at the idea of picking up a pencil and writing things down, but it’s a fantastic habit for staying organized.
We kick off this lesson with four warm-up questions to get them thinking. Then, we dive into ten key items that will help them to keep all.the.things organized. We touch on planners, managing passwords and websites, how to head their papers, and so much more! I also introduce a five-step system for prioritizing tasks to help them know what needs to be tackled first.
To reinforce these concepts, we have five review questions to wrap up the main part of the lesson. If you want to extend the lesson, there are additional role-playing scenarios and wrap-up reminders. This lesson is all about equipping our students with the tools they need to stay organized and take charge of their own learning, making their middle school journey flow a lot smoother.
4. Classroom Rules and Expectations
The last lesson in my first week of school lesson plans series focuses on teaching classroom rules and expectations. This lesson is all about understanding the rationale behind our classroom rules and regulations. It’s also about creating a sense of ownership among my students by involving them in the process.
Like the other lessons, we start the lesson with four warm-up questions to get my students thinking. Then, we dive into three questions centered around student security. These questions are important because they help establish a baseline for behavior and how to respond to different situations. I break my students into groups of 4-6 to discuss each question. They write their answers on colored strips of paper that match the question’s color and place them on the board under the corresponding question. Once all groups have finished, we review the answers together, discuss them as a class, and eliminate any duplicates or unserious responses. This process helps us reach an agreement on the classroom expectations.
Next, we move on to creating our classroom rules. I usually start with my three essential rules that I believe are non-negotiable. Then, the class works together to decide on additional rules. We discuss potential topics and the consequences of breaking these rules. I find this helps to make sure everyone understands and agrees with them.
Finally, we wrap up with five review questions to reinforce what we’ve learned. I love this lesson for a couple of reasons. Yes, it sets the tone for a respectful and orderly classroom. It also gives my students a voice in creating the environment they will be part of throughout the year.
How Do I Fit In These First Week of School Lesson Plans?
The first week back to school can be a whirlwind of activity. The mental effort, the patience, and the meticulous planning add up. That’s where this bundle comes in handy. With only four lessons, it’s perfect for fitting these important topics into the week. I like to begin with a get to know you focused first day of school. The students get to know about me and I get to know about them. It’s the perfect way to start building our classroom community.
For the rest of the week, we focus on one of the four lessons from the Back to School Lesson Plan Bundle. And. . . just like that, the entire first week is planned. Don’t be in a rush to jump into the academic lessons. Taking time to teach your students these important middle school life skills will pay off. Plus, with these first week of school lesson plans, you can make that hectic first week smoother and more manageable while setting a positive tone for the year!
Lay a Strong Foundation with These First Week of School Lesson Plans
As we gear up for the new school year, these lessons are designed to set a strong foundation for our students. From understanding expectations and organizing their lockers to mastering personal organization and embracing classroom rules, each lesson plays a role in preparing our middle schoolers for success. By teaching these first week of school lesson plans, we’re not just teaching rules. We’re building a community and setting the stage for a year filled with growth, learning, and mutual respect. Let’s make this school year the best one yet!
Looking for more Back to School lessons and resources? Check out these blog posts:
- The Best Back to School Activities for Kids
- A Simple Guide to Classroom Setup at Sixth Grade
- Starting a New Semester off Right
Save These First Week of School Lesson Plans
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