Whether you are in-person, teaching virtually, or a mixture of both, we all want to create a welcoming classroom environment.

I’d love to share my five tried and true strategies that I use every year to help my students feel like a welcomed part of OUR classroom.

Remember, the #1 thing students want to know the first week of school is Does my teacher like me/care about me?

I ask myself every year if I’m doing enough to show my students from the very beginning that I’m interested in them as people and that I’m so glad they are “mine” this year.

Tip #1: Make contact early!

Make a simple contact before the school year begins.

This could be a quick phone call to each family or maybe even a postcard.

Hearing from a teacher early shows students (and their parents) that you are genuinely excited to meet them.

This post is all about helping students to feel welcome in the classroom but if you’d like to learn more about establishing positive relationships with parents (also super important), click here.

Tip #2: Greet students at the door!

Start the habit of standing at your door every morning to greet your class.

I know there are a million things you need to get done but greeting students at the door with a handshake, high five, or just a “Good Morning, Chelsea!” will work wonders for you.

Bonus: You’ll be able to catch hallway behavior before it becomes an issue!

Tip #3: Teach and reinforce procedures!

Consistently teach and reinforce procedures.

Say it with me: Procedures Prevent Chaos.

If students see that their classroom environment will be orderly and managed properly, they will feel so much more comfortable. Guaranteed!

To learn more about teaching and reinforcing procedures in upper elementary, click here.

Tip #4: Plan engaging back to school activities!

You don’t need to start with curriculum right away.

Spend at least the first couple of days focusing on getting to know your students and building community.

Investing this time early will pay dividends all year long!

Plan to lead students in several engaging welcome activities.

I like to use a variety of games, group meetings, puzzles, and etc.

This is the packet that I use: Welcome to 5th Grade: Fabulously Fun Activities for the First Week of School (also available in 4th grade and 6th grade).

Tip #5: Do a neck up check up every morning!

The first week of school is stressful.

You’re teaching and reinforcing procedures, arranging the million supplies students bring in, learning names, etc.

Don’t let that stress show to students.

Before your class comes to your room in the morning, check yourself from the neck up… Are you smiling? Are you using pleasant, welcoming language? Are you praising students who are following procedures?

Tips from Experienced Teachers

Jasmine M. said, “I like to incorporate one-on-one meetings with each student. The one-on-one meetings occur in various ways, e.g. a 3 minute talk in the morning when other students are not around, individualized hand-written notes on notecards or at the top of returned assignments, and one of my favorites is associating each student with a pet name because it makes my students feel special. My school is departmentalized and I have about 60-65 students total.”

Dabney D. said, “I allow students to choose where they would like to sit for the first week of school. I like providing them with choice so that they feel like they will have a say in how our classroom will run. This also provides me with information about optimal seating choices for them (location, who they can work well with, group vs. individual, etc.).”

Lindsay P. said, “On the first day of class, I place a letter to each student on their desk. (The same letter) telling about myself and my summer. Then, on the back, they write to me and tell me things I need to know about them… I write them back personally. I’m also able to tell who had a rough summer from these letters!”

Tammy Y. said, “Our 5th graders make “Name Poems”. These stay up all of 1st grading period.”

Anne D. said, “In the first week of school, I ask students to write to me. I ask them to share 3 things they wish their teacher knew about them. I do give examples of what I would have written when I was in fifth grade:

1. I wish my teacher knew I have a really hard time speaking in front of the class.

2. I wish my teacher knew that at recess no one talks to me, and a group of girls say not nice things about me.

3. I wish my teacher knew that I REALLY want to make cheerleading this year.

I tell them they don’t all have to be serious and can be funny too.”

Lisa P. said, “One thing I try to do at the beginning of the school year is get kids’ pictures up in various places within the first week. This helps them feel ownership over the room and environment.”

Looking for more help with classroom management? There’s a course for that! Classroom Management in Upper Elementary (an engaging online course)