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The first day our chance to let students know what math class will be like for the trimester, quarter, semester, or whole year! Initial impressions happen quickly when we enter into a new setting. Students make snap judgements when walking into our classrooms.
What will learning be like in this class?
How will the teacher respond to questions? Mistakes? When I don't know something? If I point out their mistakes?
What is valued?
How much effort will I have to put in to be successful?
What "studenting" is expected in this class?
New for 2025-2026 Number Contests
Sarah Carter has a great way to build community through Numbers!
Sarah Carter has a great way to build community through Numbers!
Additonal activities
In math class this is especially important, because math comes in first----for students least favorite subject. Many students are already entering our classroom with an impression of math class.
From a business perspective, Dan Heath author of "The Power of Moments" talks about the power of the first experience in a transition and how to create an environment of "The work we do here matters." How can we translate this into the classroom?
My favorite first day:
Experience one collaboration norm activity and debrief
Engage in math problem solving
My goal was to give the impression that they will be working together and problem solving. I didn't always do this....
Save reading the syllabus for home or at least day 2
Save reading the syllabus for home or at least day 2
In the past, reading the syllabus was how I started my classes at the beginning of the year (and it turns out so did all their other teachers!) Not very memorable or what I wanted them to think math class would be like. My own children dread the first day of classes for this very reason.
Syllabus reading alternative: Make a video and post it on Canvas and have students do this for homework. I do this and even have a course expectations quiz students take.
This is relevant no matter what your course is.
Norm Building Experiences
When I just listed norms, students nodded along as I explained how the classroom works (we have VERY compliant students -for the most part.) They even want to follow them, but will forget them without constant reminders. Creating a shared experience will make them stick! These are a few of my favorites and then many more I haven't tried yet! I know you have a lot to teach, but keep in mind teaching when your teams are working well is MUCH more efficient and effective.
Silent Squares (IM2) or Silent Circles (many sources): helps establish students help each other in collaborative teams
100 Numbers: From Sara VanDerWerf helps establish what team work looks like
Sarah Carter's directions
Making Math Moments that Matter Podcast
Episode 36: How to Start the School Year off Right.
Sara VanDerWerf's First Week Ideas
Great starting place for establishing productive learning. I didn't take the whole first week (due to block schedule), but at least the first day.
Other ideas that are important to classroom culture.
Other ideas that are important to classroom culture.
I don't necessarily address all of these on the first day or even the first week. Some occur on assembly days, day before break, or after a test.
Problem Solving
Giving teams a chance to solve a problem on the first day is helpful to get them in the mindset that math isn't all mimicking, but really thinking. It is helpful if you choose a non-routine problem.
Peter Liljedahl's Good Problems
Looking for Patterns
Give students Pascal's Triangle and see what patterns they can find.
Explore a visual proof
Use Growing Shapes
Productive Struggle
Normalize this as part of the the learning process.
Show the graph from Harvard Article
(The butterfly story was originally shared with me by Patty Brooks) You often hear teachers at MCHS saying "Don't kill butterflies" to keep students from blurting out answers before everyone has the chance to think.
You also may wish to include highlighting mistakes (while problem solving) and how they helped clarify thinking (this works well with the SkyScraper Problem among others.) Valuing mistakes in your class AMS Post.
Make your first day memorable and give them a taste of your ideal math class!
Make your first day memorable and give them a taste of your ideal math class!
Consider greeting students at the door! In a middle school study, this not only improved classroom behavior, but increased their grades by 20 percentage points! Lauren and Mindy at PHS have some great door questions!
Cook, C. R., Fiat, A., Larson, M., Daikos, C., Slemrod, T., Holland, E. A., Thayer, A. J., & Renshaw, T. (2018). Positive Greetings at the Door: Evaluation of a Low-Cost, High-Yield Proactive Classroom Management Strategy. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(3), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300717753831
How good teams solve problems. Quick clips to start off class.
What are your student's experiences with math? You may have heard of Mathographies or something similar (I do a Mind map of math- you need to be logged into Canvas for this), but I think this Desmos Activity "Dear Math" shared by Sarah Strong on Twitter is an interesting way for students to tell their math story.
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