This document outlines strategies for creating a positive classroom experience on the first day of school. It discusses using icebreaker activities to build relationships and set clear expectations. Specific activities described include a "Four Corners" game to get students moving and interacting, creating a "Word Wall" poster to define respect, and having students complete a "Diamante Poem" about themselves. The document also provides tips for effective classroom discipline, such as remaining calm, separating behavior from the individual, and giving students opportunities to make decisions. The overall goals are to set the right tone, build rapport with students, and relay techniques that worked well for classroom management.

1. Creating a Positive
Classroom Experience:
Elise Long
MA Composition & Literature
ELAR Teacher
elong@irvingisd.net
www.Techieelar.blogspot.com

2. Presentation Goals
• To take you through how I build rapport
with students, beginning with my Day One
Activities.
• To relay discipline techniques and
strategies that worked well in my class.
How many of you are looking
forward to the first day of school?

3. The First Day
• Sets the tone for you classroom
–Gives you the opportunity to get to know
your students, and for them to get to
know you.
• I use it to extend an opportunity for the
students to alter previous pathways.

4. The First Day
• Sets the tone for you classroom
–Gives you the opportunity to get to know
your students, and for them to get to
know you.
• I use it to extend an opportunity for the
students to alter previous pathways.

5. The First Day GOALS
• Build relationships
• Set clear expectations
–Expectations MUST be
repeated over & over!!!

6. The First Day Activities
• Personality Test/ Learning Style
• Introduction
• Expectations
• Activities
• Good Student &….
• “Respect” Word Wall Poster
• Diamonte Poem about self
• Set up Writing Folders

7. Introduction
• “Four Corners”
–Interactive
–Students get to know me
–I get to know them
–They get to know one another

8. Four Corners
• Listen carefully to my directions
– Listen to the question, THEN move to the corner that
accurately depicts your response
• Remember, if we cannot do this right, we won’t do
this at all.

9. How many siblings do you have?
zero
3
5 or
more
1-2
4

10. Which sibling are you?
Oldest
Youngest
Middle
I have no
siblings 

11. Who are you closest to?
A
Parent
Grandparent
Sibling
Other Family
or Caretaker
Friend

12. What is your favorite type of food?
Mexican
Italian
American
Asian
Dessert

13. What is your favorite kind of music?
Classic
Techno
Rap
Pop
Rock
n’roll

14. What is your favorite kind of book?
Comic/
Graphic
novel
Fantasy/
Science
fiction
Mystery/
thriller
Apocalyptic/
Dystopian
Other

15. Do you believe in true love?
Maybe… I’m
too young to
think about
love
No! Gag!!! I
almost vomited
Yes! There’s
someone for
everyone!
Yes, but only
for some
people.

16. What is your pet peeve?
Rude/mean
people
People who talk
with their mouth
full of food
People who
don’t cover their
mouth when they
sneeze
These are dumb- I
know of something
WAY more
annoying (school
appropriate please )
Litter
Bugs

17. What is your favorite sport?
Football
Volleyball
Soccer
Basketball
Other

18. What is this?

19. “All the world’s a stage, and
all the men and women
merely players…”

20. In this Class We Use
Academic Repertoire
“This sucks!”
“Mrs. Long, I am struggling with
finding joy in this assignment!”
“This is bu[[ $h**!”
“Mrs. Long, I am
struggling with identifying
the relevancy of this
assignment!”
“the skills &
behaviors a
person
habitually
uses.”
“so frequent it is
natural.”

21. What I will expect from you:
• Be prepared and polite
• Followrules and procedures
• Do your work
• Participatein activities
• Challenge yourself to do better everyday
• Make goodchoices
In this class…We are a FAMILY!
•We respect one another and
appreciate our differing
strengths.
•We are NOT perfect!
•We help one another.
•We believe and speak the
best of one another.
•We have each other’s backs!

22. What are these?
We are made of STARS!
“Be YOU, everyone else is
already taken.” ~Oscar Wylde

23. “Beliefs drive your behavior.
Your behaviors lead to your results.”
~Dr. Nido Quebin

24. You are
~ACCOUNTABLE~
in this class!
“responsible for
what happens”
It is NOT….
blaming others.

25. The Good Student &…….
Good Student Good Teacher

26. Respect Affinity Mapping:
1. Write the qualities of respect on individual sticky notes. ONE idea
per sticky note.
2. Place ALL the sticky note ideas in the middle of the table.
3. SILENTLY group the similar ideas together.
4. Discuss your ideas and explain why you believe in them. You can
rearrange if necessary.
5. Let’s share! 
6. With your table you will create a Word Wall Poster.

27. RESPECT
DEFINITION: CHARACTERISTICS:
EXAMPLE: NON-EXAMPLE:
What does it look or
sound like?
How would you describe
it?
In your own words
Draw a picture that
represents it or is an
example of it.
Draw a picture of the
OPPOSITE of the word.
“Respect is….”

28. Complete the Diamante Poem
• Create a table definition for :
– Noun
– Adjective
– Verb
After you have agreed on a definition for each,
write it at the bottom of the Diamante Poem
page.
Then create the diamante poem about
yourself!!

29. Create your Writing Folder
• On the tab at the top of your folder write your name
Last Name, First Name
• On the front of your folder your will synthesize
yourself:
– Put your name in large letters
– 2 symbols that describe/represent you7
– 5 adjectives that describe you
– 3 quotes from your favorite song or movie (APPROPRIATE
– 2 questions you have about life or this class

30. Now the good
stuff…..

31. Presentation Goal #2
• To relay discipline techniques and
strategies that worked well in my
class.
How many of you like
disciplining?

32. Discipline: Why it matters?
The strength of your
relationships with your
students HIGHLY
influences the health of your
classroom.

33. Discipline Tips
–Always affirm and validate the student’s
feelings to de-escalate the situation.
–Remain calm & dignified.
–Separate the behavior from the individual.
• NO ONE wants to be the “bad one,” the
“loser,” the “thorn,” the “stupid” one.

34. Discipline
–Never assume that your student “knows
better.”
• Teach them that they have an impact (+&-).
–Give students opportunities to lead, make
decisions, and have input.
–Most behavior problems stem from unclear
expectations or vague rules.
• Repeat, repeat, repeat.
• Explain the “why” to rules.

35. Discipline: Confrontations
• Teach responsibility & caring by being the
model for appropriate responses to dissent.
– Be ready to make public apologies!
• Punishment ~Versus~ Consequences
– Punishment is done to others with the goal of
achieving proper levels of misery so that the
behavior decreases.
– Consequences are the results of our choices
• Have students get involved in determining appropriate
consequences (+&-)

36. Discipline:
Guide
1. Affirm the student’s feelings.
2. Ask questions to guide the conversation as opposed to
dominate the conversation.
3. Get the student involved in deciding the “next steps”
and consequences.
4. End by giving the student a new “tool.”

37. Discipline:
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Identify the problem behavior.
– Ask if the student thinks it is okay to continue the
behavior?
2. If they do not understand the misbehavior, calmly explain
why it is improper and :
– Ask about their impact in class (+&-).
– Put it in “real world” terms .
3. Following your explanation , have the student explain
what was wrong in their own words.
4. Re-create the situation and demonstrate a better response
(the tool!)

38. Think About It:
Is it still “winning” if you
destroy a relationship?

39. Tidbits for Teachers
• Be flexible & adapt
Always have a “tool box” to go to
Keep a journal!
Get student feedback
Have a sense of humor
• Get a mentor
• Ask for help
• Be prepared

40. Wrapping Up:
The power of the relationships you
build with your students highly
impacts the health of your classroom.
You have the ability to change lives and
grow character in your class.

41. My Mantra:
"The greatest leader is not
necessarily the one who does the
greatest things. [They] are the
one who get others to do the
greatest things."
~Ronald Reagan~

42. Book Recommendations:

43. Follow my blog:
www.techieelar.blogspot.com