First Day Folder Checklist
1. Take a deep breath you will be just fine.
2. Smile- they are reading your face for at least the first month.
3. Assign the new student an English speaking buddy.
4. Have a "welcome to my class" letter, school calendar and a supply list
ready in English and Spanish and give it to them to take home.
5. Show them where the bathroom is.
6. Have a grade appropriate math pre-test to give them.
7. Give them a seat near you.
8. Have them be the leader to lunch so you can walk them through the process.
9. Pronounce their name correctly without laughing at yourself. They will
think you are making fun of their name.
10. Add visuals and illustrations to your lesson plans
11. Avoid the use of slang words and idoms.
12. Have fill in the blank reading activites with word banks ready. (The
goal is for them to be able to seek and find sentences and identify the
missing word or phrase. This is a short term goal for new students)
13. Have a map of the building labeled with common places such as library,
computer lab, gym, cafeteria, office etc. During free time have
their buddy review left, right, turn, etc. using the map.
14. Check out the ESOL website for more resources.
15. Have a plan ready before you need it and you won't be as stressed the
first day a non-English speaking student arrives in your classroom.
16. Check out the following website:
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/september.php
