Beginning of the School Year Ideas, Part 2

Last week we shared some ideas for starting the school year that teachers have been blogging and e-mailing each other about. Here are some more:

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Rob Jenkins offers some generic advice for post-secondary instructors at http://chronicle.com/article/Day-1-of-the-Semester/133167

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You may want to start early in explaining language proficiency levels to your students. Spanish teacher Megan Johnston tells how she does it in a blog post here: http://creativelanguageclass.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/explaining-proficiency-levels-to-students

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See what Ms. Johnston does on her first day of class at http://creativelanguageclass.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/first-day-back

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Ellen Shrager has first day “Tech Guides” for Spanish and French available as free downloads at the Teachers Pay Teachers materials sharing site.
For Spanish: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/World-Language-Tech-Guide-First-Day
For French: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FRENCH-FIRST-DAY-FREE-DOWNLOAD
You will need to join Teachers Pay Teachers to download them.

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Shelly Terrell offers ten “Getting To Know You” activity ideas on the Teacher Reboot Camp blog. These can be easily adapted by using the target language. http://teacherbootcamp.edublogs.org/2012/08/03/10-getting-to-know-you-activities-for-teens-adults

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Larry Ferlazzo has a list of helpful links, The Best Resources For Planning The First Day Of School, on his blog: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2011/08/08/the-best-resources-for-planning-the-first-day-of-school

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Mr. Ferlazzo has also asked several “guest” teachers on an Education Week blog what they recommend for getting off to a good start. The three-part series is available here:
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2012/08/response_several_ways_to_get_the_new_year_off_to_a_good_start_--_part_one.html
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2012/08/response_several_ways_teachers_parents_can_start_the_new_year_well_--_part_two.html
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2012/08/response_dont_wait_until_christmas_to_smile.html

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Edutopia shares some ideas from on online panel, "Connected Education and the First Six Weeks”: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/connected-educator-month-collaboration-suzie-boss

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The French About.com website has put together teachers’ suggestions for the first day of French class (but these suggestions apply to any language) at http://french.about.com/od/teachingresources/a/firstday.htm?nl=1