All teachers know that the first week of school is crucial for setting the tone for the year and establish relationships. That is why I, like many of you, I assume, spend so much extra time on my first week of school lessons. First impressions are important! This year, thankfully, I’ve got all my students back in the classroom with me. We’ve also transitioned to a new 70 minute schedule, so classes will be longer (previously they were 40 minutes, except for last year, when we adopted a 60 minute schedule to accommodate covid). So, here is what I will be doing for the first three lessons of the school year (many of this has been shared before, but I’ve updated it).
I will use the above Prezi on the first day of school. The lesson, which is an extended form of the lesson I blogged about here, includes the following components:
- A goofy video modeling how to say “here” in French, after which I take attendance for the first time
- An illustration I drew of myself with facts about me in French that I will read to students one at a time and have them determine the meaning (most are cognates or are depicted with illustrations). Click here to read my post about incorporating my drawings into my teaching.
- Some personal photos of me with descriptions in French
- Some examples of my photos and drawings that are displayed in my classroom
- A description of the course
- Instructions on how to make a name tag
- A silly video demonstrating how to introduce oneself to classmates in French
After the students introduce themselves to each other in French, they will take a short survey online asking them about their interests and reasons for learning French.
On the second day, we will read “Bienvenue ! Un livre sur l’inclusion” a translation of the children’s book “All Are Welcome Here.” I learned about this book at the National Board Summer Academy over the summer. It is simple, beautifully illustrated, and sends a positive message to students about their place in the classroom. You can watch a video of it being read on YouTube:
Next, students will watch the video that last year’s students made for them. This is something I do every year, and a few years back I blogged about it here. It’s a great way to get students excited for the school year. After they watch the video, we will review how to ask for and provide one’s name and then add on how to state other people’s names. This year, I am teaching “il” (he), “elle” (she), and “iel” (they/singular). I know it is very likely I will have students this year who identify as gender non-binary and it is important that they have language that applies to them as well.
On the third day, students will generate their own norms for the classroom. I first blogged about establishing norms here, and then again here last year when I updated the activity for my hybrid lessons. After they generate their norms, I will go over some of my basic procedures and share my virtual infographic, which I made on Piktochart.
Finally, I will show my students the proficiency level posters I created this summer in Canva to give students an idea of where they can expect to be at the end of this year and beyond, and also to help students understand how important it is to “enjoy the journey” (see my infographic above), and that fluency takes a long time and a lot of work.
Bonne rentrée, tout le monde !
To see all of my previous posts about back to school, click here.
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Hi Sam!!
These proficiency levels are a dream. They are os much more student friendly than the proficiency path.Do you sell them on tpt or may I use them, with permission?