With the back-to-school season quickly approaching, you might be wondering which first week of school activities would work best for your high school students. The lessons and activities that you choose to include in the first week of school are important for setting the tone in your classroom. It is also an opportune time to exchange important information with your students. Let’s not forget the influence of first-day icebreakers, too!
In this blog post, I’ll share the first week of school activities for high school classrooms. These activities will start your year on the right foot and help you prepare for a successful and productive year ahead.
What do you do during the first week of school?
Depending on your subject area, you may have quite a bit of curriculum to cover over the course of the year. It can be tempting to dive right in! However, as we ease into a new school year after a long and restful summer, it can feel harsh to stand on too much business on the first day back to school. Below, you’ll find my roadmap for your first week back.
Day 1: First-Day Icebreakers
If you’re trying to cultivate a classroom culture where students engage with one another and participate in your lessons, then opportunities to engage really matter.
To get to know our students, it can help to first introduce ourselves. This not only breaks the ice but also opens the door to finding common ground. A classic game like Two Truths and a Lie allows students to get to know you in a playful way while revealing something meaningful.
Structured reflection is another key ingredient in the mix. Activities like this viral “Speed Meeting” Icebreaker Questions Card Deck provide a ton of engaging prompts to lead individual reflection, small group conversations, or rotating stations. These questions are perfect for older students and foster connection without putting them on the spot.
Similar to “Speed Meeting,” this Dicebreaker Game is a fun, low-stakes way to get students chatting. For this game, students will need a game board packed with appropriate, fun, and engaging icebreaker questions. They can take turns rolling two six-sided dice – one to determine the row and one for the column. They will then find and answer the corresponding question on the board.
Another great icebreaker for the first day of school is Icebreaker Bingo! This interactive get to know you game gets students up, moving, and talking while discovering fun facts about their classmates. It’s perfect for building classroom community, easing first-day nerves, and encouraging students to find common ground on the first day of school.
For more icebreaker ideas, check out this blog post.
Day 2: Get to Know Your Students and Set Goals
Now that students have spent some time getting to know one another, it is worthwhile to open up the dialogue with you, their teacher. The best way to do this is with a student information sheet. By asking the right questions, you can learn how to best support your new students. A “get to know your students” questionnaire will also help your new students feel seen in your classroom.
It is also beneficial for you to establish a connection with your students’ parents and guardians as early as possible. Reaching out at the start of the year will strengthen parent-teacher relationships and set you up for a successful first interaction with guardians. This is why the first week of school is a great time to send home a parent communication form.
Another great way to get to know your students is through their writing. A Future Writing Activity allows students to express their hopes and set goals for the school year. Through written reflections, vision boards, and goal setting timelines, this writing activity will shed light on students’ values, motivation, and focus.
To go deeper into your students’ core motivations, you can also have them discover their enneagram type. The Enneagram Personality Test will determine your students’ individual tendencies, communication styles, and learning preferences. These can provide insight for individual learning profiles and help you to better understand your students. Displaying enneagram type posters in your classroom can also help cultivate empathy, inclusivity, and compassion among students.
Day 3: Team-Building Activities for the First Week of School
For high school students, intentional team-building activities can ease anxieties, spark connections, and set a tone of collaboration. More than just icebreakers, these activities can build trust, promote critical thinking, and create a shared sense of purpose that carries into your academic routines.
Start with a challenge that requires both communication and cooperation. This Survival Scenario Escape Room Game offers just the right mix of urgency and fun! This space-themed activity engages students in critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving as they work together to escape disaster in deep space. Students are cast as the crew of Spaceball One, a ship left stranded after a catastrophic meteor shower. With oxygen running low and systems failing, their survival depends on solving four increasingly complex missions before time runs out.
For a more lighthearted competition, a Classroom Family Feud game is a guaranteed hit. Modeled after the popular game show, this activity invites teams to guess the most popular answers to humorous and classroom-relevant survey questions. It’s fast-paced, easy to implement in any subject, and builds classroom culture while keeping students on their toes. Plus, it’s a great way to observe group dynamics and participation styles early in the year.
To weave in academic skill-building, try a Mystery Inference Game where students solve a fictional case using logical reasoning and close reading. In this activity, students will explore “The Case of the Lost Manuscript” to make inferences and solve the mystery at hand. This activity also strengthens both their literacy skills and their ability to work as a team. It’s a great option if you want to ease into curriculum content while still fostering classroom community.
Incorporating these team-building activities during the first week of school sends a clear message: in this classroom, we solve problems together, we listen to each other’s ideas, and we lift each other up. That mindset will serve both you and your students all year long.
Day 4: First Week of School Activities to Teach Plagiarism
When it comes to avoiding plagiarism, the best approach is a proactive one. No matter what subject you teach, plagiarism is a crucial concept to cover in your classroom. It eliminates any chance of a student plagiarising unknowingly and will make it easier to approach cases of plagiarism throughout the year. This is why teaching plagiarism is one of the best first week of school activities.
Teaching the different types of plagiarism can help with avoiding plagiarism in your students’ writing. Most students may know that copying someone’s work word-for-word is unacceptable. However, they may be unclear about other types of plagiarism. This lesson on the types of plagiarism includes engaging activities to teach your students about the different ways that plagiarism can occur.
Having a policy for plagiarism will help with avoiding plagiarism in your classroom. Your policy can communicate your expectations surrounding plagiarism, along with the consequences of academic dishonesty in your classroom. Use this editable plagiarism policy template to develop collaborative guidelines with your students. You may find it helpful to have students sign a copy of your policy; by signing, they communicate that they have read and understood the expectations.
Day 5: First Week of School Activities for Social Emotional Learning
As students are welcomed to your classroom, it is crucial to create an inclusive environment that encourages them to see themselves as valued members. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities during the first week of school can help students reflect on their identities, articulate their goals, and begin to build trust in your classroom.
A thoughtful place to begin is with a Future Writing Activity and Vision Board Project. This exercise encourages students to visualize where they want to be – academically, personally, or even in their broader life journey. By writing about their goals and creating a visual representation, students clarify their aspirations and begin the year with intention. It also gives you insight into their priorities, values, and emotional state. This information can shape how you support them throughout the year.
For a more introspective and identity-focused activity, consider introducing students to the Enneagram Personality Test. This activity invites students to explore patterns in their motivations, reactions, and interpersonal styles by determining their enneagram personality type. It also provides you with a framework to understand how different students might respond to stress, feedback, or collaboration. To foster inclusivity, display these enneagram type posters on your classroom bulletin board!
Introducing SEL into the first week shows students that their thoughts, feelings, and personal growth matter just as much as test scores. These activities help create a classroom climate of psychological safety: one where students feel known, accepted, and ready to learn.
First Week of School Activities: Tying it All Together
While it may seem tempting to dive right into academics at the beginning of the school year, taking the time to consider your first week of school activities can prove beneficial in the long run. By prioritizing your classroom culture and getting to know your students, you can cultivate an optimal learning environment. I hope these first-week-of-school activities will help you lay a solid foundation for the school year to come!
