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Secondary education

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Original poster

Things to do with a year 7 class on the first day back?

27 replies

REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 09:24

i will be a year 7 form tutor for the first time in a while when we go back in Sept. I will be with them for the entire day on the first day back. We have timetables to do etc, but istruggle to fill in the time tbh.

I was just wondering whether anyone had any suggestions/ideas of 'getting to know you' games/activities i could do with them?

Thank you in advance.

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Tommy · 27/08/2007 09:29

hasn't your year leader given you a big pack of stuff to do?!

I was a Year 7 tutor for 3 years and we always had plenty to do!

Important to get to know them a bit though so I would do some name games, put them in pairs and then 4s to talk about hopes ands fears for their new school? Stuff like that

seeker · 27/08/2007 09:35

If you're my dd's tutor - look after her. Ignore all other children - devote yourself exclusively to my dd. She is, of course the most intelligent, talented, sensitive, caring witty, delightful empathetic child in your form, so you won't wnat to pay any attention to anyone else. Make sure she doesn't get lost, that the big girls aren't horrible to her, she can find the loo and the dining hall and that she gets home safely as soon as possible......I don't think I'm being unreasonable.......

Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 09:49

lol seeker! of course i would do that if i was your dd teacher! i do that with all my pupils

HoA tends not to give us stuff to do (he is close to retirement and has been doing it 'too long')A lovely guy and brilliant with the kids, but not very organised when it comes to paperwork.

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Marne · 27/08/2007 09:53

How about a treasure hunt with clues etc... to help them find their way around the school.

Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 09:59

unfortunately we aren't allowed to do that that would be a brilliant idea!

The children have to be in the classrooms otherwise there would be children everywhere! health and safety and all that!

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Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 10:00

our school has 1400 kids btw

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seeker · 27/08/2007 10:00

Actually - to be serious, getting lost is the thing my dd is most worried about. Maybe something that would help them learn their way about would be a good thing to do?

seeker · 27/08/2007 10:02

Sorry -should have read before I posted! Shame - the treasure hunt idea ia a good one!

Im my dd's new school, they've only got the morning for induction - it's straight into lessons in the afternoon

Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 10:03

thank you seeker, i will have a think. The kids all get a map when they first arrive and hopefully as i am a Geography teacher i will be able to come up with something

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BecauseImWorthIt · 27/08/2007 10:05

Have you got a plan/map of the school? Maybe you could give them a blank one and then tell them where everything is yourself/draw on the board and make challenge/quiz out of them completing their blank one?

Our school has the Year 7s come in a day before the rest of the school to help them get to know where everything is without all the other horrible big boys around!

A list of teachers' names might also be a useful thing. Teachers can be as intimidating as the older boys.

Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 10:06

year 7 always have the first day with their form tutor (apart from 1 hour with PE staff who go through the different activities, PE kits etc). There are no other children in school until the second day back. It usually works quite well. Shame really that we couldnt do a treasure hunt while the other pupils aren't in.

I will however take them all on a tour.

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Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 10:07

the list of teacher names is a good one! thank you! memory mapping is a good idea. i will try that one with them. fill in the blank map when they get back from the tour, maybe.

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fizzbuzz · 27/08/2007 14:18

Mine had to do this when I was a Y7 tutor. (I hated being a Y7 tutor!)

Find out 5 things from another member of form. eg eye clour, how many siblings, name. Give them 10 minutes. then they have to tell rest of the form what they have found out about the other person.

Also posters of themselves are always good (colouring keeps them quiet for a bit}

Decorating the noticeboard...erm....form mascot...erm form badge or logo....what they are looking forward to lists/what they are scared of lists. Teacher collects them in then reads some out and discuss them.... erm.... medical room.

Yuk yuk yuk, hate form stuff but am veteran of it. Friendship stuff is usually important in Y7, haven't a clue what to do about it though!! Not v good that HoY doesn't give out stuff. Our Y7 get a morning, (all structured) then they are into lessons

fizzbuzz · 27/08/2007 14:20

Also on tour see if they can identify what each classroom is used for.

Make sure they stay in a crocodile and all hold hands

Original poster
REIDmylips · 27/08/2007 19:42

lol, thanks fizzbuzz

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Blandmum · 27/08/2007 19:51

Our year 7 first day is timetabled to the last minute!

They (with tutor in tow) are toured round the following
1.MFL labs and shown how to aceess the language lab stuff
2. ICT suites for ditto, and to be given their user name and password
3. Science department to get a briefing on lab safety and shown how to light a bunsen (!) I get to do this with one of the classes!
4. Library to be shown how the system works and get given user rights
5. the Gyms and changing rooms

They also get time with the whole year for a talk from the head, time with the tutor to get to know each other. They get taken to the canteen and shown how the system works. They also get a chat from their head of house and director of studies.

On top of that you also do their timetable with them, and hand out homework diaries etc.

We do all of this on a day when only year 7 come into the school (and the new sixth form). Our school is about the same size as yours, I should hate the kids to come in to a 'normal' day as their first day, too overwhelming.

Original poster
REIDmylips · 28/08/2007 09:26

any other ideas anyone?

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ejt1764 · 28/08/2007 09:34

How about some anti-bullying stuff?

Discussion of what bullying is - and some scenarios and role-plays, followed by a discussion of what to do in each situation ... followed by an anti-bullying poster.

It seems ludicrous that they can't do a treasure hunt ... ours do - but we have the sixth form in to supervise small groups - do you have contacts in any of your sixth form groups who would give up some of their time to come and help out?

Also rubbish that head of year 7 hasn't given you a timetable for the day.

I'm a year 7 tutor again this year - but I'll be off on maternity leave for most of the year, so my replacement is going to be looking after them next week, as we don't want to confuse them!

ejt1764 · 28/08/2007 09:36

Or after your tour, a quiz in groups ... how many science labs are there? Which room is next to the staff room? What's the name of the school nurse? Which areas are out of bounds? etc. etc.

Original poster
REIDmylips · 28/08/2007 19:18

ooh ejt, i like the quiz idea! thanks

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Blandmum · 28/08/2007 19:21

You could also get them to write down questions/ worries/ concerns on a bit of paper, and answer them.

Something for longer term, get them to do half a poster 'What I feel about moving to year 7'. Then get them to finish it off in the last week of the Xmas term 'How I feel about school now'

We did this and it was a great sucess. We use the posters with the next year 7 coming in IYSWIM

roisin · 28/08/2007 19:46

Make sure you do some active stuff with them too.

Getting them to check each other's uniform for nametapes is quite fun ...!

If you want a getting to know you activity this one works quite well:
Draw a blank heraldic shield divided into 4 quarters.
Rules: No words or letters to be used just drawings to represent:
Top right - illustrate how they are feeling right now
Bottom right - a hobby
Bottom left - a book they've recently read
Top left - their name or surname (some children may need some help with this, depending on their abilities and their name!)

Then they can pair up and try and interpret each other's shields, and then discuss them/explain them. Or even present them to the group if you like.

Milliways · 28/08/2007 20:23

My DS started at an all Boys school last year. His first lesson was PHSE (in other words, please shower each day you potentially smelly lot!)

Always makes me smile! (and he ALWAYS showers daily!)

AuntyQuated · 28/08/2007 20:41

i teach EAL kids and we have a very quick turnover so every month or so we need to do these type of days.
a popular one is the loo roll 'game'
pass a loo roll round the circle with the instruction that everyone has to take 'as much as they need'; once everyone has a piece take it in turns to share one piece of info with the group for evrey square of loo roll they have taken... the info can be as basic/complicated as you choose....in my circles this can be as basic as "me girl" or even more basic -holding up a number of fingers to represent age/ number of siblimgs etc. but it can include favoirites TV progs/name of grandparents/country of brith etc etc

Original poster
REIDmylips · 28/08/2007 21:20

AQ, thank you, thats a great idea!

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