First Day of School Virtual Activities for Distance Learning

Planning first day of school virtual activities for distance learning can seem a bit stressful. Especially when we teachers like to have a plan in place and all of our ducks in a row. Here is a list of some helpful virtual activities for the first day of school that you can do while teaching virtually.

Make A Plan for First Day of School Virtual Activities!

Just as if you were going to be in your classroom, sit down, and make a list of the things you want to accomplish in the first week of school. When I feel overwhelmed, I take a piece of paper and do a brain dump. Make sure to add a section to your notes about what went well during remote learning last year and what was a huge flop.

A brain dump is where you write down everything you have to do on a piece of paper. Once you have written everything, number the items or sort your list based on what is most important. Doing a brain dump always makes me feel a bit less stressed. Something about getting your thoughts on paper and out of your head is very refreshing!

Get to Know Your Class Before the First Day

Just as you would begin the school year making your students feel comfortable before coming into a physical classroom, ease your students’ fears about digital learning by meeting your students before school starts!

Here are a few ways you can meet your class:

• Make phone calls to each student individually.
• Set up a zoom meeting with the class. During the zoom meeting, have each student say Hi so they can get familiar with one another.
• Record a video of yourself that you can send to your class.
• -Use FaceTime if you have access.
• Write an “about me” letter and include pictures of your self (email this or mail it out).

Brainstorm Virtual Activities

It may be harder to find ways to have students complete activities this year. Some ways your students can work on assignments are by assigning virtual activities with Google Slides. Or send a list of fun educational websites, read alouds or even old fashioned paper and pencil, then have a parent snap a photo with their phone and email you the completed assignment.

Teach Class Rules and Procedures for Virtual Learning

Teaching classroom procedures and rules are just as important in person as it is with distance learning. Kids will be required to work more independently and complete assignments without continually monitoring a child who may need it in class. So setting your guidelines and teaching your expectations are important the first week back.

Read alouds and videos are also a great way to talk to kids about class rules. You can record yourself reading a book or use Google Slides to send students a video or websites of the topic you want to address. In my school rules, Google Slides pack, I have collected some fun videos that are great for the first days back.

These virtual activities for the first day of school are part of a back to school activity pack for Google Slides. You can easily assign these to students to complete at home during distance learning. These also make great independent activities in a technology or social studies center. You can find them HERE!

If you need help working through your classroom procedures, I have a free planning guide that will help you think through your rules and expectations. It is geared more towards in-class teaching, but it may help you think through scenarios you may not have yet. You can download the procedures for free HERE!

All About Me Digital Activities

All About Me” activities are a great way to get to know your students. There are so many fun games, questions, and activities that can help you get to know your class a bit better.

Some students will be excited about virtual learning, while others will miss being in the classroom. A great assignment to give your class is a digital activity that assesses their feelings on different subjects and how they are doing.

Another fun activity to give your class is to have them answer questions about what qualities they like in a teacher. A fun way to do this is by having your class pretend they are the teacher and answer scenario questions.

Check out some more back to school “All About Me” Activities HERE!

More Beginning of the Year Ideas

As you start your new school year, take one day at a time and move slowly. Remember, this is only temporary, and your students will be so excited to learn from you. Check out this blog post on teaching Good Citizenship, and here are some fun digital science activities that are perfect for the beginning of the year as well.

Planning virtual activities for the first day of school can be daunting, but take some time to sit down and make a plan. I hope these activities and ideas can help plan your first week back.

Be sure to save this post by pinning this to your Pinterest account. That way, you can easily find these ideas again! 

Happy Teaching!

– Sarah