Your Plan for the First Two Weeks of School When You Want a Peaceful, Vibey-y, Effective Classroom!

💥 How to Nail the First Two Weeks of School (Even as a First-Year Teacher)

Feeling totally lost about what to actually teach the first two weeks of school? You’re not alone—and I’ve got you. Whether you're fresh out of student teaching or just switching grade levels, this video walks you step-by-step through everything you actually need to focus on to set up a calm, structured, and community-centered classroom. 🧘‍♀️📚✨

I’m your behavior management big sister, and I’ve survived (and thrived) through 13 first days of school. So in this video, we’re breaking it all down:

✅ What the first day, first week, and first two weeks should really look like
✅ The must-teach routines that make or break your classroom flow
✅ How to make your classroom feel calm, safe, and productive (without being authoritarian)
✅ When and how to roll out instructional expectations, behavior redirections, and classroom culture
✅ Concrete routines, behavior tools, student work systems, and transitions that build independence
✅ What to skip, what to prioritize, and how to finally feel like a confident teacher baddie™

🎯 Your main goals:
• Safety
• Predictability
• Classroom community
• Clear routines and expectations
• A strong structure for instruction and student independence

Whether you're teaching little ones or upper elementary, this video gives you a super clear roadmap for those overwhelming first two weeks. I’ll even share how to troubleshoot common first-year pitfalls (like kids constantly asking “What do I do now?” 😵‍💫), and help you avoid rookie mistakes that make your job harder than it needs to be.

📌 Related Videos & Resources:
📺 Routines & Procedures 101:    • We’re Using Routines and Systems to Get th...  
📺 Teaching and Enforcing Routines:    • When Everyone Else is Contemplating Resign...  
💻 Grab my Routine & Procedures Checklist: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d...
📑 Back to School Printable Packet: https://www.mrsphillipsn5th.com/produ...
🎧 Patreon Deep Dives (community building, behavior, lesson planning): https://www.patreon.com/posts/post-di...

Let’s make your classroom run like a dream—peaceful, predictable, and full of confident, connected kids. 💛 Tap subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of this series!

#FirstYearTeacher #BackToSchool #ClassroomManagement #ElementaryTeacher #TeacherTips #RoutinesAndProcedures #TeachingVibes

Time Stamps
0:00 Introduction & First Day Fears
0:39 The Three Goals: Safety, Predictability, Community
1:06 Age Differences & Resources
1:22 Routines and Procedures Matter
1:56 Surviving the First Day
2:39 First Week Goals: Names, Faces, and Classroom Bones
3:22 Two-Week Goals: Understanding Classroom Flow
4:02 Setting Your Classroom Vision
4:24 Creating a Calm, Predictable Environment
5:25 Clarifying our Vision for the Year
7:05 Key Routines: Entry, Work Time, Materials
11:06 Teaching Attention Getters
12:02 Managing Student Questions
14:12 Heavy-Hitting Routines Checklist
15:15 Surviving the First Day: Dismissal & Safety
16:22 Planning the First Day: Must Dos & Can Dos
18:08 Morning Routine & Student Arrival
19:06 Back to School Packet & Calm Start
20:55 Community Building & Independent Tasks
21:40 Rotating Academics, Community, and Routines
21:03 First Week: No Content, Just Routines
24:00 Teaching Routines Through Activities
26:27 Classroom Scavenger Hunt
28:09 Multiple Classes & Rotations
28:38 Classroom Rules
30:30 Setting Up Notebooks and Folders
31:44 Drills and Safety Procedures
31:54 Second Week: Finding Your Teacher Flow
32:47 Success Criteria & Model Work
35:38 Active Answering & Questioning Strategies
38:48 Gradual Release Model
39:44 Small Groups & Independent Work
42:08 End of Two Weeks: Key Takeaways
42:51 Wrapping Up & Next Video Options
43:44 Post-Dismissal Debrief & Outro