First Day of School Stations Activity, Icebreaker, Middle & High School, FREE

I hate cheesy name games and I refuse to make the worst first impression by just reading a syllabus to my students. The solution is this engaging first day of school stations activity designed to facilitate discussion and help you start building a strong classroom community from Day One.

UPDATE: This free stations download now has two versions. The original was designed for English/Language Arts classes, while the new edition features generic wording to make it work with all subject areas. Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language, and Electives teachers rejoice! You, too, can enjoy some non-cheesy fun with this first day of school stations activity. (Sorry, software and licensing limitations mean I can't provide an editable version.)

This free 38-page PDF includes:

• 21 slides to lead a class step-by-step through the station rotation activity

• 16 pages to print and post around your room to form 8 stations

• a single-page worksheet to use at the end of class or assign as homework anytime during the first week of school

Materials you need include:

• Sticky notes (8 per student)

• Index cards (8 per class)

• Printer paper (white or, even better, colored)

Hope these materials help you start the year strong!

Looking for a way to get teens working from the very beginning of class? Check out this Full Year Collection of Bell-Ringers (an all-time TpT best-seller) that cover grammar, lit. terms, and vocabulary in bite-size chunks.

Want a similar stations activity to use mid-year once you know your students? Check out this free set of Welcome Back stations materials to use after winter break or as you launch a new semester/trimester.

Special thanks to my talented teacher friend Madeline Alyce for the inspiration! Click here to check out her free annotation tools.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cover image credit: Pexels, Public domain