New Teacher Checklist for the First Week of School (Middle School ELA Edition)

Take a deep breath and work through this new teacher checklist, specifically designed for new middle school ELA teachers.

The first week of school is full of energy, nerves, and a million things to juggle, especially if you’re new to teaching middle school ELA.

You’re learning names, setting up your classroom, trying to remember where the staff bathroom is, and figuring out how to keep 20+ tweens focused while still being your friendly, approachable self.

Deep breath. You don’t have to do everything. You just need to focus on the right things.

Here’s your first-week new teacher checklist designed just for middle school ELA teachers. We’ve also included some helpful resources to make it a little easier.

New Teacher Checklist for that First Week of School (Middle School ELA)

1 | Set Clear Expectations (Without Lecturing)

Middle school students need structure. They will absolutely test the waters to figure out what’s allowed and what’s not.

But a “syllabus day” is not the best way to establish those expectations. 

Let’s be honest, that first day of school can be REALLY BORING for most students because in every class, they do the same thing. Go over the syllabus, review the expectations, show them around the classroom, and maybe do a name game or some get-to-know you type of activity.

This may be helpful for YOU (the teacher), but it is super boring for the students. 

But instead of spending the first day reading your syllabus out loud (cue the glazed eyes), focus on introducing just the most important expectations and routines—then reinforce them as they come up. After that, do something subject specific that will allow you and the students to interact, but not be just another generic “get-to-know you” activity.

Our Back to School Digital Escape Room is a fun, interactive way to review ELA skills, observe student interactions, and generally interact with students (while practicing using their names).

Pro Tip: Rather than going over all the things on day 1. Make a calendar, and go over one thing each day. This will allow you to review what you went over the days before, and then add things a little bit at a time. You’ll build a culture of respect without losing students’ attention on day one.

Sign Up for a FREE plot structure digital escape room!

2 | Start Building Your Community

You don’t need a million icebreakers—but students do need to feel safe and seen.

Middle schoolers will get to know you and each other organically through routines, structure, and clear communication. Let relationship-building happen naturally by being clear, kind, and steady.

Want a few fun academic-based community activities? Check out our blog post: 5 Back to School Activities for Middle School ELA

3 | Gather Formative Data (but don’t grade anything yet)

The next section of this new teacher checklist is all about assessment, but it’s not about grading!

Yes, you’ll need to know where your students are academically, especially in reading and writing, but that doesn’t mean giving a giant diagnostic test on day two.

Instead, try low-stakes ways to gather formative data:

• A short writing prompt: “What should your ELA teacher know about you?”
• A reading passage and a few comprehension questions
• A quick ELA brain dump (what they remember from last year)

Use our high-interest Paired Passages or our Figurative Language Digital Sort to ease students into content and collect valuable insight into their current skills.

4 | Begin Light Instruction to Set the Tone

You want students to know that your class matters, and that it’s a place for real learning, even during week one.

Start small with:

• A short story or paired passage to spark discussion
• A mini grammar or vocabulary review
• A digital escape room related to ELA skills
  

Our Standards-Based Units for Grades 6–8 are a great place to start planning your content. You don’t have to cover everything right away, but having a plan for how you’ll get to each standard helps relieve a lot of that first-year stress.

Check out the unit bundle for your grade level:

• 6th Grade Units
• 7th Grade Units
• 8th Grade Units
  

5 | Get Your Sub Plans and “Just in Case” Materials Ready

It may sound early, but having your emergency sub plans and a few backup activities ready now can be a lifesaver. In this blog post, we outline an easy way to create a few emergency sub plans specifically for middle school ELA, ensuring that even when you’re away, your students will continue to learn.

Check out our post on How to Prepare for the Unexpected in Middle School ELA for more survival tips and resources.

6 | Breathe and Give Yourself Grace

The first week won’t go perfectly. You’ll forget things. You’ll make changes on the fly. You’ll go home tired.

That’s normal.

Middle school ELA is full of moving parts, but it’s also full of creativity, connection, and opportunity. If you can stay focused on clear expectations, relationship-building, and simple routines, you’re setting yourself, and your students, up for a successful year.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a superhero the first week. You just need to be prepared enough to keep the chaos manageable and flexible enough to adjust when things go off script, because they will most definitely go off script, as that is just the life of teaching. We are hoping this new teacher checklist will be helpful as you work your way through your first couple weeks!

We’re cheering you on every step of the way. And if you need support, check out our full collection of standards-aligned middle school ELA resources in The Sparkly Notebook TPT Store.

You’ve got this, new teacher friend!