• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Speaking Activities
  • Beginning French
  • Intermediate/Advanced
  • Unit Bundles
  • Free French Resources
  • Shop

Mme R's French Resources

July 21, 2017

Have the best first day of French class!

ShareTweetGooglePinterestMail
How to have the best first day of French class ever! Find ideas and resources for the first day of school.

What do I do on the first day of French class? I’ve had some less-than-stellar first days, like the time I had morning bus duty and was late to class (my first teaching day ever), or the time I knocked my coffee off my table and, in trying to save it, broke my cute Eiffel Tower pencil holder (year 2).  I’m known to drop stuff, fall, or generally be clumsy, so when I dress up for the first day of school, something funny is bound to happen.  Luckily, I’ve got a good sense of humor about it, because I’ve had my share of embarrassing moments.  I’ve had plenty of mess-ups, but thankfully, the first day went great most of the time.  Here are a few ways I like to ease back into the school year.

After a long summer of not speaking French, students need to get warmed up before they are ready to speak French everyday.  You can do a written review, and I usually do have a handy notes packet of the most important concepts from the year before complete with some exercises, but what they really need is to use the language as much as possible in your class from day 1.  If these students are new to you, you’ll definitely need to do some ice-breakers, but even if they are students returning to you, they might not know one another.  I think they are a great tool to use for any class.  Building a good class environment means encouraging the students to speak to one another and be comfortable using the language, so you’ll want to offer a lot of non-threatening activities for the first week.

Are you a brand-new teacher? Get tips for a successful first year teaching HERE.

Here’s what I do on the first day of French class:

I meet my students in the hallway and give them a card that corresponds to their seat.

They go in and find the matching card taped on the corner of a desk. Here’s an example of the cards I use. They are also great for grouping in pairs, threes, fours, or more! I use terms like French monuments, cities, and French-speaking countries to effortlessly bring in some culture.

teaching Francophone culture in French class
Want to focus on exposing students to new vocabulary? There are also cards with common French vocabulary words and easily identifiable images.
partner and grouping cards for French

Get the grouping cards HERE!

I call roll.

(Boring, but you have to, right?)

I introduce myself with a short PowerPoint show.

It’s usually about what I like to do, my family, my cats, and something silly about myself so I seem less scary.  I am not one of those teachers who doesn’t smile until Christmas!  I am really strict and really nice at the same time.  Yes, it can happen.  I think humor and having fun with kids makes them want to behave for you IF your rules and expectations are clear and consistent from the first day.

I tell kids what supplies they need.

Again, boring, but…necessary.  Besides, it takes 5 minutes.

Engage your students in the decision-making process and take the pain out of making rules.

I briefly present my rules and point them out on my bulletin board.

I say briefly, because kids hear the rules all day in every class.  Even if they are on their best behavior, it’s really hard to listen to the same message all day long.  If you present the same thing as every other teacher, they’ll have a hard time staying engaged.  Rather than waste time and get ignored, I mention them quickly and do a longer classroom expectations activity on day 2 where I have groups in each class act out the correct and incorrect behaviors for each rule.  The skits are usually really funny and the kids are  engaged and having fun.  Advanced classes can even do them in French!

Find printable classroom rules in French HERE.

I do a quick assessment of what they know about French culture.

I give them 2-3 minutes and ask them to write everything they know about France, French culture, and any French-speaking countries they know of.  For French 2 and above, I have them list every French-speaking country they can remember, every monument in Paris they can recall, or every French food they know.  Then, I have them volunteer answers and we write them on the board.  You’ll quickly see who is brave and who is shy!  Before taking volunteers, this is a great time to discuss classroom respect, because you will see that some students know nothing about French culture or world geography, and their classmates won’t be shy with their judgements if you haven’t started the activity with a clear expectation to treat one another with respect.  One year, when I asked them to name three French-speaking countries, I was pretty shocked to see that Quebec, London, and Africa all made the list.  So… I learned that I needed to teach what a country was before asking that on a test!

Assess your students for prior knowledge to set them up for success.

Now it’s time for group work.

I love group work for a lot of reasons.  It reduces teacher-talk time.  I’m a talker, so if I don’t watch out, my teacher-student talking ratio is really bad!  I have to plan a lot of activities to get them talking, because if not, I tend to talk way too much.  Also, for a foreign language class, talking is a must! Plus, it is just more fun for everyone.  🙂

Depending on the class dynamic, I may give each student one question and have them read their questions aloud in numerical order, or I might group them in groups of three, four, or five and give each group a complete set of questions to go through together.

I use the English version for beginners and the French version for intermediate and advanced classes.  Each set has 32 cards, and I select the correct difficulty based on the student level.

As a follow-up homework assignment, I pass out a questionnaire with the same questions for students to answer at home.  It is a great way to get to know students, and it puts a fun spin on the normal information sheet we love to use.

 

Back to school icebreaker activity for French

Grab these conversation cards and information sheet HERE!

The first day of school can be a bit scary for your beginning French class, because they might not know any French. Just relax, have fun, and let them know that they’ll be speaking and understanding French in no time! Have a great year!

I hope you have an amazing first day of French class!

Find all of my Back to School resources here. 

Filed Under: Back to school, Classroom management, Seasonal activities, Teaching tips Ashley 3 Comments

Reader Interactions

10 ways to recharge during summer break
French number practice that works

Comments

  1. Unknown says

    June 27, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    Merci! J'aime bien vos idées!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      August 15, 2019 at 7:48 pm

      Avec plaisir ! Bonne rentrée ! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Open house night tips for secondary teachers | Mme R's French Resources says:
    August 14, 2019 at 3:30 pm

    […] Want to know how I handle the first day of school? Read this! […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

Primary Sidebar

French-speaking-activities
French paperless task cards
French-vocabulary-grammar-units
French reading comprehension activities
French vocabulary and verb worksheets
Games for French class

mmersfrenchresources

mmersfrenchresources
♥It's February! ♥⁣ ⁣ I love seasonal activ ♥It's February! ♥⁣
⁣
I love seasonal activities, but sometimes there just isn't a lot of time to spend on holiday-themed words. My Valentine's Day pack is filled with speaking and writing activities but there are also Valentine's themed activities for reviewing the French grammar your students are probably already learning! ⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchactivity #middleschoolfrench #teachersofinsta #igteachers
♥Février♥⁣ ⁣ I love chocolates and days g ♥Février♥⁣
⁣
I love chocolates and days getting a little longer.⁣
⁣
What is your favorite part of February?
Looking for some new French Youtube channels to he Looking for some new French Youtube channels to help your core French or French immersion students?Here are some of my favorite channels for French learners.⁣
⁣
#frenchimmersion #enseignement #worldlanguageteachers #mmersfrenchresources #frenchteachers #teachingfrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteacher #françaislangue #frenchteacher #frenchvocabulary #frenchteachersoninstagram
What are you up to this weekend?⁣ ⁣ Tomorrow i What are you up to this weekend?⁣
⁣
Tomorrow is my birthday, so all I'm asking is that I don't have to cook dinner! 😆
❄HIVER❄⁣ ⁣ Who loves Boom Cards? ⁣ ⁣ T ❄HIVER❄⁣
⁣
Who loves Boom Cards? ⁣
⁣
These interactive cards are a fun, no-prep activity to practice vocabulary AND they provide instant feedback, because they are self-checking!⁣
⁣
Find the link to this winter-themed set in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #boomcardsenfrançais #boomlearning #boomcards #frenchboomcards
C'EST L'HIVER!⁣ ⁣ Wish you had some no-prep ac C'EST L'HIVER!⁣
⁣
Wish you had some no-prep activities to practice ⁣
winter vocabulary? This activity pack is perfect for Core French beginners, and all you have to do is print and go! ⁣
⁣
Use it as the base of a winter unit, keep it for sub plans, or let early finishers work on it for fun. ⁣
⁣
Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #printandgo #teachersofinstagram #teacherspayteachers #vocabulaire #middleschoolfrench
Here's a throwback to my college days!⁣ ⁣ Anyo Here's a throwback to my college days!⁣
⁣
Anyone know where this is? Hint: it's in France. ⁣
⁣
If you think you know, leave a comment! No idea? Scroll down for the answer. ☺⁣
⁣
.⁣
.⁣
.⁣
.⁣
.⁣
.⁣
.⁣
.⁣
⁣
This is a place I visited in college, because it wasn't too terribly far from where I lived, and I love to explore.⁣
⁣
On weekends, I'd often take the train to Nantes, but sometimes we'd go further to the coast of Brittany.⁣
⁣
This was taken near the coast at Carnac. There are thousands of these stones at the site, and they are estimated to have been placed there as early as 5000 BC. There are a lot of different theories about why the stones are there.⁣
⁣
I've linked the Brittany tourism site in my bio in case you want to learn more or maybe discover a little more with your classes.⁣
⁣
#frenchculture #frenchteacher #frenchteachers #carnac #enseignement #worldlanguageteachers #frenchclass #frenchteachers #corefrench #teachertravels #mmersfrenchresources
ER verbs⁣ ⁣ I love teaching verbs! They don't ER verbs⁣
⁣
I love teaching verbs! They don't have to be boring, and students don't have to struggle.⁣
⁣
With the right mix of speaking and writing activities that build upon themselves, students can gain confidence as they work through the activity pages.⁣
⁣
With an English and a French version, you can easily differentiate and use the same resource for core and immersion. ⁣
⁣
Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchverbs #highschoolfrench#middleschoolfrench #frenchtpt #teacherspayteachers #teachersofig
Speaking tips⁣ ⁣ Getting students speaking can Speaking tips⁣
⁣
Getting students speaking can be tricky, but it's not impossible! Swipe through to grab some ideas for improving oral communication in your French classroom.⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchteacher #frenchimmersion
PREFERENCES ⁣ ⁣ This or that is such a fun and PREFERENCES ⁣
⁣
This or that is such a fun and easy way to help beginners start ⁣
speaking! This winter-themed preferences activity is a fun way to bring in some new vocabulary with a format that is simple to follow!⁣
⁣
Includes a Venn diagram, printable vocabulary list, and 2 versions so you can choose which vocabulary terms work best for you.⁣
⁣
Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
#frenchclass #frenchteacher #profdefrançais #profdefle #⁣
#enseignement #frenchteachers #worldlanguageteachers #teachingfrench #frenchimmersion #corefrench #frenchresources #iteachfrench #targetlanguage
Do you use my free New Year's Resolutions activiti Do you use my free New Year's Resolutions activities as part of your plans in January?⁣
⁣
I've updated it for 2023, so be sure to grab the update! ⁣
⁣
If you're on my email list, you this was sent in your email today. Not on the list but would love to have this? You can sign up at the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources and you'll get it right to your inbox!⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchimmersion # #teacher #newyears
C'EST L'HIVER!⁣ ⁣ Grab a winter freebie and sa C'EST L'HIVER!⁣
⁣
Grab a winter freebie and save yourself some time when you go back in January!⁣
⁣
This no-prep winter freebie is a fun way to help beginners get started writing in French. ⁣
⁣
Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench
Happy holidays!⁣ ⁣ I wish you and your loved o Happy holidays!⁣
⁣
I wish you and your loved ones a very peaceful and happy holiday season. ♥⁣
⁣
If you're celebrating Christmas today, Joyeux Noël !
Winter is here!⁣ ⁣ What is your favorite part Winter is here!⁣
⁣
What is your favorite part of winter?⁣
⁣
For me, it's all about my fireplace! I'm in front of it from now until April! 🤣
PRACTICING VOCABULARY⁣ ⁣ Finding ways to have PRACTICING VOCABULARY⁣
⁣
Finding ways to have students practice vocabulary is really important, but it's easy to get stuck in a rut! In a recent blog post, I shared some of my favorite ways to practice vocabulary that require little or no-prep!⁣
⁣
Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
#frenchclass #highschoolfrench #middleschoolfrench #teachingideas #frenchteacher #profsfrancofun #profdefrançais #teachingfrench #teachfrench #frenchresources #frimm #corefrench #frenchimmersion
BOOM CARDS⁣ ⁣ How fun are Boom Cards for pract BOOM CARDS⁣
⁣
How fun are Boom Cards for practicing French vocabulary?⁣
⁣
We love them so much, because they are so engaging! The self-checking feature makes it so easy for students to know exactly how they are doing.⁣
⁣
Bonus? They are perfect for students who do not love paper-pencil tasks!⁣
⁣
You can find this winter themed set at the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
#boomcards #boomlearning #frenchboomcards #mmersfrenchresources #frenchresources #corefrench #frenchimmersion #frenchteacher #frenchclass
Someone is in love with the tree! Someone is in love with the tree!
THIS OR THAT⁣
⁣
What are your favorites?⁣
⁣
I'm chocolates, sugar cookies, and hot chocolate over here!
I love having no-prep activities right before a br I love having no-prep activities right before a break, because there's already so much to do!⁣
⁣
This Christmas pack is filled with fun no-prep speaking and writing activities that are perfect for beginners. This is great if you teach multiple levels, because it has different levels of activities.⁣
⁣
You can find the link to my Christmas pack in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchteachers #happyclassroom #profdefle
Want to do something seasonal without using Christ Want to do something seasonal without using Christmas-themed vocabulary?⁣
⁣
Find some of my favorite winter-themed resources for writing, vocabulary, and paperless learning at my blog!⁣
⁣
You can find the link to the post in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench
Load More Follow on Instagram

Footer

Still Looking for Something?

  • Home
  • Free French Resources
  • Beginning French
  • Intermediate/Advanced
  • Speaking Activities
  • Unit Bundles
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

© 2015 Mme R's French Resources · Customised By: Laine Sutherland Designs

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. You can view our privacy policy here. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT