Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers' Association - myPITA
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StartUP! your class:
​The First Week of School

The customized First Week Of School (FWOS) workshop provides a detailed guide to how to start your new intermediate class. Ray Myrtle shares  'What, Why and How' to prepare for each day in the booklet and in these videos. This is supported by handouts and a new index of ideas. Over 1500 of BC's early career teachers attended this workshop in person.

Download the FWOS booklet, handouts and index to the strategies here.
Then watch the video step by step while making notes in the booklet and referring to the handouts.

The workshop references this resource, a comprehensive booklet he developed detailing how to set up your classroom for success.
​
Blackline Masters
  1. Let's get acquainted (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  2. Graph the class prediction (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  3. Graph the class (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  4. Class list template (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  5. Seating plan (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  6. Sample entry procedures (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  7. 1-100 Chart. (PDF to Print)
  8. Class list for number skills (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  9. Draw and predict (PDF to Print, Doc to Revise)
  10. Abstract design (PDF to Print)











Videos Overview (PDF)

Part One: Introduction (How To Use This Workshop)
​(14 minutes)


Teaching is a performance! Rehearse BEFORE you need to, Apparent vs underlying goals, studying and selecting activities, what TO Do and Get.

Part Two: Tuesday (Your first impression)
(15 minutes)

It’s usually ‘only’ an hour, but it's very important! HOW do begin to set the stage

Part Three: Wednesday (before recess) A BIG DAY!
(13 minutes)

Learn the three goals of the first week. Each activity you do should advance 1 or more of the 3 key goals of the first week @ 4:23 

Using a class survey we will begin teaching routines and class climate. We   begin teaching several procedures such as Attention Please!

Part Four: Wednesday (after recess)​
(25 minutes)


Assess reasoning & written fluency with graph & listening, & conversation & reasoning through ‘Read Aloud’

Part Five: Thursday
​( 14 minutes)

​
Read Aloud, Personal Web, Draw & Predict

Part Six: Friday
​(20 minutes)


Entry routine-put Name card on desk, Work on the Web, Marking Art

Part Seven: Wrap Up
​(4 minutes)


Ray wraps up with key teaching points from the workshop, and suggestions for a new teachers as an education student, a TTOC or in a first contract: talk to teachers about their teaching. Don't be afraid to ask 'how' as well as 'what'. Good teaching!

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The Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers' Association (myPITA)  is a Provincial Specialist Association (PSA) of the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF)                   
​© 2025 Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers' Association

Please note that these resources are created and owned by third parties and may have been updated or altered since the resource was last reviewed. It is important that teachers use their professional judgement when assessing any resource for its applicability to the curriculum, their classroom and educational context, and the needs of their students. myPITA receives no financial benefit from use of these external resources.
                                                  
  • Home
  • CONFERENCES
    • Conferences
    • Past Conferences
  • RESOURCES
    • Resources
    • Conflict Resolution
    • Empathy
    • Government, Elections, and Democracy
    • Conference Presenter Resources
    • Dr. Gabor Maté
    • Building Math Confidence
    • Literature Circles
    • Brain Breaks
    • Mental Health
    • Movement Breaks
    • Physical Literacy
    • Indigenous Learning Resources
    • Math Resources
    • Novel Resources (Members Only)
    • StartUP! your class
    • French Imm. Resources >
      • Moving beyond il and elle gender neutral pronouns for Core French
    • Drama Resources
    • Useful Links
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership
    • Operations (members only)
  • NEWSLETTERS
    • Newsletters
    • Newsletters (Members Only)
  • About
    • Members Grant
    • Partnership Grant
  • Contact
  • Teacher Talk