Back To School First Week Activities Get to Know You Middle School All About Me

This Back to School Journal and Activity Workbook gives upper elementary and middle school students 31 printable pages for the first weeks of school. It includes goal-setting worksheets, first-week reflections, get-to-know-you prompts and drawing pages such as Instagram selfies and tablet sketches.

The pages help you learn about your students while they get to know each other, build classroom community and express themselves through writing and drawing. Use them in homeroom, ELA, advisory or as early finisher work. They support leadership, self-reflection, social-emotional learning and creative expression.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This was a fantastic addition to my classroom! The resource is professionally designed, easy to follow, and saved me so much prep time. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the layout and content. My students were engaged, and it fit perfectly into my curriculum. Highly recommend!” christine A.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 31 printable Back to School worksheets
• 1 optional title page to make a full journal or workbook
• First Day of School Reflection
• My Goals for the Year
• About Me / About My Friends
• Summer Journal and Comic Strip
• Tablet Picture Drawing: Summer, Future Dreams, Movie Character
• Instagram and Selfie Drawing Prompts
• Time Travel and Throwback Activities
• Find Someone Who community icebreaker
• Acrostic Poem, Graphic Organizers, Think-Pair-Share
• Compliment Coaster for class community
• Student Leadership and Teamwork Activities
• Journal Prompts and Creative Writing Tasks

HOW TO USE IT

Print the full pack and staple it into a back-to-school journal with the cover page, or print individual pages to match the day's focus. Use them for whole-group discussion, bell work, morning journaling, early finishers or small-group community building.

The pages work well in the first week of school and throughout August and September for building classroom community, developing SEL skills and setting academic and personal goals. The drawing pages also make a fun bulletin board or hallway display.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Classroom teachers, homeschool families and guidance counselors working with upper elementary and middle school students in Grades 5 to 9.

How long does it take?

You can stretch it over 2 to 3 weeks, or pick pages to complete in 2 to 3 class periods. You can also use pages here and there through the first month.

Do I have to use every page?

No. Print the full journal or choose individual pages.

Is it editable?

No. It is a non-editable PDF.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (133)

★★★★★ “This was a hit with my students and the first few weeks back to school. I was able to establish a lot of rapport with my students using worksheets from this bundle!!” Blair W.

★★★★★ “Perfect for getting to know the students at the beginning, middle, and end of the year!” Elizabeth S.

★★★★★ “These were great activities to do with my homeroom class!” Hannah D.

★★★★★ “Helpful resource for teachers just starting out in middle school” Shannon G.

★★★★★ “These activities are great for the very first week of school! They gave me a chance to learn more about my students. Thank you.” Crystal W.

★★★★★ “A great resource to start the year with! I used it the whole first 2 weeks!” Brenna M.

★★★★★ “Excellent back to school activities! I use them for my AVID classes” The A.

★★★★★ “Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! More than enough activities to kick off the school year” ashley B.

★★★★★ “Jam packed with great memories. I pulled certain ones that fit with a unit on "Who Am I".” Nancy N.

★★★★★ “Great for both regular classroom teachers and art teachers!” Katie K.

★★★★★ “GREAT resource for starting the new year! I used these activities as Bell Ringers during the first few weeks of school.” Shannon C.

★★★★★ “Excited to use these as station rotations in order to learn more about my students.” Christina E.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this resource in your classroom or homeschool, and print and distribute it to your own students only. Additional licenses are available for school-wide or district use.

YOU MAY NOT: share it with other teachers or districts without licensing, upload, resell or give away any part of it, or convert it into editable formats or use it online.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic