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One of my favorite books to read to my second graders on the first day of school was First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg.
The book follows the main character, Sarah, through her morning. She doesn't want to get up and get ready for school.
She is worried about her new class, what they are going to think of her and the fact that she doesn't know anyone.
Throughout the whole book, you never see Sarah, the main character. As a reader, you assume that she is a child and that the man in the story is her father. All of the emotions that she feels seem like something a child would feel about a new school year - the nerves, the excitement, the fear of the unknown.
At the very end of the story, you find out she is actually the teacher.
It is so fun to see the response from the class because they thought all along that it was a little girl throughout the book based on how she was acting. I always tell the students that I read them that book because I want them to know that I have first day jitters just like the teacher in the book and just like them. Adults get nervous about some of the same things kids do and we talk about how it is okay to be nervous and scared at the beginning and we are all in this new experience together. I also tell them that I like that the main character's name is Sarah like mine even though she spells it differently! They love knowing my "real" name.
This is such a cute book and a perfect read on the first day of school!
Happy Teaching,
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