(After everyone is sitting quietly because I bribed them – oops – I mean – offered them incentives).

Hi – my name is Ms. Yuill, prouncounced like, “You’ll do your homemwork”. (Only teachers laugh at that joke). I’m an excellent substitute teacher because I tell gross, scary and funny stories and I rarely yell. Would you like to hear a gross fact? Yes? If you listen quietly, perhaps I’ll tell a ghost story later.

1. State your name, how to pronounce it and show where you wrote it on the board.

2.  Say you are excellent and why.

3.  Tell a story or do some relationship building activity, with promises of more later for good behavior.

This is so important because after having them sit down and be quiet, it is the first thing you do to get the students on your side. The beginning of your time with the students is the best time to get them on your side and makes the day much easier.