Back to School Teaching Resources
Head back to school in 2025 with primary school activities, classroom decoration printables and so many more teacher resources created by teachers for teachers just like you!
Whether you're planning for your very first day as a teacher or just your first day of the 2025-2026 school year, we've got you covered with everything you'll need to make pupils feel welcome coming back to school and your classroom.
Explore editable Google Slides templates, printable back to school poems, colouring pages and word searches, inspiring quotes to hang on the walls of your classroom ... and that's just the start of what's in store for your teacher toolkit. Get the peace of mind that you'll be all set to head back into the classroom with everything you need for a successful school year!
Looking for ideas for getting your pupils excited about going back to school? Read on for tips from our teacher team, including back-to-school jokes you can share with your class and some back-to-school songs with a positive vibe to set the tone for the school year!
9 Silly Back to School Jokes for Kids to Share With Your Class
There's no question that telling jokes in your classroom can help build that pupil-teacher relationship. Are you hoping to incorporate a few kid-friendly (and seriously silly) puns into your planning?
Here are a few that have a school theme and are appropriate to share with the younger primary students:
- Why did the maths worksheet look sad? It had a lot of problems.
- How do bees get to school? They take the buzzzzz.
- What did the crayon say to the pencil? You're pretty sharp.
- What did the pencil say to the sharpener? Get to the point!
- What's a teacher's favourite type of music? Class-ical!
- What's a vampire's favourite kind of test to take? A blood test!
- What is a snake’s favourite subject? – Hiss-tory.
- What did the bus driver say to the frog? Hop on.
- Why are fish so smart? They spend a lot of time in schools.
7 Back to School Songs to Play in the Classroom
Going back to school comes with mixed emotions for teachers and pupils. Excitement to see friends and learn new things can be mixed with apprehension — especially for young primary students who may have never ridden a school bus or been in a school setting before. You'll want to set a positive tone from day one to help students start the school year off feeling energised and excited.
What better way to motivate your class and pump them up than playing songs perfect for back to school? You can play them quietly as pupils filter into the classroom in the morning on their first day, use them for a dance party brain break mid-day or add them to a classroom playlist for those times when you need to turn on some jams while kids work in small groups.
Here are a few favourite kid-friendly back-to-school songs from the teachers on the Teach Starter team:
- Welcome Back to School by Dwayne Reed — It doesn't get more on target than this fun tune from an American educator. You might also want to check out Reed's Welcome to Kindergarten for a song that's more specific to your class.
- Happy by Pharrell — This song about not letting anything ruin your happy mood is perfect for establishing a positive vibe. You can also use it as an example of using repetition as a persuasive device in writing.
- Can't Stop This Feeling by Justin Timberlake
- We're All in This Together by the High School Musical cast
- ABC by The Jackson 5
- School Days by Chuck Berry — This is an oldie that most students will have never heard before, but it's still a goodie!
- The Educate Song — This is a cover of Bruno Mars' Grenade that's all about education, and it's sung by a group of pupils!
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Desk Pet Adoption Certificate
Boost pupil behaviour using Desk pets, starting with a printable Desk Pet Adoption Certificate.
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Positive Self-Talk Reward Bracelets
Encourage a positive mindset with a fun set of printable positive self-talk bracelets.
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Editable Morning Registration Slides
Start your day off right with this set of 9 editable Morning Registration slides.
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Editable Classroom Newsletter
Download this editable classroom newsletter to send important information to your pupils' parents and carers.
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Random Partner Cards
Make assigning random partners entertaining with this set of 38 matchup cards.
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Schools Around the World – Brochure and Writing Template
Research and write a report on schools in a different country with this brochure template.
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Back-to-School Checklists
Keep up with all of those beginning of the school year tasks with printable teacher checklists.
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Chill Out Passes
Use these Chill Out Passes as a classroom management tool.
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Learning Behaviours Poster Pack
Teach your pupils about learning behaviours with this set of 10 posters.
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Learning Behaviours Reflection Worksheets – Key Stage 1
Allow pupils to reflect on their application of various learning behaviours with this set of 10 worksheets.
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Printable Classroom Jobs Display
Print all you need for a classroom jobs display to make sure pupils know who is responsible for various jobs in your classroom.
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Our Class Rules - Set of 8
Remind pupils of classroom rules and expectations with this set of 8 posters.
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Classroom Reward Coupons
Increase pupil motivation with this set of 23 coupons to use as a classroom reward system.
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Classroom Hand Sign Posters
Strengthen classroom management and cut down on classroom interruptions with a set of hand signal posters.
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Classroom Jobs Display
Keep track of classroom responsibilities with a Classroom Jobs Display!
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Behaviour Sticker Charts
Reward positive behaviour for struggling pupils with editable reward charts.
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Classroom Morning Routine and Timetable Slides
Use these editable classroom morning routine slides to display important information for the day.
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Behaviour Reflection Sheet for Key Stage 1 Pupils
Invite your Key Stage 1 pupils to reflect on their behaviour choices with this behaviour think sheet.
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Classroom Calendar Pack
Build your students' knowledge of days, months, seasons and the weather each morning with our classroom calendar pack .
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Classroom Library Genre Book Labels
Organise your classroom library by genre with these printable illustrated book labels.
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We Are... Class Rules Posters
Set your new students up for success with this set of 11 classroom expectation posters.
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End of Day Routines Checklists for Students — Printable Bookmarks
Make the end-of-the-day go smoothly with a routine checklist for students to use as a bookmark.
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Setting Expectations for Working Independently Checklist
Give your pupils a checklist to remind them of classroom routines to follow when working independently.
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The Science of Independent Learning – Vertical Chart
Chart your students' learning progress on this set of 8 vertical tracking sheets.