Welcome to a new school year! As a new teacher, you’ve probably figured out that first-day-of-school jitters aren’t only for students — teachers get them, too. But you may be surprised to realize that the first day of school isn’t over when the school bell rings.

The first six weeks of school are a crucial period for establishing routines and building relationships that become the building blocks for a successful school year.

With so much ground to cover in your curriculum, it can be tempting to dive right in to academic work, especially if you teach older students who already know the ropes. But most veteran teachers agree that taking time at the beginning of the school year to get to know your students — and allow them to get to know each other — will pay dividends later on.

“I want my students to establish a safe and secure learning community,” says Kim Barget, a middle school teacher at the Scholars’ Academy in Rockaway Park, Queens. In her humanities classroom, Barget lays the groundwork for that community in several ways. Her students participate in a discussion about what makes a class great. Their first writing assignment is also relevant: They must answer the question “What makes a great teacher?”

If it’s possible, try to make room in your lesson plans for activities that will help students feel comfortable in your classroom.

“I start out with mini-units that include poems or short stories as opposed to a full-blown unit on a novel,” says Marilyn Candela Ramirez, a teacher at the HS for Media and Communications in Washington Heights. She also builds in time for icebreaker activities and conversation. “It’s important to show the students that you genuinely care about them and are there to help them succeed,” she says.

Beth Kleinman Sullivan, who teaches 1st grade at PS 46 in the Bronx, notes, “You want to scaffold from where you start. We alternate easing back into work with rehearsing routines and building community through learning games.”

Establishing consistent routines is another way to help students ease in to the rhythm of the year.

“My favorite thing to do is recite, as a class, the poem ‘The Way to Start the Day’ by Linda Michelle Baron,” says Linda Mars-Mzoughi, a teacher at PS 208 in East Flatbush. “It is motivating, gives the children a purpose for being there, helps to build community and is just plain old fun.”

It’s important to cultivate a supportive learning environment for your students from the get-go. “Children need to feel safe when they are in your classroom,” says Vicki Primiano, a 1st-grade teacher at PS 62 in Richmond Hill, Queens. “Remember everyone’s feelings are valid to them. Be an active listener to all students. That’s been one of the best ways to build trust in every classroom I’ve taught.”