Meet the Teacher Ideas
4 Fun Meet the Teacher Ideas
The Meet the Teacher ideas you will find here are simple and perfect to welcome everyone back to school! If you're anything like me, you cannot wait to meet your new students every year. Of course, this year is no exception. If anything, I am more excited than ever to see my students. Guess what? They're probably more excited than ever to meet their teacher! Whether your students are starting the school year online or in-person, these meet the teacher ideas will help build relationships with your students from day one. Here are some simple meet the teacher ideas and meet the teacher activities to share with your students and families.
Ideas for Meet the Teacher Night
First impressions are important! Make sure your classroom is neat, tidy, and welcoming for students and families. The ideas for Meet the Teacher Night you will find here will help you save time and give you a vision for Meet the Teacher night.
Make sure to have a meet the teacher sign in sheet! This will you help track who attended Meet the Teacher. Documentation is key here!
Meet the Teacher Ideas #1:
Meet the Teacher Letter
Introducing yourself to students and parents is my first recommendation for meet the teacher ideas! Before your students arrive at school, share a Meet the Teacher Letter to parents. You can send this digital or printable letter via email or snail mail. If you have a meet the teacher night, you can simply share it with parents and students at school.
What should you include in your meet the teacher letter? This is a place to share all about you! Tell your students and families about your own family, hobbies, and even favorite foods. Perhaps, share a unique fact or two about yourself that students will find intriguing. Do you have a pet snake? Have you lived out of the country? Were you a college athlete? Whatever unique attribute you share about yourself can spark conversations with students when they return to school online or in-person. I often include that math was not my favorite subject in school and now, I teach and LOVE math! This is also a good place to share your contact information.
Meet the Teacher Ideas #2:
Give Parents the 411
While the meet the teacher letter provides an opportunity for parents and students to learn all about you, parents also need to know important information, or the "Meet the Teacher 411," about the school environment. Another meet the teacher idea is a parent information sheet. Share what they need to know about the daily schedule, technology, special circumstances for the school year, and even early upcoming dates (like picture day or form due dates). A lot of this information will remain relevant for the whole year, well beyond meet the teacher night.
Meet the Teacher Ideas #3:
Supply List
Meet the teacher night is also a time to let parents know what supplies their students will need or additional donations you would appreciate for your classroom. Supply lists may be distributed by the school prior to meet the teacher night, but parents always appreciate an extra copy (digital or print) from the classroom teacher. If you make your own classroom supply list (rather than using the one distributed by the district or school), don't forget items like hand sanitizer, Kleenex, and Clorox wipes.
If you take advantage of apps like REMIND 101, share you supply list with parents. Personally, I enjoy having a copy of supply list on my phone so I can view at the store when purchasing items.
Meet the Teacher Ideas #4:
Meet the Teacher with Video Options
If your meet the teacher night is happening virtually, there are many digital meet the teacher ideas you can use. Of course, the meet the teacher letter, parent 411, and supply lists can all be sent digitally, but your students want to see your face!
Host a Google Meet or Zoom with your new students so they can "meet" you and see your smiling face. Parents and teachers can ask questions live or by using the chat feature. You can also share resources like the meet the teacher letter. In addition, you can record the session to share with parents and students if they cannot attend live.
These meet the teacher ideas will have your students excited to come back to school either in-person or virtually. Our students are craving time with their teacher and classmates after time away from the classroom.
All of these meet the teacher ideas are included in the Meet the Teacher BUNDLE in digital and print format. What meet the teacher ideas will you use for back to school?
Share Expectations
Use your time wisely! Make sure you share your expectations with students and parents. Provide handouts for parents to read after they leave open house. This will also help avoid students and parents stating they weren't aware of your expectations as problems occur during the school year.
As I stated before, provide handouts. Be crystal here and try not to overwhelm. Keep it short, simple and to the point. As the old saying goes, "Say what you mean, and mean what you say."
I wish you the best of luck this school year and hope you have fun meeting your sweet students! I hope this school year is the best one yet!
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