Summer is finally over and it is time to meet your new group of students for the upcoming school year. Here is a complete guide to meet the teacher that will help you feel less stressed and more prepared for the day.
This post is all about Meet the Teacher.
Meet the Teacher night is always so exciting, but can also be a little overwhelming. As a teacher myself, I am giving you my top tips for Meet the Teacher night that will make you feel prepared and ready to meet your new students.
You are going to learn the exact ways that I organize my room, forms that I use, and other things I use for Meet the Teacher.
After reading this guide you will feel ready equipped and confident to handle Meet the Teacher with ease.
This post is all about the complete guide to Meet the Teacher that every teacher should know about.
Things to Include for Meet the Teacher:
1. “About Me” Take Home Printable:
One of the things I include every year is a cute take home printable that has information about me that my students might want to know. I always search Teachers Pay Teachers for a cute template. Here is the one that I used my first year of teaching. I snagged it on Teachers Pay Teachers for free.
Here is another template that I have used that is also free. You can also make one on Canva, but if you would like to save yourself some time, I suggest checking out the hundreds of free templates on Teachers Pay Teachers.
2. A place for student supplies
I have found that many parents like to bring in supplies on this day to avoid having their little one having to stuff all their supplies in their backpack on the first day and drag them to the classroom. For this reason, I always have Sterilite bins and labelled and ready. I make a list of supplies that I want students to place in their desk and have bins for the rest. For example, personal supplies like notebooks, binders, pencil cases, and scissors are stored in the desk, while the community supplies such as notebook paper, paper towels, Clorox wipes, and tissues are placed in the bins.
3. A clipboard with ALL the forms for EACH parent/guardian
I did this my first year and it made things run so smoothly. I place a clipboard with all the forms that needed to be filled out at each desk. That way while the student is unpacking the supplies/exploring around the classroom, the parent/guardian can be filling out the forms. On the clipboard I usually include an information card for the parent to fill out about their child, any forms I have been given by the office that need to be signed, a list of class expectations, and an outline of my classroom management plan. I think it is extremely important that the students and parents know what your classroom expectations are from the beginning.
4. A slideshow all about you!
This seems to always be a favorite among the parents and the students. As you know this night is usually so busy and sometimes certain parents want to talk to you for longer periods than others. I needed a way for students and parents to “get to know me” without me even if they didn’t get a chance to talk to me for too long. So of course, I searched on TPT and found a really cute Google slideshow. I leave it playing in the background on repeat for the whole night. I include pictures and a little blurb about me. Additionally, you may want to present this slideshow on the first day of school in case some of the students were unable to attend Meet the Teacher.
5. Jitter Glitter
My son’s first grade teacher did this and he really enjoyed it. Each student receives a poem and a little packet of jitter glitter to help ease the “first day jitters.”
6. A Classroom Scavenger Hunt
A classroom scavenger hunt is a great way for the students to get to know where everything is in the classroom. It is something fun and interactive for them to do with their parents, however, this can also be done on the first day of school.
7. Other Important Forms
- A sign in sheet – I usually place this on a table at the front door so the parents cannot miss it. Generally districts make you keep track of which parents attended the event anyways and it is always good to have.
- A volunteer sign up sheet – In the event that you have class parties or other times that you may need an extra hand.
- A transportation list – If you do anything, please DO NOT forget this one! The most important thing you need to know is how will each child get home from school. Will they ride the bus or will their parents pick them up? or will they walk home? If they ride a bus, it is important to find out what bus number they ride. The first day/week of school is always so hectic, however this is something you cannot let slide!
These are the things that I include in my Meet the Teacher event and things that you may want to include in yours too. Once you set them up, you can save them on your computer or in your Google Drive and use them year after year.
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