We have been informed that we will be having a Virtual Meet the Teacher Open House in August. At first I panicked, I’m not going to lie! I have some 25 Meet the Teacher Nights under my belt. For me, it’s old hat. I’ve never had to meet my students virtually. I couldn’t fathom how it could be the same. How can I build relationships and make connections over a screen? Meet the Teacher Open House is one of the biggest nights of the year – it sets the tone for the year. How would I do this virtually?
I had to decide what my goals for Meet the Teacher Night would be. This is what I came up with:
-establishing a connection with students and families
-communicating important classroom information for the first day/week of school
-introducing students to the classroom and/or virtual classroom learning platform
First, you need to set up the meeting. Send all of the information to parents ahead of time along with scheduled time for parents to visit with any questions on Zoom, Teams, or whatever platform your school is using. This way parents and students can drop in during Meet the Teacher Night at their assigned time, introduce themselves and see you, and ask questions.
Things to Prepare for Open House Meet the Teacher Night:
Sign-In Sheet: Have families sign in. Then, they can access the documents outlined below.
Meet the Teacher Letter: This letter is a great way to introduce yourself and share some of your personal information. This is a great first step to building relationships.
Student Information Form: This form includes questions about special needs, medical concerns, etc. so you are best equipped to teach your students.
Parent Questionnaire: Give parents a questionnaire to learn more about your incoming students.
Parent Letter: I use a flip book to inform families about school procedures, schedules, FAQ so they understand from the start how our classroom runs. It saves a lot of time and is a great resource for families to reference all year long.
My flip book is part of my Back to School Mega Unit and my Back to School Bundle. It comes in printable and digital formats to meet your needs. The text is editable, so you can personalize it for your classroom.
Virtual classroom tour: As of right now, we are going back to school in person. Since students won’t see the classroom before the first day of school like they usually do, using your phone to video your classroom is a great idea. I plan on giving them a tour of the school. I will begin at the entrance, walk to our classroom and show them around. Then, from the classroom I will walk around the school to show students the bathroom, office, nurse, cafeteria, specials rooms, etc.
I have a feeling this school year is going to be unlike any other so I would like to help you out. Click here to get my digital sign in sheet, meet the teacher letter, student questionnaire and parent questionnaire for your Meet the Teacher Night. It’s free!
If you are having an in-person Meet the Teacher Night, you will want to check out this post.
