It’s back-to-school season! You are eager to meet your new class. Your students and families are eager to meet you as well! How do you introduce yourself to your students and families? I like to use SSE’s Meet the Teacher packet to share information about myself and other staff working in the classroom. Let me walk you through how I do this below.
What
The Meet the Teacher packet is an editable document with templates for teacher information and an introduction letter. Families get the necessary contact information for your class, and they also get to know you better.
Personally, I like to use the introduction letter to call for partnership with families. I believe having families’ support is key to the success of our students. Topics I include in my letter are my background, my teaching philosophy, and my hopes and dreams for my class this year. I also invite families to reply to my letter and talk about their hopes and dreams for their students. You can see my sample letter below.
Who
I fill out the Meet the Teacher packet for myself, as well as for any paraprofessionals and service providers working in my classroom. It is important for families to know all the staff who are working with their children.
When
Send home the Meet the Teacher packet early in the school year. Meet the Teacher Night, First Day of School, or Back to School Night are examples of great times to get this information out to families. If you happen to have new students joining your class in the middle of the school year, be sure to send home the same information to their families too!
Why
Communication is key. The Meet the Teacher packet is a great way to kickstart communication with your families. Depending on your school, you may not have a lot of opportunities to sit down with families to talk about non-academics. This is why it is crucial to carve out time early in the school year to lay down the foundations for communication with families. From experience, this saves a lot of hassle when the school year is underway and everyone’s plates start piling up.
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