Meet the Teacher Ideas and Open House

Back to school night means time for parents and students to meet the teacher, share important classroom information, introduce the curriculum, and make families feel welcome! It shouldn’t have to be stressful, however. You have enough going on at the start of the school year than to spend hours on your open house. For Meet the Teacher: Creating an inviting open house has never been easier with these simple tips!

Meet the Teacher: Share some information about yourself.

Open house is a time to let parents and students get to know a personal side of you. This doesn’t mean that you have to share vacation photos, but let families know about your own family. Share pictures of your spouse, children, and pets if they are part of your family. Talk about your favorite books, sports, and hobbies. Sharing a little bit about yourself shows that you are more than a teacher; you have a personal life outside of school. Often, this helps parents respect your time outside of school and your personal life.

Make your life easier with these options for Meet the Teacher Night

I have always had a quick handout for my parents to take away. When they come in they will be focused on the little stuff so having something to takeaway will be important. I have many options I have created throughout the years to save time and energy. I have created the basic traditional theme and of course all the trendy and go to themes! You can click HERE to see them all or select below your favorite option.

Meet The Teacher Farmhouse Themed Versions

Meet the Teacher Welcome Brochure: Traditional Style

Meet the Teacher Tropical and Themed Versions

Meet the Teacher Welcome Newsletters Themes

Bridge the digital divide.

I love communicating with parents via newsletters, my website, and email. It makes things efficient and my message is clear when it’s shared to all parents online. Back to School night is a way to present your classroom website and other digital tools you’ll use in person. This will give non-tech-savvy parents a chance to ask questions and get logged on. You may also find that some parents will need alternate communication if they don’t have access to the internet on a regular basis. Although this divide is becoming smaller, it still exists, and it’s important to be cognizant of families that do not have computer access. Open house gives you a chance to give parents other means of communication and create equity.

For Meet The Teacher: Add some flexible seating.

Make some room for parents to sit comfortably. Those little chairs may work for your students, but they’re not the best seats for parents to fill out papers or sit and chat. Most likely, parents will just walk around the room, listen to your informal presentation, and pick up your back to school brochure, but it’s important to have places for them to sit if needed. You can also use these flexible seating options throughout the school year with your students.

Play some music.

Set a welcoming mood with some light, classical music as families enter your classroom. I also love using “The Piano Guys” or other instrumental pop music. Creating a calm ambiance with inviting music will help families feel calm and welcome. This is something you can also do as students enter your classroom and during work time or transitions.

Creating a warm and inviting open house doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, my editable back to school brochure is the perfect tool to use at back to school night to introduce yourself, classroom expectations, curriculum, and classroom tools. Giving your families a glimpse to the school year with this easy, concise brochure will help them feel like part of your classroom during your warm and inviting open house.

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