Week One: Meet the Teacher

I'm linking up with my friend Stephanie from Mrs.D's Corner for her four week Building Blocks of B2S series.  I'm very excited to share a little about my "Meet the Teacher" night with my second graders.  Here are three tips that will help your meet the teacher run smoothly.

Tip #1: Greet Them at the Door

I love meeting my new students and parents at the door.  I love shaking each of their hands and introducing myself.  If I have a parent ask a lot of questions, I will tell them that I'll contact them after to schedule a meeting.  I try to answer small questions, but I keep it short in order to make sure that I talk to all of the parents.  I also remind them that we have a back to school night in a couple of weeks and I'll be able to answer questions in more depth then.

Tip #2: Have a System Setup for a Stress-Free Event 

I try to make sure that I a system setup for "Meet the Teacher".  I want to meet my parents and students, figure out how they go home, have them drop off their school supplies, and check out the room.  I set up a place to sign in, a place to look at tranportation, and I have their supply boxes ready to put their school supplies in.  I also have boxes out for big supplies like construction paper, ziploc baggies, and tissue boxes.

I've used Reagan Tunstall's Editable Table Signs for the last three years and they have really streamlined "Meet the Teacher" for me.  The parents and students follow the numbers to complete tasks.  It's like a fun game and it saves me a TON of time!  If you haven't checked them out yet, you totally need too!  Click on the cover to see them in Reagan's store.

Tip #3: Figure Out How They Go Home

I don't know about y'all but I'm always worried about dismissal on the first day of school.  One of my main goals during my "Meet the Teacher" is to find out how my students go home.  Right next to my sign in sheet, I have a sheet where the parents write how their child will go home.  I also have a bus map and transportation name tags in a tub next to the transportation sheet.  This will help save me time on the first day.

My "How Do We Go Home?" labels also are a huge help.  Not all of my students come to "Meet the Teacher" and I keep the labels and transportation sheet handy on the first day for parents to fill out as they drop off their children.

It's also super easy for my students to move their label when their transportation changes.  You can click on the cover below to check them out in my store.

An InLinkz Link-up