We are having Meet the Teacher from 4-6 on the Friday before school starts. Can someone explain how I am supposed to prepare for this? Do they bring their children? Do they trickle in one by one or will everyone be addressed as a whole? worries worries worries as a first year teacher!
don't worry. I can only share advice that I've read from what other people have said here (I home school we did meet the teacher at birth). I would believe not every one would come all at once. I have seen that some teachers have made up little get to know you packs, maybe some one can share what they put in. I remember from being a kid that yes kids go. You'll probably get the same 10 or so questions over and over. (If you can try to think of them type them up to hand out). Ask a teacher in your school what they have done.
We have "Meet the Teacher" night at my school also. The students and parents usually trickle in as they get off work. You don't have to have anything formal prepared. I usually show them our school-to-home notebook and tell them some of the highlights of the year. I have done different things in the past-- like a scavenger hunt for the kids to do while I visit with the parents. I usually have them find their desk, locker, etc. I also have some sort of prize on their desk for coming. Little brothers and sisters sometimes tend to get into games or math manipulatives so put anything away that you don't want bothered.
We also do meet the teacher. I personally really like it. Theres no pressure at my school. Its just a chance for the kids to come in with their parents to see the room, say a quick hello to you, maybe talk about something the parents are concerned about (allergies, behavior, etc) and drop off supplies if they have them. I don't "prepare" anything at all! I just make sure the room is ready and the kids also like to see where they sit. Its usually 5-10 min for each parent. I think it just makes them feel better to see things before hand. I also really like it! Ours is in the morning though. I like that better than staying until 6 at night. Good Luck and no worries
Starivy, I think this is a question you definitely need to get answered by someone in your building. This is handled very differently from building to building and you will want to know what to expect.You will want your room to look neat and attractive, but not necessarily "finished"; I always have at least one bulletin board that is just covered and has a border, but is blank so that the students can help with it. Good luck!
At my school we do this and it is very informal. A lot of the parents will bring their child's school supplies. You might want to have a place set aside for those items.
Absolutely. In our school, they follow their kids' schedules from room to room. Each school has its own way of doing things. Find out ahead of time how it works where you work (don't you LOVE reading those words??)
At our school, we do share a short presentation with the parents. We have envelopes to distribute with all the forms that parents will need to fill out and return. I usually write a few basics on the board, lunch prices, snack prices, etc. Even though it's in the handbook, some parents won't read it and their reason for coming is as simple as to see your face and find out lunch costs. Do a short intro so the parents will fill at ease about giving their child to you every day. Post a wish list in the room or near the door with items written on sticky notes. (Last year we had to do the whole shpeel twice to accomodate parents with more than one child. When the principal announced over the intercom for everyone to go see their other child's teacher, everyonel rose to leave. I ever so politely held up my hand in true teacher fashion and said, "Not until Mrs. Clark says to go. My last instructions are that everyone stop by and read the Wish List. If you can contribute something to the classroom, it will be greatly appreciated.") I was rewarded with contributions and they got the message that I was in control.
Our Meet the Teacher night happens during the second or third week back to school. We keep it quite informal--start with pizza, pop and cookies (teachers serving) and socializing outside for the first hour. When we come into the school we meet in the gym for a few minutes and the principal introduces the staff and says a few words of welcome. We then proceed to our classrooms where parents and students wander in. Because the students have been in school for a couple of weeks we have some work samples and artwork up to show them. At the end of the evening there is an announcement thanking the parents for coming and wishing the teachers a safe drive home--works wonders to get the stragglers out the door!
We have two back to school nights (I know, it drives me nuts). The first one is before school starts and is informal. The kids just run around seeing old friends, looking around their new rooms. The parents mingle and talk to the teachers. Some have questions. There is an orientation for new parents to the school. The next one, called curriculum night, takes place 3 or 4 weeks later. Then, the teacher must do a presentation about expectations, focus, anything else that the parents should know about the year. Books are displayed, parents can talk about concerns, briefly. The parents follow an abbreviated student schedule.
I agree that you need to find out how your school handles this even, because just in the responses that have come in so far I see lots of similiarities and differences. In our school it is a big deal AND lots of fun! Our "Open House" is usually 2 days before school begins and our students don't even know who their teacher is until right before the assemby part begins! After a brief assembly, our principal introduces us, and then the teachers are dismissed to get to their rooms before the parents are released. Not being the kind of person that likes to make speeches, I always worried about Open House, BUT...this is what I do.... *the room is set up so they can find their desks and look through their textbooks (already on desks) *I stand at the door and greet each person (always trying to connect the face with the names I've been writing) and tell them that there is a pamphlet that I've created to talk about information pertaining to my classroom (behavior, homework policy, etc...) and an information sheet for the parent to fill out at their child's desk. (I always make sure to have their sharpened "Welcome to School" pencil on their desks as well) *Then...I just stand around, greeting more people, talking to those who want to visit (although I haven't figured out how to ease away from those parents that want to dominate all of my time!?!) and let the kids/parents check out their new environment. It's tiring, BUT...I always enjoy it! Plus...it helps to connect faces (the child's to mine, and mine to the child's) before the first day of school!. Good luck, relax and enjoy it!!! ps..when i was in kindergarten, I used to do a scavenger hunt for the parents and children to find their way around the room (don't do it in 2nd, but probably could). The last thing they had to do was to "Tell Mrs. Ivey something about themselves". This way I was SURE to visit with every child.
We have meet the teacher and curriculum nights as well. For meet the teacher I just try to make sure my room looks neat and organized, even if everything is not put up on the walls. This will be the first time you meet parents (first impressions . I try to get my parents to sign all of those papers that are usually sent out the first week of school. I answer any questions they might have, very informal. The most important question I ask is how is the child getting home on the first day of school. Curriculum night as others have stated is a little more formal and happens usually the 3rd or 4th week of school. Just relax and think of it as the first time you will be seeing them, instead of it being the first time they will see you.
I taught in Florida last year and we had the same sort of thing. I only had 12 parents show up with their children. I had a sign in sheet and a transportation sheet for the parents to fill out. I also had a wish list on display on the board. It was a big tree and I had apple die cuts with something written on it that I would like to have! I had a little poem to go with it so when the parents looked around the room they saw the poem and it basically said something about picking an apple and bringing back whatever supply was written on the apple. Parents could just take a look at the tree and pick off an apple to take home that had something written on it that they wouldn't mind buying or bringing in. They usually send the items in with their children on the first day of school. Items were things like post-it notes, film (if you don't have a digital camera), tape, magnetic tape, small trinkets or toys for the treasure box, paper cups, copy paper (we had to provide our own), etc. Some parents brought in their child's supplies during Meet the Teacher, others just came to meet the teacher and check out the classroom and where their desk will be. There is no real pressure on the teacher during this time! The time will seriously FLY by so don't worry much. I was sick to my stomach last year as it was my first one and it just flew by.
shasha379 had a good point. Use Parent Night to find out how the kids will be going home. Post a list for the parents to sign in, tell how there children are getting home and note if they can volunteer for room mother or field trips, etc. I also carry a notepad the whole time because someone will walk up and tell you something crucial like a food allergy or custodial issue and you'll want to remember. I make a note so that they see me write it down but always tell them to put it in writing and send it to me for my records.
We have out "Meet the Teacher" a day or so before school starts. Our school sells school supplies in a bulk package. This is a good time to collect the packages or send the parents to the office to buy them. Also it is a quick way to introduce yourself/room on a less intimidating level. I also make sure I find out HOW THEY GO HOME since first day it is crazy.
I agree! This question should be addressed to someone at your school. Do you have a mentor? If not, seek out someone who is friendly and willing to help a new teacher! For our "meet the teacher" day, the students have one hour to come to the classroom. It's basically a time for the parents to drop off their huge supply boxes - you know all the paper, pens, etc. that you could imagine in the world - find their desk, see who their new classmates are, and meet me! I just finished my third year of teaching and look very young...I've often been passed by as the parents look around for the teacher! (I find this funny since I'm all dressed up in a nice skirt, shirt, and heels! LOL!) Please feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions! I'd be glad to help!
I love our Meet the Teacher night. It is held on the Monday night before school begins on Thursday, outside in the amphitheater area. It is for the whole school--we're K-8, and it's well attended by all grade levels. Anyway, we do snow cones for everyone (last year it was still about 100 degrees at 6 pm!), so it's VERY low key. The principal introduces all the teachers on the stage first, and then we're dismissed to mingle. Trust me, parents know exactly how to find you afterward...they bring students to "chat" for a minute or two. Very simple, very relaxed, but enough to give the kids a head start on the first day of school. Especially those Kinder students!! None of my students cried on the first day, and I think this was a huge reason why they did not!
