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Last updated by Linda Kamp on May 28, 2023 • 1 Comment

What to Include in a Meet the Teacher PowerPoint

Does your school require you to give a presentation when you meet your new families? Using a Meet the Teacher PowerPoint to guide your open house can ease any anxiety, help you manage parents, and ensure that you cover all the important details. In this post, I’ll show you what to include in your parent presentation so you can confidently communicate important information about your classroom. Read how to plan a successful Meet the Teacher Night here . See how to set up your classroom and manage Meet the Teacher here . If you’re holding a virtual Meet the Teacher Night, read here .

How to Create a Meet the Teacher PowerPoint Presentation

All About Your Teacher

Share something fun or interesting about yourself with your families. Provide pictures of your family, pets, vacations, etc. Tailor it to fit your students age and grade level.

Slideshow template source

Tell parents about your education and how long you have been teaching. Consider adding your school picture from when you were in the same grade level as your students. Parents and students love to learn more about their teacher because it helps them make a connection with you. It can put them at ease to know more about the person that they are entrusting for their child’s education.

I also recommend making a Meet the Teacher letter that you can put on each child’s desk as well as send to families who were not able to attend.

Newsletter template source

Teacher Contact Information

Provide parents with the best way to get in contact with you. Explain to parents your policy on phone calls, emails, and setting up a conference if needed. Similarly, explain to parents your communication response time. For example, emails sent during the day will get a response after school on the same day, but emails sent after school or in the evening will be responded to the following day. Tailor this to fit your needs and the expectations of your school.

Customize a back to school brochure with your contact info and important things to know about your classroom. Include your daily classroom schedule , specials schedule, homework policies, contact info attendance office phone number, and anything else parents will need to keep handy. Make simple refrigerator magnets by customizing these templates and gluing a piece of magnetic tape to the back. These keep important contact and classroom info handy for parents.

Brochure and magnet templates source

What to do with Supplies

Explain to parents and students where they need to put their different school supplies. Many families bring in their supplies on Meet the Teacher Night which is very helpful! Show families what supplies will go in student desks (pencil box, scissors, ruler, etc.) and what supplies are for the class (highlighters, expo markers, glue sticks, etc.). Consider placing bins out on a table for extra supplies. This will help with organization and save you time later so you don’t have to open packages and sort supplies at the end of the night.

What to Expect on the First Day of School

Communicate with families what time the campus opens and where you will be on the first morning before school. For example, some schools have students go to the playground while other schools have students go straight to their classroom upon entering campus. Tailor this to fit your school procedures and expectations. Provide lunch information for those students who will buy lunch on their first day of school. Explain your procedures for the end of the day including students that will be picked up by parents, ride the bus, or go to an after school care program that your district provides.

Your Class Schedule

Provide your families with your daily classroom schedule as well as a special classes schedule. It is important for parents to know when their student needs to wear tennis shoes for P.E. and when library books are due back. 

Lunch Procedures

Communicate how lunch and recess works at your school. Provide information on how to set up a lunch account so students can purchase lunch. Include your lunch time in the class schedule.  

Forms & Information You Need From Parents

Call attention to the parent forms that need to be completed during the open house as well as forms due back during the first week of school. Provide examples of any information that may come home during the first week so that parents are expecting it. Communicate to parents how you will send home important fliers or school memos. Stress the importance of checking student’s folders and backpacks every day.

Student information forms source

I set up stations for parents to visit after the presentation to fill out or turn in important student forms. Read more about using parent stations to manage Meet the Teacher Night and get helpful tips for how to plan a stress-free open house .

Editable back to school parent forms and stations (source)

Click here for Meet the Teacher kits with editable parent stations and student forms, in both English and Spanish, that you can customize for your classroom.

Homework Folders

Familiarize parents with your homework routine in your Meet the Teacher PowerPoint. Explain what will be assigned each week and expectations for completing it. Provide examples of what the homework will look like and when it is due. Show an example of how their child’s daily folder will look and the expectations for that folder. Your folders may include a behavior chart, spelling lists, practice pages, a reading log, notes from the teacher etc.

Walk parents through the type of homework assignments their student will have each week. Explain how to use the reading logs and do fluency passages if you use them. It is important for parents to know what requirements their child has each week as some younger students won’t remember in the beginning.

Classroom Rules and Behavior Expectations

I usually provide a back to school newsletter with all of this info as well as include it at Curriculum Night with parents . If the norm at your school is to do a Meet the Teacher open house presentation, you can certainly include rules and behavior expectations.

Consider including a slide with an explanation of your management style as well as your classroom rules for students. I try not to have more than five simple rules for students which is helpful because then they are not overwhelmed. It’s useful to communicate this early to parents so they know what to expect. You can also provide your class behavior plan. Try these easy to use   editable Curriculum Night PowerPoint templates with example slides.

Volunteer Information

Parents love to volunteer! Provide families with a list of ways they can volunteer in and out of the classroom. Make sure to include when this will start. I usually wait at least a month so I can establish routines within my class.

Always Include a Thank you

Thank your families for coming and let them know you look forward to an amazing school year. Send your presentation, and any important forms, to families that cannot attend. 

Meet the Teacher Night doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning ahead and using the right templates, you can create a clear, concise, and polished Meet the Teacher Powerpoint presentation. 

Click here for a BRIGHTS theme. Click here for a BURLAP theme. Both are also available in bundles with Curriculum Night and First Day Rules & Procedures PowerPoint templates.

Save this post on Pinterest so you have it when you plan.

Get more back to school help in these posts:

How to Plan & Manage Meet the Teacher Night

What to Do on the First Day of School 

How to Plan & Manage Curriculum Night

Happy teaching!

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I’m Linda Kamp, a 20 year primary grade teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that excite students and make learning fun! I'm so glad you're here!

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top 8 keys to a great parent open house.

What impression did parents take away from your school’s last Open House? What did they think of you as a teacher—did you come across more as a nurturing caretaker or a stern taskmaster? Did they see you as more intimidating than approachable? Did you seem to have a one-track mind about standardized test scores, or did you communicate willingness to take the time to build a positive classroom climate?

Every teacher knows that a positive Open House experience can set a positive tone and establish good parent-teacher communication for the whole year. Below are eight tips to help you take full advantage of this terrific opportunity to connect with your students’ families.

8.  Use an Integrated Presentation – Open Houses often involve PowerPoint presentations. Try mixing it up a bit by using the presentation not only to go over the curriculum and classroom rules, but also to celebrate what makes each child unique and to showcase the great time kids are having in school. If your Open House is held several weeks after school starts, take photos or even videos of each child and integrate them into the presentation. Another option is to take a photo of—or scan in—something that each child has produced, whether it is artwork, a math problem, or a written product. Electronic presentations are also an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the use of technology (e.g., smartboards, podcasting, blogging) that students will use throughout the year.

7.  Make it Interactive – Regardless of grade level, parents want to know what their child is learning. The Open House is the perfect time to clearly define your curriculum and get parents involved in their child’s education. Use broad strokes rather than trying to cover every tiny detail; handouts can provide more in-depth information for interested parents. Make sure to allow time for questions. If parents are tempted to tune out during this part of the presentation, try engaging them by assigning them some of the same tasks that their kids would be asked to complete in class.

6.  Don’t Rush – The point of the event is to build a relationship, and that becomes less likely when the event is treated like an assembly line. Be mindful of the time, but be careful not to come across like a fast-talking auctioneer. Take time to clearly express your expectations for the year so that everyone starts off on the same page. By the same token, talk about what you are committing to provide for students and parents. Discussion of classroom rules should be friendly rather than threatening. Likewise, you don’t want to sound like you are overwhelmed by all that you need to cover during the year. Instead of saying, “We have an unbelievable amount to cover this year,” try saying “We are all in this together, and I know that we are up to the challenge.”

5.  Make it Welcoming – Hang a “Welcome” sign and offer refreshments, if possible. Keep the mood light by offering fun activities and “goody bags.” Scavenger hunts are a popular way of encouraging active participation and acquainting parents with different areas of the classroom and school. Other ideas include trivia questions, friendly contests and competitions, or activities that encourage parents to share information about their child. Great questions to ask include “What does your child need from me [the teacher] in order to succeed?” and “What are your child’s strengths?” Another favorite activity is to have parents write a message to their child, or better yet—read a message their child has left for them and reply to it.

4.  Get the Invite Right – The school probably sends out a notice of the Open House a few weeks before the event. In addition to this general announcement, send an invitation from yourself personally. Let parents know exactly what you have planned and what you’ll be going over. This will help with any apprehension they may be feeling about the event, and will provide them with some basis on which to form questions.

Keep in mind that some parents will find it difficult to attend the Open House due to factors such as lack of transportation, lack of childcare, work obligations, language barriers, or even feelings of alienation due to negative experiences they may have had in school themselves. Consider alternatives to a single event: hold both day and evening Open Houses, or even make home visits. Providing transportation, babysitting, and a meal can also increase attendance. Consider offering prizes or incentives for attendance (make sure students know about these, as kids can be your biggest salespeople). Have one of the class parents help spread the word and encourage the attendance of other parents. Follow up with parents who do not attend so that they receive needed information. Consider videotaping your presentation or making your PowerPoint presentation available online, so that parents who missed the event won’t be left in the dark.

3.  Say “Thank You” – Keep track of the parents that attend and send a thank-you note home a few days later. Be attentive during the open house and jot down little things you notice about students’ family members. That way you can mention them in your thank-you note (e.g., “Mr. Smith, thank you for participating so enthusiastically in our Open House last week. It will help Timmy in his Social Studies lessons to have such a history buff in the house!”).

2.  Put It Into Perspective – Parents may want to discuss their child at length. Practice good crowd control by offering an activity for parents to complete, or areas or items to browse, while they are waiting for a chance to speak with you one-on-one. Limit the length of these conversations; remind them that because it is early in the school year, you are still getting to know each student fully. Also, with other parents within earshot, confidentiality of discussions may be a concern. Take advantage of the opportunity to invite them to a one-on-one meeting at another time, when you can give them the undivided attention and privacy they deserve.

1.  Keep Communicating After the Event – Open Houses need not be a one-time event. Some schools opt to schedule multiple parent events throughout the year. Establishing a good rapport and a history of good communication with parents will make all the difference when a problem arises. Be creative about engaging parents throughout the year. Offer a variety of ways for them to get involved. Not every parent can volunteer on-site during the school day, and not every parent can afford to buy items for the classroom. Think about off-site tasks or projects that would help the class but which don’t cost anything except a parent’s time.

Related resources

Keys to a Great Open House

Article by Jason Tomaszewski , EducationWorld Associate Editor Education World ®     Copyright © 2011 Education World

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	Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and receive top education news, lesson ideas, teaching tips and more! No thanks, I don't need to stay current on what works in education! COPYRIGHT 1996-2016 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT 1996 - 2024 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SchoolNotes.com The Educator's Network 40 Hour Workweek Share the post. Click above to copy the link. Uncategorized   |   Apr 27, 2012 Tips for Open House and Back to School Night By Angela Watson Founder and Writer Learn how to prepare for a successful Back-to-School Night or Open House!  On this page (which has been excerpted from  The Cornerstone book ) You’ll find tips and tricks for making parents feel welcome, handling small children who attend, and creating an engaging and memorable presentation. Holding an informative, stress-free event for families Open House (or Back-To-School Night) can be a source of great stress for teachers who hate speaking in front of a group of adults.  It’s natural to be nervous and concerned about creating a good impression on the families you will have to partner with for an entire school year. One of the most important elements of a successful Open House is letting your personality shine through so that parents can make a real connection with you as a person who cares about their children. The following guidelines will help you feel calm and prepared so that you can let parents see the real you: a person who loves their kids and wants to help them succeed. Prior to open house: creating a parent letter It’s helpful to send a letter to families to introduce yourself, provide an overview of the school year, and inform parents of rules and procedures.  If you send these letters out before Open House, you won’t have to go into as much detail in your presentation because parents will have already had a chance to familiarize themselves with how your classroom is run.  You can also use your letter (or a class handbook that you provide in advance) as the basis for your presentation. What back-to-school night is and isn’t The purpose of Open House or Back-to-School Night is to provide a time for parents to meet the teacher and review expectations.  It is NOT a time for individual conferences, and you’ll need to make that clear to parents.  Open House is usually held in the early evening and lasts between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the format that your school uses.  In some schools, the teacher will need to present for as long as 45 minutes; in others, the teachers are lucky to get 15 minutes.  Ask your colleagues what Open House is normally like at your school. How to organize and prepare for open house There are several components of the typical Open House.  Some schools have parents go to the cafeteria or auditorium first for a general welcome, then to individual classrooms.  No matter how your school sets it up, you should expect to have families trickling in for a good 30-45 minutes, if not longer: some will be very early, and others will come in when it’s nearly over, especially if they had to visit siblings’ classrooms first.  The younger the children you teach, the higher the priority parents will give to your classroom.  Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms often get the best turnout in the school and parents will visit them before going to their older children’s classrooms.  Some schools have two 30-minute sessions so parents with more than one child can visit multiple teachers without missing a lot of information. After most people arrive, you will give a short presentation about your class.  However, because of the trickle-in effect, you will need productive activities for your families to do while they wait for you to begin.  Talking with you will not be an option as you attend to a million other things that seem to pop up.  Open House is not always the best time to have parents fill out forms because they are often rushed and distracted.  You can, however, have volunteer sign-up sheets for them and handouts to peruse. Have a self-running sign-in system that you don’t have to operate yourself.  Right inside my classroom door I have a desk with nametags, a sign-in sheet, and a packet of materials that I will be reviewing that night.  (If you place the desk in the hallway, you won’t be able to ensure that all parents have signed in.)  Some teachers like to offer a small bowl of candy or treats, as well.  My sign-in sheet asks for the parent’s name and the child’s name, as well as a daytime phone number, so that when conferences come, I don’t have to rack my brain wondering, “Did I meet her before?  Didn’t she come to Back-to-School night, or was it dad that came?”  I have introduced myself to the same parent several times, only to have them say, “Yes, I remember…we met at Back-To-School night.”  Whoops!  There will be dozens of people in and out of your room and family situations can be complicated, so it’s very hard to keep track of everyone.  Make notes to yourself in the margin afterwards (woman with red hair, had infant with her, grandma came along, didn’t speak much English, etc.) to help you place the name with the face later on. Make it clear where parents should sit: normally, at their child’s desk.  Some teachers like to have work samples or other materials out; I have done this in the past and found that papers wind up on the floor or somewhere else they don’t belong in all the hustle and bustle.  Have extra chairs available for families to sit together.  You may want to have all the children sit on the floor in the front or back of the room if space is limited. Fun ways to make the back-to-school night special It’s not necessary to create a lot of elaborate things for families to do at Open House.  However, if you’re looking for easy-to-implement, high-interest activities, here are a few ideas: Scavenger hunt :  Families can complete this activity while they wait for you to begin the presentation, and/or afterward while they wait to talk to you. One parent sent me an email afterward saying how much she enjoyed it because she had a purpose in walking around the room and knew what she was looking at.  The scavenger hunt can end with the parent at the child’s desk, waiting for you to begin talking. How well do you know me? Fun survey :   Parents can complete this at anytime during the evening–it’s waiting for them on the child’s desk.  The kids get to grade it for the parents the next day, which they love!  Note:  Have something enjoyable to do the next day for the kids whose parents couldn’t come so they don’t feel left out while the others read the surveys. Shared journal entry:  The kids write on a topic such as “The Hardest Part/Best Part of Being a Kid”.  They then set up the page across from that page with the title, “The Hardest Part/Best Part of Being a Parent”.  The families complete the journal entry at Back-To-School night and children read them in the morning.  (Have another morning warm-up for kids whose parents did not come.)  This is a good activity if you use journals and workbooks a lot: it lets parents see how much work the child is doing in class, even though it may not all come home because it’s not on loose-leaf paper.  Be aware that some parents may not feel comfortable with their own reading or writing skills or may be preoccupied with their young children or the papers you have handed them, and may not take part.  I have had moderate success with this activity in that regard, but the parents who did do the journal entry absolutely raved about it. What to include in your presentation Your school will probably give you guidelines on the material they want you to cover.  There is no one right way to do this, but I have found the following format effective: 1) Tell a little about yourself. If it’s your first year teaching, don’t feel obligated to announce that, but definitely don’t lie, either!   At my first Open House, I said, “This is my first year teaching this grade level,” and left it at that.  Some teachers show their family photos, which can be very endearing and encourages parents to view you as an approachable, real person.  I like to tell why I chose the grade level I did and what I think is special about it.  This is a good transition into the presentation and if someone comes in late, they’re able to catch up easily. 2)  Give an overview of the most exciting things you have planned for the year to get parents enthusiastic about what’s happening in the classroom. I spend just a minute or two telling them that their children will be choosing community outreach and charity projects to get involved with, doing a home and school fitness plan, and so on.  Be sure to mention anything out of the ordinary that you plan to do (specific field trips, etc.) that sets your class apart. 3)  Use your daily schedule to introduce parents to the way their children will be learning. This is the ‘meat’ of your presentation.  Without burdening them with too much detail, walk your families through the children’s day, from Morning Work to dismissal procedures.  Each time you mention a specific subject area, explain how it will be taught.  For example, you might mention small group reading instruction, centers or centerjobs, integration of content areas (such as using social studies to teach reading comprehension strategies, etc.).  Use photos of the kids working or actual materials as props to keep everyone focused.  I like to also call on kids who are in attendance to explain things (“Would one of our class members tell how we use the math games?”).  This gives parents a break from listening to me talk and it’s always entertaining to hear the kids’ explanations. 4)  Spend no more than a minute or two discussing standardized tests. You can also mention your grading system or scale if necessary, but in the primary grades, this shouldn’t be a big deal.  Do NOT get bogged down with state standards and outcomes–you can provide these in a handout and parents can read them later.  If your grade level doesn’t give any standardized tests, you could even skip this altogether. Let parents know that all of your instruction and assessment is aligned with state standards, and in plain English that means you design all of your lessons to meet state requirements in order to prepare students for the tests and for the next grade level.  Tell them that you will be providing handouts, conferences, benchmark tests results, workshops, etc., throughout the year to help them understand the testing expectations, and that your communication with them will be routine and ongoing.  Promise that there will be no surprises and that they will have an indication if their child may have difficulty passing long before the actual test date arrives. 5)  Outline your approach to behavior management and class rules. Make your expectations clear now so parents know what to expect!  For example, if you never accept late homework or papers without names on them, are a stickler about tardies and make-up work, or don’t let kids call home when they forget a book or agenda, explain your philosophy up front.  I wouldn’t run down a list of no-no’s, but I do explain that I make class rules and consequences collaboratively with the students, and send them home in writing for parents and students to sign.  (By Open House, this is usually done, anyway.)  I tell them that after a grace period, which usually ends around October, I enforce the rules without exception in order to be fair and to teach the students responsibility and accountability.  For example, one year I decided that all no-name papers would have one letter grade taken off beginning in November.  When a parent called to complain once, I reminded her of the written notice and announcement of that policy at Open House.  If you can’t discuss these things at Open House due to time constraints, be sure to have them in writing so anyone with concerns can bring them to you before they become a problem.  End this portion on a positive note by explaining the reward systems and fun activities you have planned for the students (Fun Friday, etc.). 6)  Close with the methods of communication you will use (newsletters, email lists, class webpage, daily agendas, and so on). If parents are welcome to volunteer in your classroom, briefly explain the procedures for this as well.  If you want them to sign up for volunteer opportunities or specific classroom tasks, tell them where the sign-up sheet will be and encourage them to add their names to the list after the presentation.  Be sure to thank them for coming out and urge them to call, email, etc., anytime they have a question or concern.  Let them know that due to time constraints, you’ve been specifically instructed not to discuss any individual students during Open House, but that you have a conference sign-up sheet available for that purpose. 7) Explain how you will handle parent questions. One year, things were very calm and settled and I took questions and answered them in front of the group for about five minutes.  Another year, things were very hectic and I asked parents to either approach me individually with questions or write them down and I would call them the following day.  You may begin taking questions and realize that parents are asking things that only pertain to their child or a small percentage of the class; you can always give a general response and tell the parent you will follow up with them later on (give a specific time and method of communication). If you notice that a lot of side conversations begin and the whole group isn’t listening anymore, they’ve probably had enough ‘lecturing’ for the evening and you can end it!  With some groups, I can literally see how tired they are from working all day long and then rushing to the school and sitting through lengthy presentations, knowing they still have to get home and bathe the kids, do homework, get everyone ready for bed…and then get up again in a few hours for another work day!  Make it brief for those groups.  You can also help by not assigning homework on Open House night, or excusing it for the students of parents who attend (that’s always a great motivator for kids to get their families to show up!). What parents REALLY want from an open house In my experience, what family members expect is relatively simple: 1)   A clean and organized classroom that their child takes ownership of 2)   A warm and friendly teacher who welcomes them 3)   An informal, easy-to-understand presentation that provides a good sense of what the year will be like Parents have no idea what to expect from a teacher their children have never had before.  Most of them are not worried about how often you’ll be giving science tests or what materials you’ll use to teach addition.  They want to know: *   Does the teacher like my child? *   Does the teacher care about the kids and enjoy teaching? *   Does the teacher want to support me and my child? *   Is the teacher going to be fair and easy to work with? These things are communicated through the energy you put out and the environment you create in the classroom.  Some of it can be communicated verbally, but most of is conveyed in your demeanor.  Smile!  Smile!  Smile!  Act relaxed even though you’re not.  Listen attentively to parents and treat their questions and concerns seriously.  They are not your superiors there to observe you, so don’t be intimidated.  They are your equals, so treat them with kindness and respect and don’t worry about what they’re thinking.  Most of them are extremely grateful to have you in their children’s lives, and want to support you in having a successful Open House and school year. Making a personal connection with each family Ideally, you should be able to connect with parents and make them feel valued and appreciated in the same way you treat your students as unique individuals.  That can be difficult to do during Open House when you’re short on time, but I try to always say something specific and positive to each parent as we meet.  (“Oh, you’re Edward’s dad! I am so glad to meet you!  He is such an awesome kid; he always has some fact to share with the class! Just the other day, he said…” or “Brianna’s mom!  Great to see you again!  Brianna is the sweetest child; I can always count on her to help her friends and to be a peacemaker.  I’m so glad she’s in our class!”)  No matter how awful a child has been in class, it’s possible to find some good attribute to comment on so that the first feedback a parent hears is a compliment.  The type of quotes above could easily be used for challenging students: Edward, for instance, could be a child who talks non-stop in class about totally random information, and Brianna may be a busy-body who’s always telling the other kids what to do.  Look through to each child’s heart and intentions, and you’ll be able to come up with something good to say about all of your students.  Plan it out in advance for certain children if you need to. You can’t fit it all into one presentation There’s a lot of pressure on teachers to say everything they need to about behavioral expectations, homework, testing, grading systems, key skills and concepts, and how to support learning at home…all in one night!  It’s just not possible.  Parents, like kids, need time to digest information and make it their own, and hands-on experiences are the best way to do that.  I hold a parent workshop each month, but I know teachers who hold only one a year or one a quarter.  Start with whatever you are comfortable with and use parental feedback to determine what to do the following school year.  I hold a variety of festivities, some of which are just opportunities for families to socialize with one another and build a sense of community.  After each event, there is an evaluation form for parents to fill out to help me revise for next year. Angela Watson Sign up to get new truth for teachers articles in your inbox. In the past, I have used an idea that I got from a Mailbox publication: I converted my open house discussion topics into a student-friendly readers’ theater. I allowed the students to have free reign (for the most part) of how they were going to present their part, what props (if any) they were going to use, etc. Throughout the first week of school we practiced. After that week, we video taped the readers’ theater. This taping is what I showed during parent open house. It was especially fun for the students because they kept it a secret from their parents so it would be a surprise on the night of Open House. I got a lot of positive responses from the parents about the creative idea. This was not only a great way for the students to practice fluency, but it also a different way to teach the classroom expectations and rules! What a fabulous idea! I love the concept of kids helping to present the Open House info–it helps the kids internalize your classroom expectations and makes it far more engaging for the parents! Half the time, in my experience, kids show up to Open House, anyway, so they might as well get involved. Thank you for sharing! Your post is FULL of clever, fun ideas for open house. It’s that time of year when my thoughts turn back to school and I am searching for ideas to use in my FULL classroom. Thanks for sharing! ~Mrs. Full You’re welcome, Nancy! Thank you for the kind words! Thank you Angela for the best tips ever Pingback: Successful Schools and First Impressions | School management software solution for schools Good ideas. Funny how we avoid the talk of all the Standardized Tests the politicians are forcing upon everyone involved. One of the reasons many parents and teachers are so upset about this. There is a big avoidance about this topic while millions are being sent out of our states to the testing big corporations. Why are they also forcing students to take so many tests in High School or they are penalized for not doing so? Great Article. Thanks for the info, super helpful. Does anyone know where I can find a blank parent letter form to fill out? Leave a Reply [Cancel reply] Your Name * Your Email * Your Website Join our community of educators If you are a teacher who is interested in contributing to the Truth for Teachers website, please click here for more information. Join over 87,000 educators who follow us on Pinterest Join our community of over 160,000 teachers on Facebook Join our brand new community on TikTok X / TWITTER Join over 22,000 teachers who network with us on X / Twitter Join over 23,000 teachers who connect with us on Instagram TEACHERSPAYTEACHERS Join 22,327 educators to learn about new resources Best Back to School Ideas 🍏 Open House with a few FREEBIES! Share this post:. You can grab this school-themed presentation template for FREE here ! But it went swimmingly! I had originally planned to do a small presentation at the beginning then have the kiddos take their parents around the classroom to learn more. But as the evening started, I realized that this was more of a free-flowing school, so I ditched my presentation (spare the last slide!) and made a point to meet with families one on one instead! Open House Desk Set Up Out on the desks, I had a few handouts that parents could take as well as a sweet letter the kiddos wrote to their parents. (You can check out more on that activity from Jessica Torbin, here !) Some of the items on our hunt… Have their parents find their “Me Writings” and then the kiddos read the writing to them…

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• Categories: Back to School , FREEBIE , Open House

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Tips For A Successful Meet the Teacher Night

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It’s back to school season! And, like so many of us, you’re probably knee-deep into prepping for your first student/parent meet-and-greet. To make your prep a little easier, I’m going to share with you some tips for a successful meet the teacher night or open house in 5 easy steps !

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Step 1: Set up stations

First, create 5 to 10 different stations that parents and students will cycle through to keep things moving and organized. Stations should be spread throughout your classroom to keep the traffic flowing. Here are some ideas for different stations: handouts (brochure, parent forms, etc.), photo booth, supply donations table, parent volunteer sign-ups, and take home gifts. These small sign holders (shown holding “Station One” in the photo below) are perfect for setting up station signs throughout your classroom.

Step 2: Create a photo booth setting for memories

This is a fun, unique idea to really make your open house stand out! Create a simple photo backdrop, or decorate one of your bulletin boards especially for this, and designate a spot in your room as a photo booth. This is a great way for parents and students to create lasting memories at your back to school event!

And to really make an impression, provide props that parents and students can hold in their photos! The best part is that I’ve already done the work for you! Check out my pack of Meet the Teacher & Open House Essentials for ready-made photo booth props, station signs, and much more!

Step 3: Create a slide show to cover info from your brochure

Having a presentation ready to go will keep you on track and organized when sharing important information during the event. It’s also a great way to introduce fun facts about yourself! Check out my Back to School Slides Templates – these are so easy to use! They’ll make your slide show look polished and professional, while also being fun and engaging!

Step 4: Wish list items

A great way to get those classroom supply wish list items is to create a supply donation table. Attach donation cards to a small grid that parents can simply take with them as a donation reminder. Supply donation cards and signs are also included in my pack of Meet the Teacher & Open House Essentials !

This wishlist grid from Amazon works great for creating your display. And you can use small clothespins to attach the cards to it! Add this large sign holder (shown holding the “Supply Donations” sign below) to really make your table stand out!

Step 5: Create take-home gifts for parents and students

Finally, a perfect way to end the event is with a sweet take-home gift! You could provide a drink, snack, or school supply item. And if you add a simple tag to it with a fun saying, it will be even more special to your new students! I’m sure you’ve guessed it – I’ve also included drink and gift tags (including suggested gift items) in my Meet the Teacher & Open House Essentials pack!

For even more ready-made back to school resources, grab my full Back to School Open House Survival Bundle ! It’s chock full of everything you could need to have a successful meet the teacher or open house night! This bundle has all of the items mentioned in this post, PLUS brochure templates, parent forms, teacher post cards, and MUCH MORE!

Lastly, check out my post about the Best Back to School Bulletin Boards for fresh, easy ideas to get your classroom ready for the school year! Wishing you success as you host your back to school open house or meet the teacher night!

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Meet the Teacher Night & Open House

Meet the Teacher Night and/or Open House can be a stressful event. We have our Meet the Teacher Night before the first day of school. Teachers are busy setting up their classrooms, preparing lessons, sitting through meeting upon meeting, and dealing with mountains of paperwork, so it’s hard to devote extra time for open house. However, meet the teacher night and open house is when we make our first impression with our new students and their families, so it’s important to present our best face and at least appear ready to go 🙂

Open House – Meet the Teacher Night – PowerPoint

One great way to share information at a Meet the Teacher Night is through a PowerPoint presentation. Some teachers prefer to give a formal presentation during open house. However, I prefer to have the slide show looping on display for everyone to view on their own time. This works best when your open house or meet the teacher night is more of a drop-in event and arrival times are staggered.

Physical Space

First impressions of your classroom make a mark on students and parents. However, I doubt they care if you doubled or tripled your bulletin board border. It’s not important that your classroom is a designer classroom with over the top decorations. What is important is that the physical space allows students to feel relaxed and comfortable to be ready to learn. An organized classroom also goes a long way in setting a good first impression. I try to avoid clutter and overcrowding my classroom with too much stuff.

Be Prepared

Having a classroom packed with parents and students can be hectic, so I try to prepare for the chaos with an Open House Scavenger Hunt for meet the teacher night. I like the scavenger hunt because it gives students and families something to do while I have conversations with individual parents. After greeting students and families, I give them the scavenger hunt and have students complete the scavenger hunt with (or without) their parents.

Scavenger Hunt 1-Welcome Back Form

There is nothing more important that students’ health and safety, so that’s always the first thing on my list. If families skip everything else at open house, that’s okay, but I really need this form completed. We do send home formal district-wide paperwork, but I try to get this filled out prior to our first day of school.

Some questions may be specific to certain schools or areas. I was sure to include an editable form, so you can make changes as needed.

2-Student Supplies

After spending hours setting up my classroom and having it as need as possible, it’s overwhelming to have large quantities of school supplies brought in at the same time. However, I am also so thankful for those supplies, and I never want to appear not grateful, so I try to be prepared for these supplies on meet the teacher night or open house and the first day of school. To keep organized, label bins or baskets with the items students will bring to school. This gives students a clear idea on where to place each item.

Meet the Teacher Night 3-Seating

There’s nothing for students to complete or for you to print in this section, but it’s still important. Students like knowing where their desk/table is and where they will be each day. They also like to see who is sitting near them! I always remind students that the current seating arrangement is definitely temporary.

Since we switch classes, I place name tags on the side of student desks with a magnet.

4-What’s In Your Desk

I also have students look inside their desk, just to see what’s there. If you have tables or don’t store things in desks, you’ll want to change that task to make it relevant to your classroom organization. You can see that we start the year with very little.

5-Student Questions

One of the activities in the scavenger hunt is this student questionnaire. I love the insight it gives me on students. This year I will have this form placed on students’ desks, and they will turn it in as soon as they finish it.

Meet the Teacher Night 6-Classroom Library

I like to get students excited about all the reading possibilities in the classroom, so I let students browse my classroom library. At this time, it’s just a peak and they don’t select a book. I just want them to see some of their options and to get excited about reading. If you don’t have a classroom library, you could have students browse your math manipulatives, science resources, or other instructional resources in the classroom.

7-Goals & Questions

Another part of the meet the teacher night scavenger hunt is the Goals & Questions poster. Students write a goal, question, or both on a sticky note and attach the note to the chart paper. It’s a fun way to get students moving and thinking ahead for the school year.

Meet the Teacher Night 8-One Word

Have students take a copy of a One Word card. In the activity, students write ONE word that describes their mindset or focus for the year. They may have trouble coming up with a word, so it may benefit students to see completed examples. Give students time to decorate their word. If your open house time is limited, you may want to collect the words and have students decorate the card on the first day of school.

Meet the Teacher Night 9-Treat

I like to give students a pencil or bookmark when they complete the scavenger hunt. It’s a good time to follow up with any questions or concerns that they still have about the upcoming school year.

Parent Forms

You can find each of the files in my Meet the Teacher Night and Open House Activities resource in TpT here !

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Meet the Teacher Open House Slides

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Description.

Meet the Teacher Open House Event Slides One of my favorite events of the year? Meet the Teacher and Open House! This Google Slides (TM) file includes event slides for your Meet the Teacher or Open House events! This plug and play file includes everything you need to plan your perfect Meet the Teacher and Open House event.

____________________________________________________________

THIS FILE IS INCLUDED IN THE SCHOOL FORMS AND CHECKLIST PACK!

Save big when you buy the bundle! This file includes over 70 other back-to-school forms!

Back to School Forms and Checklists

| This file Includes files for BOTH MEET THE TEACHER AND OPEN HOUSE: |

Meet the Teacher file:

• Directions on how to use Virtual Meet the Teacher file in your Google ™ Classroom or upload into Microsoft 365. File is digital so you can also email a link to your families!
• Welcome Page- Make it easy to welcome your families with this editable slide page. Just add your name, grade level and school so parents know they are where they are supposed to be! Also includes a generic "Welcome" page so you can use it for your in person events as well!
• Getting Started slide - this program slide includes buttons to guide your families through the virtual meet the teacher process! Also includes 8 extra buttons to make this presentation work for you and your school
• Meet the teacher section -Have your families get to know more about you with this easy fill out section. Don’t forget to add your photo!
• Supplies List- add any supplies your students might need to use this school year, or things you’ll need in class (if you’re doing in person instruction)
• Important Forms - link to all the important forms you need filled out!
• Class Schedule - In this section, you can share more about how your class schedule will work this school year.
• Websites - Link to any important websites you will be using this school year and how to access them.
• Procedures- Add any important information about procedures this school year. You can include info on in-person instruction or class procedures for your online classroom. (ie: assignments are posted on Sunday night and due by Saturday. We have a class meeting every Monday at 9:00 am)
• Tell Me About You- Learn more about your students by adding activities for them to complete here!
• Thank you for Coming Section with space for you to add anything else you’d like for your students to do! Also include a generic slide so you can use for your in person meet the teacher as well!
• Blank slides- Also includes 8 blank slides so you can add extra information for your families.
• Directions on how to program the button and slides so the presentation is easy for families to navigate.
• File Notes to make sure that you are using all the actions in this file!

Open House file:

• Directions on how to use Open House file in your Google ™ Classroom or upload into Microsoft 365. File is digital so you can also email a link to your families!
• Welcome Page- Make it easy to welcome your families with this editable slide page. Just add your name, grade level and school so parents know they are where they are supposed to be! Also includes a generic "Welcome" page that is perfect for welcoming your families to your in person meet the teacher event.
• Message from the Leadership team- Perfect place for your administration to address your students and families.
• Meet the Support Staff - have your students become more familiar with other instructional people they may work with this year. Perfect place to introduce your enrichment or intervention teachers.
• Special Area- Add information about special area this upcoming school year.
• Curriculum - Use this slide to introduce your families to some of the curriculum you'll be utilizing this school year.
• Safety- Be sure to let your families know some important safety procedures including CDC guidelines, bus expectations, lunchroom rules, and more.
• Thanks for Coming Section with space for you to add anything else you’d like for your students to do! Also includes a generic "thanks" slide so you can use this for your in person event as well!

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Meet the Teacher & Open House PowerPoint Presentation (Editable)

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Are you having an Open House, Back to School Night, or Meet the Teacher Night? Need a PowerPoint Presentation to present all the information?

This is a PowerPoint presentation has 90+ slides or templates with clipart. You can add text ANYWHERE on the page and with ANY font! You can not change the title of the pages. However, there are blank slides where you can put any title you want. OR if you want to e-mail me at [email protected] I would be more than happy to add them for you! You can rearrange the slide order to suit your needs. You will also be able to delete any slides that you don’t want in the presentation. You may also duplicate the slides if you need another slide.

Here are the slides that are included:

❤ Meet the Teacher

❤ Open House

❤ Welcome to our class

❤ Meet the Teacher (17 options to chose from)

❤ School Info

❤ Attendance (3 versions)

❤ Learning Labs

❤ Computers

❤ Technology

❤ Volunteering

❤ Classroom Management

❤ Important

❤ Breakfast

❤ Dress Code

❤ Dress Down

❤ Spirit Days

❤ Birthdays

❤ Sending Money

❤ Don’t Forget!

❤ Transportation

❤ Parent Pick-Up

❤ Car Riders

❤ Aftercare

❤ Van Rider

❤ Bike Rider

❤ Office Hours

❤ Report Cards

❤ School Supplies

❤ Contact Info (4 to choose from)

❤ Wishlist (2 versions)

❤ Schedule (2 versions)

❤ Communication

❤ Open House Packet

❤ Tardy Policy (2 versions)

❤ Curriculum

❤ Ways to help at home

❤ Questions

❤ Social Studies

❤ Social Media

❤ Cell Phone

AND 10 blank slides to customize for your needs!

Make sure you have the correct program for this resource. To edit the files, you should use PowerPoint (newer than 2003). If you are trying to use a different program, you may run into various formatting issues. I won’t be able to help you with. ONLINE versions of PowerPoint and programs such as Google Slides do not have the same capabilities as the full version of PowerPoint (Font issues, etc.). If you don’t have access to the FULL version of PowerPoint at home, check with your school.

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