Organizing Your Meet the Teacher Night to be Stress Free with Stations


Just the thought of the back to school craze + meet the teacher used to send me into a whirlwind of stress. Parents/families coming and going, younger siblings running chaotically and destroying my perfectly organized classroom that I’ve worked so hard to set up, and stressing over the thought of families NOT showing up at all and having to try and get a hold of them to see how their child would be getting home from school on the first day of school as well as the rest of the school year. Does this sound like you when you hear “Meet the Teacher?”

The Solution to My Stress

Thankfully I came across a system a few years ago that helped me to ease my meet the teacher stress/anxiety. And that involved creating stations within my room so that parents/families could self sufficiently get the information both they and I needed in case I had to help/assist another family.


Before Meet the Teacher Preparation


The week before our meet the teacher event I begin to brainstorm… What information do I need to gather from parents at the event? What information may they need from me?  This helps me to think about if there are certain stations that I may need to include during the event, what handouts or items I need to have filled out/ready for them to take, and what items I may need to purchase for the event. This helps me to begin creating my to do and to plan list.

After creating this list I then begin prepping and buy everything I need to do leading up to the event. Having all of the prep work done helps me to ensure that the day of Meet the Teacher I will be able to relaxingly welcome my students into my classroom and not look like a chicken with my head cut off in front of them and their families. Click HERE to to grab the Meet the Teacher To Do List for FREE!

The Day of Meet the Teacher

Because I was able to prep my stations and get organized for this event prior it actually taking place I am able to spend the event feeling relaxed and enjoy beginning to create relationships with my new students and their families.

Meet the Teacher Stations

Station: Welcome/Sign In

At my school families are given a two hour window in which they can fluidly visit their student’s teachers. So My first station is a desk set up outside my classroom room where I welcome my families to our classroom, have them sign in for our school’s records, and quickly inform them of the stations inside of our classroom. I let parents know it is imperative that they head to all of the stations and provide them with a checklist so they don’t miss anything!

Station: Transportation

The MOST important thing as a teacher during the meet the teacher event is to find out how your students will be going home on the first day of school as well as the rest of the year. Sometimes families will have students ride home a different way on the first day of school due to early dismissal, daycares not picking up, or just to provide their student a level of comfort. Because of this I have families tell me both how they will go home on the first day AND the rest of the year.

Station: School Supplies

I am at a school where some students bring their school supplies to meet the teacher night. In the past this ended up meaning that supplies were scattered all over my classroom and it was chaotic. But now I set up labeled school supply bins and offer a place for my families to sort their students supplies. This is a complete game changer because it allows me to not have to collect and organize supplies during the first day/week of school. For those families who DO NOT bring school supplies during this event I leave our classroom supply list with visuals. Having visuals on this list is amazing because families can SEE exactly what their child needs. It also helps those who do not speak English.

Station: Try Out Our Classroom Seats

In my first grade class I use flexible seating. So during meet the teacher I like for students to try out various seating options to see what seat they think they might like to work in best! When I did not do flexible seating in my classroom I had students find their desk and left a little surprise treat/note for them.

Station: Student Folders

At my school families are given a packet of paperwork that must be filled out and returned. This could be very time consuming to do during the event so I label these folders with student names and ask families to take THEIR student’s folder and return it by the END of our first week of school. A little bribery goes a long way. I tell them if they bring it back by _____ day I’ll have a special treat for them. This treat is nothing big. It is usually just a sticker, skittle, mini eraser, or ”special” pencil. Whatever gets those student folders returned is a #TEACHERWIN in my book!

Station: Classroom Wish List

One of the last stations families go to is our class wishlist. This station is perfect for those families that want to know what EXTRA items they can send in for the class. I left little stars out with school supply items and families could take as many as they'd like and send those items in for my class. Some different items I've added over the years to my wishlist are.... classroom snacks, Astrobrights paper, scholastic books, and cardstock. The best part is you can add ANYTHING your class may need.

Station: Student Gifts

Right by my classroom door where students and their families exit I will normally have a treat for them to grab. This is in place of the treat/surprise that would be left at their desk since we do not have individual desks. In the past, I have done popcorn, starburst, and jitter glitter. However, last year I began giving my students a poem with a magic wand that they are told to wave over their pillow the night before the first day of school.
I made these wands using left over cake pop sticks. However, in the past I have used paper straws from the Target Dollar Spot. Costing me less than $3 to make. If you ask me I consider this a back to school gift win! Spending less than $5 for 20 kids?!? I'll take it! I mean after all we all know we do not make enough money to be spending tons of money on gifts throughout the school year. 

Do you remember when I mentioned younger siblings running chaotically around my newly organized room destroying it??? 

Here are some tips to "TAME" those younger siblings & coordinate the chaos! 
1. Have a designated area for them to sit & play
2. Set out a simple activity for them (Stick to ONE option or TWO MAX)
Activity Ideas: Pattern Blocks, Snap Cubes, Crayons & Paper, 4/5 Books.

Creating and starting these stations has absolutely been a life saver for me year after year. Not only have I saved prep time by reusing my station signs year after year but I am also able to be more relaxed during the event itself. Ultimately allowing me to spend more time creating relationships with my new students and their families.

Have you ever used stations during your Meet the Teacher event? 
I'd love to hear what stations you incorporate into your classroom or even how you run your Meet the Teacher in the comments below!! 

If you're interested in using the stress free Meet the Teacher stations featured in this post you can grab them by clicking HERE! 

Not looking for a Meet the Teacher in BRIGHTS?! You can grab my other Editable Meet the Teacher Packs down below.
Meet the Teacher Editable Stations
Super Hero Meet the Teacher
Watercolor Meet the Teacher


7 comments:

  1. Your classroom does indeed look magical - your kiddos are in for a wonderful year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful year. :)

      Delete
  2. Looks great! Best of luck to you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Absolutely beautiful! I wish this was my classroom when I was little.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thank you. It has definitely been a labor of love.

      Delete