Whether it’s the start of a new school year or your first day of a practicum, this meet the teacher activity is excellent for getting to know your students’ names and interests quickly. And they get to know you as well!
Keep reading to see how I use this printable to build rapport with my kiddos from day one.
Starting on the right foot: Getting to know each other quickly
Welcome to the start of a new school year (or the beginning of your practicum)! As a teacher, one of the first things you’ll want to do is introduce yourself to your students and their parents. One way to do this is with a “Meet the Teacher” template.
I’m excited to share the template I’ve used in my practicums. The students all loved learning little things about me, and I loved getting to know them. This also helped a ton with planning because I already knew some of their interests!
Another thing that I love about this is it’s super easy to adjust it to student needs. Have little ones that don’t write yet? Let them draw! Wanting to do a bit of a low-stakes writing assessment? Give them space to write, too.
Grab my printable in my TPT shop
I’ve created a printable version of my activity for you to edit. Add your photo and switch up the likes/interests on the “Meet the teacher” part to make it your own, then adjust the student version to suit your class needs.
I’m working on making a digital file, too – So keep your eyes out for this!
What is a meet the teacher template?
A “Meet the Teacher” template is a document that provides basic information about you, your teaching background, and your expectations for the school year. It’s a great way to break the ice and get to know your students and their families.
By getting the students to do a “Meet the Student” version, you can also learn their names quickly while learning a little about them and their interests. You also get a feel for their personalities if you ask a question at the end. In mine, I asked, “Your teacher just moved to Toronto. What should she know about the city?” some of the responses had me in tears of laughter!
Do you have a trick for learning student names? Share it with me on Twitter!
Tweet your name learning hack here!How do I make my own template?
I linked an editable version in my TPT show above, but if you want to make your own it’s pretty simple. I did everything in Canva, which is where I create pretty much all of my worksheets. If doing the activity virtually you could also make it right in Google Classrooms.
What to include
To create your own “Meet the Teacher” template, you’ll need to gather information about yourself for both kiddos and their guardians. This might include your teaching experience, your educational background, your hobbies and interests, and a fun fact about you. You’ll also want to include a photo of yourself so that your students and their families can put a face to the name!
Once you have all of this information, you can start organizing it into a template. You might want to include sections for each topic, such as “About Me,” “Teaching Experience,” and “Hobbies and Interests.” You can use bullet points or paragraphs to present the information, depending on what you feel is most effective.
In addition to providing information about yourself, you’ll also want to include some details about your class. This might include your expectations for the school year, and maybe any special projects or activities you have planned.
Finally, don’t forget to include your contact information, such as your email address and phone number. Let guardians know which hours they can expect a response from you (many teachers don’t respond to emails outside of school hours unless it’s an emergency), and invite them to reach out with any questions or concerns they may have.
Some things to keep in mind
For my classes, using a paper worksheet worked well. I like this option because the kiddos have space to draw, and I can keep the sheets handy in the first days of school as I learn their names. But, since not all of my students could read, I also read the meet the teacher template to them. If doing this digitally, I would also include a recorded version for accessibility.
Do you have lots of English language learners in your class? Consider translating the meet the teacher version so that students and their guardians can read the paper in their first language.
Conclusion
Overall, a “Meet the Teacher” template is a great way to introduce yourself to your students and their families at the start of the school year. By providing information about yourself and your class, you’ll help create a positive and welcoming learning environment for everyone. It’s a great little activity to start your year (or practicum) off on a positive note!
