Meet and Greets are an important event of any school year. A few days before the first day of school, students and their parents come to meet their new teacher. They also want to take a peek into the classroom and drop off school supplies and donations. Teachers not only have an opportunity to connect a name on paper to a face, but to make a good first impression.There are many things that teachers can do at their Meet and Greet to make the event a success:
- Distribute important information to students and parents, such as arrival and dismissal procedures, school calendars, agendas, and lunch menus.
- Collect family contact information, including email and phone numbers.
- Find out how their child is going home during the first week of school, either by car, bus, walking, or attending aftercare.
- Show students their assigned desk or allow students to choose their own desk for the first week. Determine if any child needs to have special placement in the classroom due to visual impairments or Exceptional Education accommodations.
- Allow parents and students to explore the room and read any posters or other materials you have posted in the room. You may wish to distribute to students a scavenger hunt to complete while they are looking around the classroom.
- Have a Wish List of items for parents to donate to the class. You can write each item on a post-it note and place the notes on the board or door for parents to take before they leave.
- Leave notecards and pens for parents to use to write down any questions or comments to place in a box before they leave.
Meet and Greets are usually very brief, allowing families and students the opportunity to meet their teachers and see their classrooms. However, it’s not usually a time to give a lengthy presentation about school and classroom procedures. Be sure to let parents know that more information about classroom procedures and rules will be discussed at Open House at a later date but that they can contact you through your child’s agenda, a note, or via email if they should have any questions before that time. Showing parents that you are open to their communication allows them to see your concern and commitment to their child’s education and well-being from day one.
