Yes- everyone is nervous about a new school year! You as the teacher have spent h-o-u-r-s (let’s be honest-weeks!) already getting ready for this new school year.
SO, all that to say- spend a little time telling about yourself with a Meet the Teacher letter!
This is a great opportunity for you to share a little about yourself, and brings some reassurance to parents and students as they head into the new school year.
What to Include
It’s important to give just a little bit of background. I like to start off with a Welcome section where I tell how excited I am about having their student in my class and what a great year we’re going to have.
I also like to include some fun facts, like how long I’ve been married and that we have a little black cat. Kids love animals, so if you have pets make sure to let them know! I also include my education background (where I went to college and the degrees I got).
You can make each part a different section (Welcome, Education, Fun Facts) or have one section dedicated to more of a letter format. I like to keep mine simple, so I just have one or two small paragraphs for my Welcome section.
Meet the Teacher Letter Section Header Ideas
- About Me
- Birthday
- Certifications
- Childhood
- Contact
- Education
- Educational Experience
- Endorsements
- Family
- Favorites
- Fun Facts
- Hello/Welcome
- Hobbies
- Teaching Philosophy
Now, let’s talk about the awkward part- at least it is for me! That’s the “Favorites” section… I did not include that in my first year teaching because to me that was selfish.
But here’s the reality- parents will want to give you gifts of appreciation! And that’s a yay! One way of looking at it is you are helping to guide the type of gift you will get ?
Parents do appreciate some guidance, because they are spending money on the gift so (I would assume…) they want it to be valuable to you. Look at it as helping them out!
I also make sure to include a Contact section in my Meet the Teacher letter where I put my school contact information as well as the contact information for the school, the principal, and the social worker. You can also include the school’s website or any social media you use for your classroom.
Send to Parents
There are a few ways you can send this to your parents.
I like to include a print version with my other important papers for Back to School. I make a parent folder with all the important information.
Or you can make and send a PDF to parents through email or through the learning management system your school offers (like Canvas or Blackboard). This way your parents can look at your Meet the Teacher letter at any time, and they don’t have to worry about it being thrown away- ha!
I hope it will make your back to school prep easier!
