You want to have a successful event but can’t compete with all of the meet the teacher ideas you see all over the internet. It doesn’t have to be extravagant in order for it to be successful. Keeping it simple can be just as effective.

At my school, it’s very casual and families pop in and out within a 2-hour time frame. It’s less formal which means families are more comfortable. My goal is for families to get to know me and make their child feel welcome.

Here are 7 Meet the Teacher ideas for making it a great one. (Plus a tip for preventing long conferences!)

Remember, you don’t have to use all of them. Choose the ones that would work for you!

Meet the Teacher Postcard or Letter

Before Meet the Teacher night I send a postcard home to the families. I am lucky enough to be able to know my class list before then and get their home address.

This seems like such a small thing to do but believe me, it has such a big impact. I’ve had parents comment on how much they loved receiving the postcard.

I create the cards in Powerpoint but you could also make them in Publisher which has a postcard template. On each postcard, I write about how I hope they had a good summer and that we’ll have a great time learning this year. I also invite the parent to join us on our class messaging app. That’s also a great opportunity to connect with the parents before Meet the Teacher.

An easier option would be to send a letter home. Just remember that letters do cost more to send because you need postage for each envelope.

Meet the Teacher Ideas – Documents

It’s important to have the main documents ready to go for parents. Decide what papers you want parents to fill out when they come to meet you so you can collect them immediately.

When the parents come in, they sign in and I have a transportation sheet ready for them to fill out. One thing I want to make sure of on the first day of school is that each of my students gets home safely.

I also give them an attendance letter to sign right away. Attendance tends to be a problem so I want to make sure I have that documentation right away.

Paperless Parent Info

I give parents all of the school documents that I am required to give them. Because there are so many papers from the school, my class information goes into a pdf file and I give the parents a QR code to scan. When they scan the QR code, the pdf with all of our class information opens up.

This saves me paper but also allows the parent to pull up information on the go. I’m pretty sure those fancy pamphlets I used to make ended up in the trash. I think the parents appreciate less paperwork!

Let Kids Choose a Spot for the First Day of School

I have flexible seating in my room. This means the kids get to choose where they sit on a daily basis. I have round tables, regular desks, and a floor table.

Before Meet the Teacher, I place a sticky note at each available spot on one of the tables or desks. I also place a container of pens in the middle of each area.

The kids choose a spot for the first day and write their name on a sticky note. Since we begin independent reading on day one, I also have the kids choose one book from the classroom library and place it at their spot.

You can do this same thing if you just have desks and tables. It still gives the kids the opportunity to have some choice.

Back to School Gift

Before the kids leave I give them a back-to-school gift. Again, totally not necessary but if you can afford it, it’s a nice touch. I’ve done different gifts over the years.

One simple and cheap gift is a glow bracelet which you can get at the dollar store. I attach the bracelets to a label that says “Can’t wait to see you shine in 3rd Grade!”

Another gift you can do is more of a family gift. Put out bags of unpopped popcorn and attach it to a label that says “Thanks for Popping In!” I like to think that they pop it that night and talk about their new class.

Meet the Teacher Activity

This last idea came from the craze over a very famous game where you chase the characters on your device. It’s called Classroom Creature Chase!

I came up with the idea to have the kids do a task at various locations throughout the classroom at Meet the Teacher.

However many tasks you need the kids to complete is the number of stops you’ll set up. I give the kids a sheet with the different creatures they need to “catch”.

At each stop, the kids have to do a task like “Choose a book from the library and place it at your spot.” Once they complete the task, they “catch” the creature and are able to circle it on their sheet.

Once the kids find all of the creatures, they read the message at the bottom. It says they need to return the sheet back to their teacher so they can receive a treat. Usually, that’s where I give the back-to-school gift. But you could also give them something as simple as a piece of candy.

This activity really allows you to see which kids are able to follow directions and which will have to work on it. If you’re interested in this editable activity you can get it here.

Tip: I make sure to not let family conversations turn into conferences. If I notice a conversation is going in that direction I have the parent sign up for a conference. I tell them it will be better to talk about their child in a private setting where they can have my undivided attention.

I still get nervous for Meet the Teacher even though I’ve done it a million times. So it’s okay to feel that way! Just do your best to create a welcoming classroom and you’ll have a successful event.

Which of these Meet the Teacher ideas do you think you’d like to try? Let me know in the comments below!