The start of the school year often means that you have a long to-do list. From setting up your classroom to getting a new bulletin board up, there are lots of things to take care of to ensure a successful start to the school year. One thing to consider at the start of the school year is how to introduce yourself to students and their families.
You might have a favorite activity to introduce yourself to students on the first day of school. Or you might send home a note to families in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year. If you’re looking for a few new ideas to try, I have a list of favorites for your consideration.
Let’s jump into this list of ten ways to start off the school year!
10 Ways to Introduce Yourself to Students
The list below includes ten ideas for you to customize to your teaching style and the ways you like to build a classroom community. One thing to keep in mind as you look at the list below is whether or not your creative introduction can act as a model for your students. You might use what you make as an exemplar for your students’ own creations during the first few weeks of school.
Meet the teacher one-pager
Create a one-page document that provides an overview of who you are and some fun facts you’d like to share with students and families. These free templates from Kami are perfect for a Meet the Teacher one-pager. You can print it out and write in responses, then post it in your classroom. Or you might complete the page digitally and share it with families in an email before the start of the school year.
Create an interactive video
Use a video editing tool like Adobe Express or iMovie to create a short video introducing yourself. This is an opportunity to include information about your educational background, interests, and teaching philosophy. You can also showcase pictures of your classroom from the previous year and your favorite book.
Design a digital infographic
Use a graphic design tool to create an infographic about yourself. Infographics typically have statistics or facts with a number next to them. You might include information like the number of years you have taught at that school, the number of movies you watched over the summer, or how many states you’ve visited.
Share a digital portfolio
If you’ve created a digital portfolio in the past, you might decide to share it with students and families before the start of the school year. This is a great way to introduce them to your teaching philosophy and background as an educator. You can include pictures and videos and share the portfolio link with your students.
Create a virtual classroom tour
Use a video recording software or the camera on your smartphone or tablet to record a virtual tour of your classroom. This is an opportunity to show students where different supplies are located, explain the seating arrangement, and introduce any technology tools they’ll be using during the year.
Introduce an interactive presentation tool
Create a visually appealing welcome presentation using a tool that students will try out themselves this school year, like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Prezi. Share the presentation digitally with students in a welcome email or present it live during the first class.
Design an online quiz
Use an online quiz or polling platform like Quizlet or Mentimeter to create a quiz with fun facts about yourself. You might include questions related to your favorite things, teaching experiences, or interesting facts. This is an opportunity to introduce yourself to your students and maybe kick off an activity where they write questions about themselves to share with classmates.
Use a social media platform
Create a dedicated social media account (e.g., Threads, Instagram, or a class blog) to share updates and introduce yourself to students. You can post pictures, videos, and stories about getting ready for back to school. Make sure to check in on your school or district’s policy for social media use. You might find that a space like Google Sites – where you can set permissions so students and families would have to log in with a school domain to view content – is a better fit for this type of activity.
Record a podcast episode
Have you stopped by the blog before? Then you know that I love podcasts as both a listener and a creator of the Easy EdTech Podcast. To introduce yourself to students, you might record an audio file with a short message. This can feel like a podcast episode, where you introduce yourself to your students in audio format. You can talk about your background, teaching style, and goals for the school year.
Schedule a virtual Q&A session
Invite students and families to a virtual Q&A session before the school year starts. Use a video conferencing tool like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to host a virtual Q&A session with your students. To make this more meaningful and interactive, you might share a Google Form. Or you can share an online collaborative document where students can submit questions in advance. During the session, you can answer their questions and provide insights about yourself and your teaching approach.
Although you might find that the first week of school is the most popular time to use one of these activities, there are plenty of ways to make use of this list throughout the school year. You might share a portfolio with families mid-year, or set up periodic virtual Q&A sessions to help establish a strong classroom community. What would you add to this list? Share your favorite activities to introduce yourself to students with me on Instagram or Twitter.
