Meet the Teacher - In the Science Classroom

It's nearly time to get ready for back to school and Meet the Teacher! If you're an introvert, like me, it can be a very stressful night. All these new families to meet! It's overwhelming! I decided to jot down a few things I wish I would have thought of/known for my first year. 

Veteran teachers, keep scrolling....this is stuff you already know.

1. Wear comfy shoes! You've spent all summer in flip flops and now you're going to try wearing heels non-stop for several hours? No way. Not happening. I've never had a parent judge me for wearing a boot with a 3/4 inch heel instead of stilettos.
2. Find your name tag and have it handy. My second year, I was scrambling. I knew I'd put it somewhere...just couldn't remember where! From then on, it always went into my pen mug on my desk over the summer. When I came back, I just had to find the pen mug...
3. Write your name on the board & have a class list hanging up somewhere. I was so embarrassed when a parent mentioned it my first year of teaching! I hadn't thought of that and no one was helping me with the last minute things like that. It seemed obvious after the parent said it....but I'd been running around all day and hadn't thought of it.
4. If you're bad at making small talk (some people are gifted...I'm not one of them...), then have a couple of talking points ready. I ask the kids about their favorite subject in school, if they did anything exciting over the summer, favorite books/series, and show them our tadpoles. Tadpoles are pretty easy to find in the summer and easy to keep in the classroom. A large pretzel jar cleaned out and filled with water (if you use tap water, let it sit 24 hours so the chlorine evaporates), aquarium gravel, and some plants (preferably live from your pet store) is all they need to get started. See my post on animals in the classroom for more details.
5. At some schools, the expectation for teachers to provide a take home treat is very real. I've done bags of popcorn or a pop it keychain with a Thanks for Popping In note attached to it. I've also made cupcakes for the kids. Dollar Tree has small cups and goody bags that are the perfect size for holding the cupcakes. And, if you're feeling like you can splurge a little bit, the Albanese Tropical Rainforest Frogs taste great & look good on top of the cupcakes. Or, any Candy Frog will do.
6. And finally, the paperwork. I put all of the papers that can be filled out at home in a folder with their child's name on it. The ones I NEED signed that night (the ones that require a school witness) are on the desks, with pens. It's very easy at the end of the night to see who didn't stop by. Always have a few extra folders ready for new kids that enroll that night and are sent to your room.

I also have name tents (just printed on cardstock & folded in half) ready for students to place at their new seat. Those that come to Meet the Teacher get to choose their seat for the first few days in my class. I move seats around after I get to know the kids a little bit. If you'd like a simple name tent, click the link below.

Finally, my room is not Pinterest Perfect. It's real. It's bright, colorful, full of aquariums/terrariums, and I use posters & books to decorate instead of pricey fabric and fancy tape. If you're a first year, chances are you'll be lucky to have posters & a library. Check Good Will and garage sales for great prices on books! And if you can't find them, check them out from your school library. And, don't forget that Dollar Tree has posters, bins, office supplies, and other classroom decor that can get you started.