Teacher tips: How to introduce yourself to a new class

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by Tech Help

December 30, 2010

When teachers introduce themselves to a new class, it is like an introduction to the whole year,
term or however long the teacher will be teaching this class for. As such, the teacher will need to
leave an impression on the students, showing the students what sort of teacher they get for the
term (or year or etc.). With this in mind, the first thing the teacher must do is decide what sort of
teacher they want to be, i.e. a strict no-nonsense teacher, a fun likeable teacher, or one who's
strict but still with a sense of humour? Its up to the teacher to decide. Once they've decided this,
they can then find out how to best introduce themselves to their class in a way that subtly
emphasises the kind of teacher they are. (Bear in mind, the age of the class you are taking can
also affect how to introduce yourself.)

As an example, I'm going to explain how a fun likeable teacher might introduce themselves to a
class in middle or high school. First off, you might find that bringing a small rubber ball or
something else that can be lightly thrown to students a good idea. When you enter the classroom,
do NOT just walk in and write your name on the board. This is lame. When the students see this,
the first thing they see is someone who's just going to write notes down for them to copy all year
long. This is not what a fun teacher is going to do, and so by writing your name on the board,
you just let yourself down for dissapointment. Now we come to the ball that I mentioned earlier.
Once you've entered the classroom (assuming that your students were already there, I'll cover
what to do if they aren't later), walk to your desk saying your name, i.e. "Hi, I'm (Mr/Mrs/Ms
etc.) (Your name)". Then, explain that for the first lesson you won't be the one teaching them, but
they'll be the ones teaching you, mainly, their names. Ask them to arrange themselves in a circle
(if the space of the room allows for this), and if not then to stand up and spread out as much as
possible, so that they can still see each other. Then, ask them to each just say their name and you
just need to try and remember one of them for now. Then, throw the ball to them after saying
"(Your name) to (their name)". As each person catches the ball, they must then pass it to another
person by saying the same as you said (with their name and the name of the person they are
passing the ball to). This way, you can not only learn the names of your students and so appear
more friendly and familiar with them, but you

http://www.helium.com/items/2051549-how-should-a-teacher-introduce-themselves-to-a-new-class
Dear Parents,

My name is Karen Winget, lead fourth grade teacher and I am really glad to welcome you and your kid
to my classroom this year. I graduated from the University of California as a major in English literature
and later did my diploma in Early Childhood Education from the same University. I have been teaching in
the Elementary grade for five years, though I have been working at Sunshine School for the past three
years. I am interested in reading and have my own blog which I see as a window to express my opinions.
Apart from that, I am always on a quest to meet new people and learn about their language and culture.

I am looking forward to meet as well as know each and every student of my class and their parents too.
This year will be a challenging one for your children as compared to last year, however, I will try to make
the classes more interesting as well as easier, so that each child understands as well as enjoys them.
Moreover, I do not just want to stick to academics. Rather I am planning activities to develop the
student's creative skills and interests. I hope to make this academic year, an educational as well as a fun-
filled year for the students.

If you would like to meet me to discuss your kid's performance or any other problems that he/she is
facing in class, you can feel free to meet me during lunch break hours, between 9.15 to 10.00. It will be
appreciated if you inform me a day in prior to fix the meeting. Apart from this, you can also email me at
karie_1234@sunshine.com to discuss any concern you have about your child.

Yours Sincerely,
(Signature)
Karen Winget

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/introduction-letter-to-parents-from-new-teacher.html

Sticker Partners!
Each student is given a sticker to put on his or her hand upon entering the classroom, but
students aren't told what the sticker is for until the time is right! Be sure there is a partner
(matching sticker) for every student. Ask students to find their partners and interview them
(name, grade, hobbies, etc.). Each interviewer is responsible for introducing each interviewee to
the rest of the class. You might find that students find it less threatening when someone else
shares information about them than when they are asked to share about themselves.
      Grade 4-6 team, Silverwood School, Silverdale, Washington

Take As Much As You Want!

During the first circle time activity, have a roll of toilet paper on hand! Explain to the children
that they will need this for the next activity. Tell students that you're going to pass around the
roll. Invite students to take as much as they want. One middle school-high school math teacher
invites students to "take as much as you need to complete the job." She doesn't tell them what the
job is though! After everyone has had a good laugh over the amount of paper they took, explain
how the game works. For every piece of toilet paper the students ripped off, they must tell the
class one thing about themselves. Some realize they took quite a bit of toilet paper, but with a
little prompting and probing from the teacher, they will find things to share. In the math teacher's
class, students have to say what their favorite thing about math is when they get to the last piece.
This activity provides a nice way to find out about students' personalities, families, likes, and
dislikes -- and the students really love it!
      Jennifer Tonzi, Southern Cayuga Central School, Poplar Ridge, New York
        Elizabeth Popkin, Meadowbrook Elementary School, East Meadow, New York
        Brandy Woolbright, education student, Lake Land College, Mattoon Illinois

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson073.shtml