Back to School Blog Hop Week 3- Back to School Forms

Welcome to Week 3 of the Special Ed Back to School Blog Hop! This week we're talking all about Back to School Forms.

Back to School Forms can be many things: IEP organization, classroom forms, or forms used on Meet the Teacher Night. I'm going to tell you about my Meet the Teacher Night forms plus an awesome freebie!

I teach in a self-contained classroom and the majority of my students are kindergarteners. If you've ever been in a kindergarten classroom on Meet the Teacher Night, you know how crazy it can get. Parents are nervous. Kids are nervous. Teachers are nervous. Some of my kiddos have pretty extensive needs and parents feel like they need to tell me everything about their child right then. I TOTALLY get it. Some parents have never met me and I can only imagine how hard it is to trust a nonverbal 5 year old with someone you don't k now that well. To try to slow down the madness, I have created Meet the Teacher Stations. It helps keep everyone organized. I can make sure that I have all the forms filled out and that I have been able to talk to each parent with as little chaos as possible. I also have a few moments to sneak in hugs to former students or students I'll have again. And let's face it, that's the best part of the whole night.

I use 5 Simple Stations:
1. Sign In- I have everyone sign in. That way, I know who came, who picked up required forms, and I can get an email address for parents.
2. All About Me-I write a little 20 questions about myself to help students and parents get to know me better.
3. Transportation- This is the most important one in my opinion. Parents circle how students will be getting to and from school each day. Not knowing where a child is supposed to go at the end of the day is terrible. I don't wish that feeling on anyone. This little step can save you a big headache later, trust me.
4. Folders- Parents and students pick up their Take Home Folder at this station. Each one of my students has a take home folder for homework and daily communication logs. On Meet the Teacher Night, I include all school forms, my Class Info Packet (syllabus), and a student information sheet.
5. Classroom Tour- A the 5th station, I invite everyone to tour the classroom and find their desk. This is also a great time for parents to get some 1:1 question time with me and a cute picture of their student.

Now for the freebie! Grab my Meet the Teacher Station Signs and basic forms for free. Click here!

Head over to Breezy Special Ed for more Back to School Form ideas!