6 Creative Ways to Introduce Yourself to Students

David Wilson
2023-08-25 21:06:27 • Filed to: Teacher Skills

This academic year will be different from the previous school years in terms of teaching mode and place. Most of the teachers will be teaching online, while some may return to the schoolroom. Even if you are teaching in the classroom, your face will be covered to maintain safety standards.

This will create a boundary between you and your students as the facial expressions will be hidden. You have to get creative while introducing yourself to the students as this year comes with a lot of newer challenges. So, how to introduce yourself to students on the first day of school?

We have to leave behind the old techniques of introduction, including a quiz and ice-breaker games, which may not be feasible this academic year. You have to incorporate divergent thinking to connect with your students on a deeper level. The growth of students depends on a positive student-teacher relationship.

Forming a good relationship with your students will ensure more focused learning, less disruption, academic success, and better behavior. The first impression will stay throughout the year, and you have to put your best foot forward to make a great introduction. The introduction should help you build respect and trust with your students.

1. Make a Short Introductory Video

Remote learning or online classes can get boring as they lack the physical aura. If you are teaching online or engaging in a mix of in-school and remote teaching, you can bring a creative touch to your introduction. Create a simple introductory video that you can share on your online teaching platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, and others.

Start your day with the introduction video to give your students a brief about your life. Students would love to know more about you, including your hobbies, interests, and academic career. Moreover, it is essential to open up enough to develop a strong bond when you opt to introduce yourself to new students.

They will start sharing things with you once they are comfortable enough. To build that level of trust and a positive environment, you need to make the first step towards step. Your video doesn't need to be top-notch and polished.

You should project your true self without any fear or embarrassment. Give them a glimpse of your life and the kind of teacher you are. Avoid monotony and get playful in your video. Moreover, try to connect with your students by bringing more zeal and enthusiasm in front of your camera.

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2. Design a Bitmoji Online Classroom

When you are suddenly dropped into the virtual classroom setup, you may run out of ideas to introduce yourself to the students. The classroom reflects your teaching success and personality, so it is essential to make an innovative start from the beginning. Also, you can personalize your remote teaching space by introducing a Bitmoji classroom.

The Bitmoji classroom is the most trending thing on social media right now. Students prefer this mode of teaching, as it is more engaging and interactive. Moreover, you can use Bitmoji to create a digital character that represents your personality and image.

Add them to customize your classroom backdrop and use them in various situations to resemble your mood. You can easily create them in Google slides, which have clickable links to other images, websites, and videos. You can add various elements relating to your personal and professional life.

You can share your ideas, new topics, hobbies, personal life, success stories, etc. You can add clickable links for educational videos, projects, and attendance. Also, you can get playful with the designs and incorporate new ideas to keep the classes fun and exciting. Keep the ideas fresh to develop an interactive environment.

3. Personalize Your Classroom Environment

You may be teaching in a classroom or from your home. The background plays an important role in forming the tone of the classroom. You can draw introductory quizzes, maths, or puzzles on your school board if you teach in person.

Don't limit your ideas while trying to get introduced to your students. Getting innovative while introducing yourself will immediately make you their favorite teacher. If you are teaching online, personalize your home environment to give a brief idea about the kind of person.

Creative introduction ideas are better than monotonous verbal communication. Put your thinking hats on and use your background to design your introduction. You share stories about your education, success, and inspirations.

You can use your favorite quotes, images of your inspiration, and awards as your background to help your students know you better. Share your ideas and passion with your students by customizing your background accordingly. Keep in mind; the more friendly your classroom environment looks, the more will be the interaction from the students.

4. Develop a Questionnaire

Questionnaires are one of the most fun and exciting ways to get to know your students on the first day of the academic session. They are the most popular way of the first-day introduction process. You can ask them various questions and share your answers with them.

You can get a better understanding of their personality by developing a well-thought-of questionnaire. You can read out the questions and give them some time to think of their answers. After they finish answering, discuss your solutions with them and explain why you think of it that way. It will provide them with better insights. 

Moreover, questionnaires will help you share your opinions, thoughts, and ideas with your students. They will get to know you on a deeper level and relate to you better. It will also improve their performance as they will understand the kind of answers you are looking for. To build a healthy relationship with your students, you have to know them in-depth.

You can use an old questionnaire, but it will not be much useful. Personalize your own set of questions, which can help in fostering better relationships with your beloved students. Also, it will also create an interactive environment wherein all the students will participate with much zeal and excitement. 

5. Share Your Ideas

To know more about your students, you can create a project wherein they will share their details and ideas. Start by sharing your own choices, ideas, and thoughts so that students can get an idea. Help them understand what you made take this path and what motivated you throughout the process.

Share your stories of success and failures to help them understand how to rise above challenges. Also, you can serve as an inspiration to your students and lead them in the right direction. 

Moreover, you can share your record-breaking and personal stories to help them communicate better with you. It is essential to create a friendly and warm class environment. Also, you can achieve this only by opening your heart out to your students. They will get to know how to present their ideas and process them into their academics.

The first-day introduction will set the foundation for your relationship with your students. Share your concepts, project ideas, and learning techniques to help them do better in their curriculum. Moreover, you can also create a video of the same using various apps to add a more innovative touch. 

6. Demonstrate Your Recent Work 

If you have been working on something or developing a creative idea, you can share it with your students. You can give your students ideas to bring out their creativity and ideas in the learning process. Also, you can explain to them how to regulate their thought process to bring out better academic performance.

Brainstorm various ideas with your students to enhance their thought process. Also, students will get a better insight by visualizing your work demonstration. It will help them in their future endeavors and guide them in the right direction. You can also share stories about how you got the idea and what motivated you to proceed with it.

Moreover, you can add a personal touch to your work to help your students know you better. They will also learn how to put their best foot forward in their educational works. Motivate them to learn above and beyond the basic curriculum.

You can act as their role model to make them more invested in their learning process. Add uniqueness in your project so that the students can learn from it and develop their own. Furthermore, your ideas will resonate on their minds while they try to create their project. Demonstrating your thoughts will also project you as a friendly teacher and guide to them. 

Final Thoughts

No relationship can thrive without a proper introduction. Jumping straight away to the curriculum, class rules, and restrictions will limit the scope of your classroom. The beginning should be well-planned to form long-lasting relationships with your students. Strategize your introduction thoughts and lay them before your students. Let your guard down to help your students know the real you.

Moreover, take inspiration from our ideas and win the hearts of your students on the first day itself. Also, the bond you form on the first day will continue and solidify throughout the year. Take your time to get to know each of the students and create a deep connection with them.