Classroom Communication Teaching Resources
Explore classroom communication tools for teachers perfect for communicating with parents and students this school year.
This collection of teacher-created tools was built by the teachers of Teach Starter to help boost verbal and non-verbal communication in your classroom this year so you can build strong relationships with your students and their parents.
A crucial part of being a good teacher is being a good communicator, and we've built tools that can help you be just that. Even better? This collection is stocked with tools that will also help you teach your students to be more effective communicators.
Why Classroom Communication Matters
You likely already know that a teacher's communication in the classroom is linked with student outcomes, but just how much does it matter? A lot!
Education researchers have evaluated what happens when teachers are specifically trained in classroom communication, and the results are significant. Not only do teachers spend less time on discipline and more time actually engaging their students, but the students' behavior mirrors that of their teacher.
Meanwhile, other studies have shown that a teacher's communication skills are just as important as their knowledge base regarding their effectiveness as educators, and even how we communicate with parents can boost student success.
So, what does good classroom communication look like? Both verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as written communication, play heavily here.
Read on as we break down each.
What Non-Verbal Communication in the Classroom Looks Like
When we talk about non-verbal communication, we tend to talk about things like body language and facial expressions. Everything from how we gesture to how our faces change when someone says something falls under non-verbal communication in the real world and, of course, in the classroom.
In the classroom setting, however, non-verbal communication is particularly important to create a safe environment for our students.
A warm smile on your face when a student enters the room is a non-verbal cue that lets them know you welcome them to the space. Similarly, when we turn our bodies toward a student who is speaking and give them our full attention, we show them we value what they have to say.
These behaviors also play into our important role as role models for our students who are still learning social norms and how to be good communicators.
Non-verbal communication in the classroom can also take the form of the visual media we provide to help our students learn, including learning aids like:
- Anchor charts
- Bulletin boards
- Posters
- Maps
This type of non-verbal classroom communication helps our students learn through the help of visual representation, and they can help supplement our verbal communication.
What Does Verbal Communication Look Like in a Classroom?
Of course, that brings us to verbal communication in a classroom. Again, there are direct ties to verbal communication as we describe it in a broader context.
Verbal communication can refer to the direct instruction that's core to teaching, but it also refers to things like the greetings we give children when they enter our rooms and the one-on-one conversations we have with our students.
Of course, these all help us build relationships with our students and serve as a means of providing students with information.
Being good verbal communicators isn't just being able to impart information to or chat with students. It's being able to:
- Appropriately engage the audience
- Transmit information in clear and understandable ways
- Speak in a tone that's appropriately assertive — not intimidating or abrupt but also calm and loud enough to be heard
It's a lot for teachers to juggle; we know! It's why we've created so many tools to help!
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I Wish My Teacher Knew Activity Sheet
Add an ‘I Wish My Teacher Knew’ activity to your first-day plans to learn more about your new students.
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All About Me Bag Ideas & Tag Template
Get to know your students a bit better by having them create ‘All About Me’ Bags!
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Morning Greetings Display
Greet each student at the door in style with this set of 4 greetings posters.
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Student Interest Survey Pack
Use a Student Interest Survey to get to know your new students at the beginning of the school year.
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Student Progress Report Parent Letter Templates
Track academic and behavioral data with this set of progress report templates.
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Mini Classroom Mailbox Template
Use this mini classroom mailbox template in a variety of ways.
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A Teacher’s Favorite Things List
Organize your school gift exchange in advance with a printable Teacher Favorite Things form!
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Meet The Teacher - Student Gift Tags
Give your students a back-to-school gift tagged with one of these fun student gift tags!
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Parent Teacher Conference Sign In Sheet Templates
Be prepared for conferences with a printable pack of parent teacher conference sign-in sheet templates.
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Printable 2024 Calendar with Holidays and School Events
Organize your event planning for the whole year with this handy 2024 calendar of school events.
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Happy Note Home
Communicate positive messages to parents and guardians with a Happy Note Home letter template.
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Editable Parent Reminder Notes
Keep your parents informed with this set of 27 editable reminder notes.
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Classroom Wish List – Giraffe
Display your back-to-school needs for your new parents on this classroom wish list display.
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Meet The Teacher Presentation Template
Introduce yourself and your classroom expectations to parents and students with a customizable Meet the Teacher Slideshow!
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Back-to-School - New Student Flip Book Template
Be prepared for a new student any time of year with an editable New Student flip book template.
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Google Sheets Digital Teacher Planner
Start the school year with a ready-made digital lesson plan and record book using our Google Sheets Digital Lesson Planner.
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Back-to-School Self-Assessment Template
Get to know your students on the first day and learn their thoughts on school with a printable self assessment.
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Parent Handbook Flip Book Template
Start the school year with informed parents by providing them with a parent handbook.
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Back to School Student Information Survey - Google Form Data Collection Resource
Collect student contact information quickly and easily with a Student Information Google Form.
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Editable Teacher Forms for the Classroom
Use this collection of teacher printables to organize parent volunteers, receive feedback from substitutes, keep students up to date on missed work and more!
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Meet The Teacher Station Signs - Editable
Organize your Meet the Teacher event by setting up classroom stations using our printable Back to School Station Signs.
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Classroom Wish List - Card Set
Set up a Classroom Donation Station at Meet Your Teacher Night with our printable classroom donation card set.
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Growth Mindset Brag Tags
Celebrate students using a growth mindset with a set of printable growth mindset brag tags!
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Editable Back-to-School Pamphlet
Share important information with parents and guardians with this back to school printable pamphlet.
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Editable Meet The Teacher Template
Use these back-to-school templates to create a letter for your new students and their families introducing yourself.
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Learning Preference Worksheet
Learn your new students' likes and dislikes with this learning preference sheet.
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Back to School – Parent Information Slide Templates
Plan out your parent information night or meet the teacher event with this set of 19 slides.
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Homework Information Sheet - Editable Template
Inform parents of what homework will look like in your classroom with this editable template.
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Anti-Bullying Coloring Sheets
Discourage bullying and promote kindness in the classroom with a set of printable Anti-Bullying Coloring Sheets.
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A Letter to My Teacher Activity Sheets
Get to know your students a bit better using a ‘Letter to Teacher’ template.
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Back to School - Family Survey
Promote parent involvement and get to know your students better with a beginning-of-the-year parent survey template.
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Ready Confetti - Student Gift Bag Tags
Calm your students' first-day jitters with bags of Back-to-School Ready Confetti topped with fun First Day of School poems.