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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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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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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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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Happy Note Home
Communicate positive messages to parents and guardians with a Happy Note Home letter template.
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Helpful Homework Tips for Parents
Helpful tips to support students as they complete homework.
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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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Morning Greetings Display
Greet each student at the door in style with this set of 4 greetings posters.
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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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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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Editable Parent Reminder Notes
Keep your parents informed with this set of 27 editable reminder notes.
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10 Reasons Why - End of Year Letter to Students
Strengthen connections and send your students off on summer vacation with an encouraging end-of-year letter to students.
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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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Mini Classroom Mailbox Template
Use this mini classroom mailbox template in a variety of ways.
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Student Behavior Contract Template
Create a classroom community and ensure adherence to rules and procedures with a printable Student Behavior Contract Template.
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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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Would You Rather? Parent Teacher Meeting Game
Engage students and parents in a fun game of Would You Rather? to spice up your open house for school.
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Emotional Self-Regulation – Student Emotion Mood Meter
Allow your students to communicate how they are feeling using a non-verbal, desk-sized mood meter.
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Positive Parent Notes - Doodles
Let your students and their parents know when they have done particularly well or shown good behavior with a Positive Parent Note.
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Parent-Teacher Conference Documentation Form
Use this printable Teacher-Parent Conference Form to organize your parent-teacher conferences ahead of time and keep accurate and detailed records of parent communication.
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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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Parent Teacher Conference Planning Template
Print a teacher planning template for parent teacher conferences that will keep you on top of things!
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Free School Newsletter Template - Weekly Snapshot
Communicate important information happening in your classroom with this free school newsletter template.
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Accident Report Form
Notify parents and guardians of any accidents at school with a printable accident report form for schools.
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Class Party Signup Letter Templates
Prepare for class parties ahead of time with printable Class Party Signup templates for holidays throughout the year.
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Student-Led Conference Templates
Implement student-led conferences in your classroom this year with printable student-led conference templates.
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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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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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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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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.
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All About Me Activity - Library of Learning Book Stack Craft
Get to know your students by building a library of “About Me” book stacks with a unique All About Me activity