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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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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Brag Tags
Provide positive reinforcement for good behavior and achievements with printable Brag Tags!
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Testing Gift Tags
Give a confidence boost to your students before heading into a test or exam with these testing 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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Morning Greetings Display
Greet each student at the door in style with this set of 4 greetings posters.
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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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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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Homework Information Sheet - Editable Template
Inform parents of what homework will look like in your classroom with this editable template.
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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 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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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 - Student Gift Tags
Give your students a back-to-school gift tagged with one of these fun student gift tags!
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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 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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Happy Note Home
Communicate positive messages to parents and guardians with a Happy Note Home letter template.
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Mini Classroom Mailbox Template
Use this mini classroom mailbox template in a variety of ways.
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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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Editable Parent Reminder Notes
Keep your parents informed with this set of 27 editable reminder notes.
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Editable Classroom Newsletter
Give important information to your students’ parents and guardians by using this editable classroom newsletter.
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Student Gift Tag - Top of the Class
A cute gift tag to attach to an end-of-year gift for your students.
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Student Gift Tags – You Blew Me Away This Year
Blow your students away with fun end of year gifts wearing these adorable end-of-year gift tags!
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End-of-Year Student Gift Tags – We Had a Ball This Year
Have a ball making end of year gifts for students with our printable student gift tags.
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Student Gift Tags – Your Future's So Bright I Have to Wear Shades
Brighten your students' end of year when you give them special end of year student gifts wearing these 'Future So Bright' student gift tags!
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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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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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Classroom Hand Signal Anchor Charts
Strengthen classroom management and reduce classroom interruptions with miniature hand signal posters and bookmarks.
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Monthly Newsletter Calendar Templates
Keep students and parents informed of classroom happenings by providing a monthly newsletter made with a handy editable newsletter template.
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Student Daily Check-In Template
Check-in with your students each day with this template.
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Parent Teacher Conference Templates
Save time, enhance organization and strengthen the parent-teacher partnership with this set of parent-teacher conference forms.