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' behaviour 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 behaviours 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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Can You Save Fred? Activity
Can You Save Fred? Encourage teamwork and resilience with a fun, hands-on problem-solving and team-building STEM activity.
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Maths Homework Helpers - Early Years
Give your students handy Maths Homework Helper printables to reference when working in class or at home.
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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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All About Me Activity - Library of Learning About Me Craft
Get to know your students by building a library of “About Me” book stacks with a unique All About Me activity.
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Students’ Strengths and Weaknesses List
Make planning for parent meetings quick and easy with a Student Strengths and Weaknesses list.
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When You Enter This Classroom - Door Display
Welcome your students into your classroom with a ‘When You Enter This Classroom” Student Affirmations Classroom Door Display
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Positive Affirmations for Kids — Classroom Display Cards
Print a set of 25 positive affirmations display cards for kids to use in your classroom.
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Meet The Teacher Presentation Template
Introduce yourself and your classroom expectations to parents and students with a customisable Meet the Teacher Slideshow!
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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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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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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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Emotional Self-Regulation – Student Mood Meter
Allow your students to communicate how they are feeling using a non-verbal, desk-sized mood meter.
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Positive Notes Home – Parent Communication Templates
Use this editable template to share information with parents and guardians about academic improvement, positive behaviour and more!
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Emotional Awareness Face Template
Teach your students emotional awareness with this customisable face template perfect for lessons focused on social-emotional learning.
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Parent-Teacher Interview Form
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Our Class is a Family Activity Flipbook
Start building a classroom community from day one with a printable ‘Our Class is a Family’ flipbook.
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ABC Behaviour Chart
Identify triggers for challenging student behaviour by tracking incidents over time using an ABC Behaviour Chart.
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All About Me Bag Activity Template
Get to know your students a bit better by having them create ‘All About Me’ Bags!
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Meet the Teacher - Get to Know You Game
Help your students get to know the teacher with a fun Get to Know You Game!
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Classroom Wish List - Card Set
Set up a Classroom Donation Station at your Parent Information Night meeting with our printable classroom donation card set.
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Editable School Notes for Parents - Classroom Reminders
Keep your parents informed with this set of 27 editable notes from the teacher.
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Meet the Teacher Page Border - Portrait
A 'Meet the Teacher' editable page border to write a note to your students and their families before school begins.
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Student End of Year Gift Tags - We Had a Ball This Year
Have a ball making your end of year gifts for students when you add special student gift tags to their gifts.
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Fractions and Decimals Maths Activity Ideas for Parents
An information sheet for parents or carers to use when assisting children with fractions and decimals at home.
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Maths Activity Ideas for Parents - Place Value
An information sheet for parents or carers to use when assisting children with place value at home.
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Positive Parent Notes - Books
A set of parent notes to send home as positive feedback.
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My Favourite Things List
Organise your school gift exchange in advance with a printable Teacher Favourite Things form!
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Weekly Progress Report Template
Use a printable weekly progress report template to keep parents up-to-date on their student's behaviour and work habits.
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Student Behaviour Contract Template
Create a classroom community and ensure adherence to rules and procedures with a printable Student Behaviour Contract Template.
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Back to School Treats - Student Gift Tags
Give your students a fun back-to-school gift tagged with one of these fun student gift tags!
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Meet The Teacher Scavenger Hunt
Make Parent Information Night a bit more fun with a Meet the Teacher Scavenger Hunt!
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Monthly Newsletter Calendar Templates
Keep students and parents informed of classroom happenings by providing a monthly newsletter with a handy editable newsletter template.