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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New Student Survival Flip Book Template
Be prepared for a new student any time of the year with a printable New Student Handbook template.
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Parent Information Night PowerPoint Template
Prepare for your parent information night with a customisable slideshow template.
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Student Progress Report Template
Update parents and guardians every week using this editable weekly student report template.
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Learning Preference Worksheet
Learn your new students' likes and dislikes with this learning preference sheet.
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Meet The Teacher Letter - Editable Version
Use these back-to-school templates to create a letter for your new students and their families introducing yourself.
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Back to School – Meet the Teacher PowerPoint Template
Use an editable slide deck during to foster communication during your 'Meet the Teacher' or 'Back-to-School Parent Information' event.
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Free Classroom Newsletter Template - Weekly Snapshot
Use this free classroom newsletter template to communicate important information each week.
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Editable Homework Information Sheet
Use this editable template to inform parents of what homework will look like in your classroom.
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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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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 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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Classroom Wish List – Giraffe
A classroom wish list to display at the beginning of the year.
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How Are You Feeling Today? Emotions Template
A template to help your students express their emotions.
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Multi-Purpose Student Tags
A page of multi-purpose student tags.
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Easter Appreciation Tags
A set of tags to show your appreciation of teachers, students and staff in the lead up to Easter.
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Student Interest Survey - Upper Years
Learn your students' interests on Day 1 of a new school year with this student interest survey for the upper years.
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Helpful Homework Tips for Parents Poster
Helpful tips for parents on how to support students to complete homework.
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Printable Information Form for Students - Parent Survey
A survey to send home to parents at the beginning of a new school year.
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DIY Mailbox Template
A mini mailbox paper craft template.
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Student Gift Tags - Owl Miss You
Attach an 'Owl Miss You' gift tag to your end of year student gifts.
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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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Student Gift Tags - Your Future's So Bright I Have to Wear Shades
Brighten your students' end of year with fun end of year student gifts adorned with a fun student gift tag!
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Genius Hour Parent Information Letter - Editable Template
An editable parent information letter describing the Teach Starter Genius Hour process.
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Superheroes - Happy Birthday Badges
A set of happy birthday badges with a superheroes theme.
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Maths Activity Ideas for Parents - Question Prompts and Reflective Thinking
An information sheet for parents or carers to use when assisting children with questioning and reflective thinking.
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Maths Activity Ideas for Parents - Multiplication and Division
An information sheet for parents or carers to use when assisting children with multiplication and division at home.
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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 - Addition and Subtraction
An information sheet for parents or carers to use when assisting children with addition and subtraction 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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Brag Tags
Provide positive reinforcement for good behaviour and achievements with printable Brag Tags!
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Parent Teacher Interview Planning Template
A planning template for parent teacher interviews.
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Positive Parent Notes - Happy Face
A set of parent notes to send home as positive feedback.