Learning and Pedagogy / Sep 19, 2022
Four Steps to Make Education a Family...
Getting parents involved in their child’s education is crucial to the success of that child, but other…
6 min read
This year we are all going back to our new normal, which might look a bit different than it used to! Change can bring anxiety and uncertainty, but we’re here to help.
With your ClassTag School Launch Kit, you will be ready to get everyone on board ClassTag’s free communication platform and ready in 3 easy steps! We’ve even got some tips for those who are learning online or in a hybrid environment.
ClassTag School Launch Kit
1. Set up your school
Go ahead, become a ClassTag Leader, and claim your school on ClassTag.com. If you can’t locate your school or you are looking to become a District Leader on ClassTag, please send a note to support@classtag.com and we will promptly assist you.
- If you have already signed up as a teacher, add your classroom to a school or reach out to support@classtag.com to help you get connected if the school has been claimed
- If you have not signed up for ClassTag, sign up as a leader and claim your school
PRO TIP: Customize your school on ClassTag with school branding to add school spirit! Change your cover photo and avatar and it will be reflected in various communications. Learn more about your ClassTag Leader superpowers here.
Interested in using ClassTag Schoolwide? Our ClassTag Connect program can help you do just that!
2. Invite teachers and administrators
Invite school leaders and teachers right from the school page so that they can get connected instantly. ClassTag Leaders will be able to access and manage everything on ClassTag, while teachers you invite will only be able to add other teachers and create their classrooms.
Now that your school is set up, it’s time for the Launch Party! Here’s a handy Classroom Launch Checklist to keep everything organized!
What to bring to the party?
You’ll want to begin with a video showing what ClassTag is all about. This short video is perfect for introducing ClassTag to your school and highlighting the benefits it brings.
Have a bit more time for a presentation and comparison vs. other communication solutions? We’ve got you covered!
- Here’s a powerful presentation you can share that outlines the key ClassTag benefits
- Flyer that gives a great ClassTag overview
- Flyer that helps you compare ClassTag vs. other tools
Now is a great time to open up your ClassTag account and show off the next steps for teachers.
- Create classes right from the school page (you can do so for them as ClassTag Leader or they can themselves)
- Invite co-teachers, specialty teachers, or support facilitators to classes (from directory page in that class, click “+teacher”)
- Show teachers how to add student lists, parent contacts
If teachers are ready to go ahead of the meeting, you can use the time to help everyone get set up right on the spot! In this case, here are a few party favorites that teachers should bring:
- Roster with students and parent contacts (to invite on the spot);
- List of holidays, days off, and planned school activities (to be set up as events);
- Resources you want to share with parents (i.e., study packet, printables, or links to useful resources)
Read on for additional resources below that will guide you step by step.
Student list and parent contacts
In order to join ClassTag, you will need to have a student roster for each of the classes or groups. To add a student roster and invite parents a school leader or a teacher will need to click on a class name from the school page or left side navigation and go to the Directory tab. There are three ways parents can be invited to join ClassTag: 1. Copy & paste student names and parent emails using a template; 2. Enter students’ and parents’ emails or cell phone numbers manually; 3. Copy & paste or enter manually the student list and print flyers with codes for parents to join.
Helpful resources:
- How can I create a student list and invite parents?
- Can I send invitations via SMS, email or both?
- How can I send invitations in different languages?
List of holidays and planned activities
Wouldn’t it be great to post all your activities at once and then sit back and see parents’ responses, RSVPs, and volunteers coming your way? It is possible with ClassTag! To take full advantage of ClassTag’s smart automation and personalized weekly newsletters (which automatically creates an upcoming week-at-a-glance) you will need to load up as many activities as you can. Here are a few ideas:
- Set up Events for days off, tests, important assignments, community events, dress-up days, parties with multiple types of volunteers, meet the teacher night, etc.
- Organize volunteer requests for field trips, snacks, item donations, virtual read-aloud, etc.
- Use parent-teacher conferences for activities that require families to pick a time slot, such as welcome calls, weekly check-ins, parent-teacher, or student-led conferences. Remember: with Google Meet and Google Calendar integrations you can easily schedule virtual meetings!
- Create To-Dos for any submissions required from parents, e.g., permission slips, forms, health records, and more! With Google Drive and a virtual student backpack, you can easily store and share important documents.
Helpful resources:
Resources to share with parents
Adding handy resources in a visible place for parents to reference is a great way to streamline communications. An easy way to share these resources is by using ClassTag’s Library and Quick Links.
ClassTag’s Quick Links is a visible place for parents to reference classroom information, such as conferencing links, Google Classroom links, resources, and more. ClassTag’s Library is your all-in-one resource hub for both parents and teachers. With the Library, you can safely store and share files with parents, individually or the whole class at once.
Helpful resources:
PRO TIP: Just like schools, you can customize your classroom cover photo, avatar and profile picture. For online teachers: consider changing your cover photo to a picture of your virtual classroom and your profile picture to a picture of your Bitmoji avatar!
3. Launch with parents
It’s GO time! Parents have been invited to ClassTag, and it is the time to build excitement and help parents utilize the program to stay on track with school happenings and connect with the teachers and each other.
Amazing news! Once parents are invited to join ClassTag, they start receiving all of the communications and can sign up at any time to see more pictures, pick a conference slot or send a message. This way you can quickly reach all parents.
PRO TIP: Once parents are invited to join ClassTag send a welcome announcement saying how important it would be to join ClassTag, benefits for parents and a link to how to use it for parents. You can send it individually for each class and pin it for easy reference at the top of the Home tab.
Helpful resources:
- How can I introduce ClassTag to parents? + Flyer + Meet the Teacher Presentation
- What can parents do on ClassTag?
PRO TIP: If you have a meet the teacher night (even if you’re having it virtually) check out our resource on Having a Successful Back to School Night!
With this Launch Kit, you are guaranteed to unite teachers and parents in every child’s success and make this collaboration simple and joyful! Now you can reach and engage every parent regardless of what device they use with relevant, timely, and personalized communications.
Wait! That’s not all!
On average, teachers spend $479 of their own money on classroom supplies every year. While it’s incredibly noble, we understand the value of your hard-earned money and so, we have a solution.
You can finally get what you need in your classroom and keep your money where it belongs- in your wallet!
Through our Classroom Fund feature, you can compile and share a list of supplies you’d like to purchase through ClassTag’s vast catalog of class goods. As parents browse through it, they can contribute any amount they wish to go towards your supply purchases. It’s that easy!
What’s great is that setting up your ClassTag Classroom Fund is incredibly simple to do. Set it up and you’ll be well on your way to getting those much-needed supplies for your learners!
You can also set up a supply list for your classes and parents can purchase their child’s supplies without ever leaving home. This ensures your students get what they need while saving their parents time.
Need some help?
We are just a step away at support@classtag.com if you need to reach us.
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