Have you ever considered having a website for your classroom?
Having a classroom website is a great way to digitally communicate with students' families about how your classroom works and what to expect for the school year. It can also serve as a place where you provide information about homework, classroom events, fillable forms, and SO MUCH more!
Starting a classroom website:
I think a great time to start working on a classroom website is over the summer just before school starts.
During this time, you can take your time adding all the information you want to share with families about your classroom and the school year.
Starting a classroom website on Google Sites is actually fairly easy. You simply go onto Google Sites and follow the steps to start a new website. You can choose from any of their template options to get you started.
However, if you want a Google Site template that is already designed for classroom use that will make your life SUPER easy, I recommend these templates.
What to include on your website:
Since the key to a classroom website is to serve as the go-to source for information about your classroom, here are a few things you should incorporate:
Contact information - Provide parents with information about how to contact you and WHEN to contact you.
Classroom calendar - A classroom website is a great place to show a calendar with all the events that will come up throughout the school year. You can even embed a Google Calendar onto your website so that you can continue to edit it as you go.
Homework help corner - I love incorporating resources that can help parents with homework. This can be especially helpful for parents who may be unfamiliar with the newer ways we teach concepts to students.
Classroom policies - A classroom website is a great space to share your classroom policies with parents. Some ideas of what to include are: homework policies, classroom birthdays, late work, behavior, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions - We all know that parents typically have the same questions year after year. Why not provide a space where you answer these questions upfront? I love having this section on my classroom website.
Sharing your website:
After creating a website you love with all the information. you could possibly share, you have to publish your website and share the link with parents.
I recommend using creating a paper with a QR code so that parents can scan the code and have instant access to your website whenever they need it.
Bonus tip: Save a few of these papers for later in the year if you get new students.
Want a ready made template to create your classroom website? Click the button below to see the options I have in my store!