Sometimes the simple stuff works. Sending out a student “Welcome Video” fits into this category effortlessly!
What is a “Welcome Video?”
A welcome video is a short 1–2 minute video that a teacher records and sends to their students prior to starting the school year. In the video, the teacher might introduce themselves, share a tour of the classroom, or share things about their class that might interest students.
My First Video…
My first “Welcome Video” came to be with help from a teammate. I wanted to use a QR code on my annual “Welcome Postcard” and needed to link the code to something, but what? My teammate mentioned she had previously sent families a video invite to “Meet the Teacher” to put her students’ at ease. BOOM! That was all I needed. I modified that idea and ran with it. It such a hit with students and families, I’ve been making them ever since! You can watch my first one here.
I’ve seen the powerful effect this quick idea can have. Some families have told me their child watched the video dozens of times leading up to the “Meet the Teacher” event (how precious is that?!) It really does seem to make students more excited to meet me!
So, how can you make your own?
Of course, there are many ways to make and share these videos. Find what works for you and your style! Below I’ll share what I do, step by step.
Step 1) Make a Video Plan
Choose to stay in one location or create a “mini tour of your classroom. I opt for the mini tour because I’m passionate about classroom décor and am always eager to show students our space! Before we film anything, I think through the following questions:
- How long will the video be?
- What will I showcase?
- Who will film it?
- What path will the camera take?
- What will I say?
- What stops or pauses will take place during the walk?
I try to keep my video around one minute long. This helps me keep things short and sweet, prioritizing just a few key areas in the room. Things I typically showcase include our class pet, carpet area, flexible seating, and class library. Nic, my husband, has always been my guy behind the camera. Coworkers are perfect for this, too! When Nic comes to the classroom, we walk the path he will take with the camera from start to finish. I run through a few key ideas I’ll plan to say at each main stop of pause. We also work through how I will move about the room so I don’t get in the way of the camera.
Step 2) Lights, Camera, Action!
Typically, I talk way too much the first time we film. From there we narrow down the script and cut out unneeded parts. It usually takes 3 or 4 additional tries (because I may be a little “extra”) to get it all just right. I personally like to film everything in one take so we don’t have to do any editing.
If you’re staying in one place for your video instead of doing a mini tour, think through things students can look forward to in your grade. Be sure to mention things about yourself or your classroom you know they’ll be interested in.
Step 3) Upload the Video
I upload my video to YouTube as an “unlisted” video. Essentially, this means that no one can find my videos by searching for them. The only way to access them is by receiving a direct link. If you’d like for anyone to be able to view your video, you can list yours under “public” view. You won’t want to use “private” view because this means only you can view your video-no one else. There are other ways to upload your video-such as loading it to Google Drive (and ensuring your settings allow anyone with the link to view.) I find this can take up a lot of drive space, so I prefer using YouTube.
Step 4) What about the QR code?
As mentioned before, I love sending “Welcome Postcards” to my students. I then create a QR code using the QR Code Generator website linked here. Once your video has been uploaded, grab the link and paste it into the generator. Change the color and shape if desired and then download! I save my QR as an image and then insert into a Word Doc. Mine are always very tiny so they will fit on the postcards (I typically print my class set on 1-2 pages.) Finally, I print, cut, and glue the QR code that links to my video on the postcard.
These are the postcards I mailed out last year! The QR code is inserted on the bottom right.
My new school does not provide postcards, but I’ve still kept up this tradition. Last year I purchased postcards on Amazon, linked here. This year I purchased off TPT linked here!
But-what if my class list gets confirmed too late?
I get my final class list about a week before school begins, but I know in many areas this is not the case (we’ll talk about what to do for that in a moment.)
If you get your list 3 days before school or more-postcards should be a realistic option for you. To make my life easier, I prep the body of the postcards in advance, so I just have to add the names and addresses when it’s time to send! Last year I wrote all the postcards out by hand. This year I got fancy and typed the message out, printing directly onto the postcard! It saved me SO much time!
For those who get their class list the day of or before school begins, email will be your next best thing. Consider prepping your “Welcome Email” and video in advance. This way, all you have to do is hit copy/paste once your list is set. I usually include a link to my video in addition to the QR code just in case families don’t know how to access the video (any smart phone can access a QR code by scanning it with the phone’s camera.)
Other ideas…
If you really want to go the extra mile, you could make home phone calls or do home visits before school begins. I know many teachers love doing home visits because they are able to see a bit of the student’s world. As a student I would have loved showing my teacher my dog and room, etc.! To be courteous, I would suggest emailing families before showing up at their home. I would want to make sure they were aware of my dropping in.
But remember…
“Back to School” is busy time of year. Though the “Welcome Video” is a simple and powerful thing-there may be years it just isn’t feasible for you. Maybe there are already too many things on your plate and adding one more is incredibly stressful for you. In those times, give yourself grace! You don’t have to have a welcome video to be an amazing teacher. This is just an extra thing. It is leverage-something you can do to gain trust and excitement from students and families right off the bat. Hopefully, it will be easy enough it can work into your back to school routine without a hitch. But if not, that’s ok, too. 😉
Let me know if you end up using this idea in your room! I’d love to see your welcome videos.
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