SignUpGenius

I have used SignUpGenius now for multiple purposes both as an educator and personally! It is easy to use and helps to organize an event. The basic purpose of the website is for multiple people to sign-up for an event through the sharing of one link. It removes the need for paper-pencil forms and also removes the risk of having multiple people signing-up for the same slot. I want to share two very helpful ways that I have used this website for my classroom in the past. Parent-Teacher Conferences The first few weeks of school are filled with what seems like a never-ending list of things to do. I know my mind is going a mile-a-minute with planning the perfect back to school activities for my students, preparing for Back to School Night, setting-up my classroom, participating in professional development meetings, etc. Then all of a sudden I realize I need to start scheduling conferences with parents! I have tried scheduling conferences in many ways from calling each parent individually to sending home an availability form. In the past, I have had my conference schedule available for parents to sign-up during our meet the teacher event and Back to School Night. However, it gets tricky when parents realize they need to reschedule or if some parents are not able to attend these events to sign-up for themselves. Then I discovered Sign-Up Genius! It is perfect. Through Sign-Up Genius, I was able to create the days and times I would be available for conferences. I then shared the link via REMIND and e-mail (you could even post it on your school website). Parents are able to easily see when I am available and pick a time that works best for them. If they realize they need to reschedule, it is simple and easy to do and doesn’t require you to do anything! All of a sudden I have less stress and worry! My conference schedule is easily filled by parents and I don’t have to spend time trying to place families in time slots and then confirm that time works for them! Here is a video that describes how to set-up a Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up Genius! Classroom Donations: I love to have an end of year celebration with my students! I think it is a great time to recognize student accomplishments and growth throughout the year. In the past I ordered pizza and had juice boxes and then gave out classroom awards. However, I usually had parents offer to help or donate other items to the celebration. One year I had three parents bring cupcakes for the celebration...yes each child would have three cupcakes to eat! Well that was just a bit too much sugar, in my opinion. I was very appreciative of the parents’ generosity and thoughtfulness but I realized I needed a way to track donations. I created a SignUpGenius which would allow parents to let me know if they would be willing to donate an item to our end of year celebration. I created a list of snacks and treats ranging from a fruit tray to cookies. Parents were able to donate and the students had a variety of treats to pick from!