Back to School Night

I don’t know if you are like me, but Back to School Night makes me incredibly nervous. It does not matter that I have done this routine twice a year for two decades. The night sneaks up on me and I become a bit scared. Over the past few years, I have reduced my stress level by using a checklist that I shared with you in my last post.

Over the past 20 years, I have also learned a lot about how to make a great presentation to parents and families. I want to share my tips for a successful Back to School Night with you. Hopefully, this will reduce some stress on the night of your big event and have you prepared.

Tip for Success #1 – Leave Your Door Open

This might sound strange but an open door is welcoming. Show your most friendly, inviting self by propping the door open. Parents entrust us to care for their children and need to get this vibe upon their first impression.

Tips for Success #2 – Show Enthusiasm

Parents can learn about your grading policy and pacing schedule by reading your syllabus. Showcase your passion for teaching during your presentation. Back to School Night might be the only time parents can see this passion by watching and listening to you.

“But how do I do this?” you ask. Share a story about a difficult student that turned their grade around. Include how the kid kept saying “I can’t do this!” then share the steps he/she took to become successful in your class. Even talk about how you helped them.

Talk about a project that the students will be completing during the school year. Get the parents excited about the project. The parents’ excitement often carries over into the student’s experience too.

Tips for Success #3 – Your Teaching Philosophy

Tell parents how you plan to get the best out of their student. The conversation does not have to use technical jargon or get theoretical. Instead, share the idea of how you create a safe environment for kids to learn. Inform parents how you love that students make mistakes, that you welcome mistakes because that is how we all learn. Talk about mindset in the classroom.

Tips for Success #4 – Get the Vital Information

Let’s face it, sometimes it is difficult to track down parents during the school year. Back to School Night might be the only time you have a captive audience. Make sure parents fill out any documents you need from them at this event. Gather contact information, emergency forms, or surveys if you need this information. You don’t want to spend the next month hounding parents or hunting them down. Don’t become the nag teacher. Get that needed information.

Tips for Success # 5 – Be Cute, Give a Freebie

This might sound ridiculous but the cute factor goes a long way with the parents you serve. Decorate your room. Make your handouts look professional. Make your contact info into a magnet or create another type of freebie to impress parents. Place a bowl of candy or a tray of fresh baked cookies on the counter in your room. All these simple steps help create a welcoming environment and lets parents know you are open for communication.

Tips for Success #6 – Slideshow

This will take a bit of pre-planning on your part. Create a slideshow of student work like videos or artwork. The slideshow does not need to be current work but something that shows what students do in your class. You can also use still images of the students in action. Just make sure your school allows for students to be photographed.

Tips for Success #7 – Ask for Volunteers

Sometimes at the high school level teachers stop asking for parent help. Maybe you can turn this around and recruit some help with making copies or planning a field trip. You can even ask parents to help you find guest speakers in your classroom.

The beginning of the year is a great time for teachers to ask for volunteer help. Just remember that not everyone will follow through. Some volunteers may only show up once. That is OK. At least you will have a list of willing parents if something comes up that you need help with.

Make sure when you ask for volunteers, you give options. Many parents will think you need help working with kids and won’t sign up because they don’t know ASL or the subject material you are teaching. However, many parents will love to help with your clerical work.

Tip for Success #8 –  Request Needed Supplies

Back to School Night is a great opportunity to request supplies the class needs. You want to make sure you are making this easy for parents. Create cards or tags with products listed on them. Parents can easily pick up a card and return the supplies. Just be aware of where you place your wish list. Some families won’t be able to afford to donate. So don’t make a big deal of the tags or place them in the front of the room where people need to come forward to pick them up. Place near the sign -in sheet and make no mention of them during the presentation. Parents will donate if they can.

I tend to ask for dice, Sharpie pens, cardstock, board games, and candy. Also, if somethign comes up durig the year that I need, I send out an email to all parents with students in ASL.

Tips for Success #9 – Allow time for Questions

As teachers, you are given a short time to provide information to parents. Do leave time at the end of the presentation to get questions. If you feel you might run out of time and can’t take questions, provide question cards to parents so you can answer them at a later time. Create a space for the questions to get placed near the exit of the room. Respond within a few days.

Tips for Success #10 – Contact Information

Conclude your presentation by telling parents the best way to keep in contact with you (e-mail, phone, after-school office hours) and tell them when they might expect a response from you. For example, I tell parents I don’t answer the phone during the school day but I do check email. If they do call, I may take up to 5 days to respond.

Conclusion

I hope that these tips will help you conduct your Back to School Night with less stress.

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