As a new teacher, I would break out into day and night sweats, panicking about what I would say or do during this extra hour in the classroom. I thought the kids were hard to please, what about the parents? What would they think of me? Would they judge me on my looks? Or my nervous twitches I do when I am nervous? Would they be accepting of my policies and procedures? Ten years in, I still dread the day, but it has become a little easier over the years because I have learned a few tips and developed some pointers. So here is what you need to have a smooth (at least close to smooth) Back to School Night.
- Send home a kid made invite prior to the big day. This will add a little extra touch over the general school flyer and the kids will be excited to share it with their parents because they made it. This is a great way to get the information to the parents so that they will actually show up.
- For the event have the kids make a little autobiographical craft. Here is a link to one http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/3966/self-portraits-all-about-me-bookets/ .
- When there is that awkward downtime at the beginning of the evening, have your students give their parents a tour of the classroom, show them where their desk is (make sure they have their books and belongings out to peruse) and have the parent see if they can guess which is their child's project. A fun little game of guess-who is a great ice-breaker.
- In addition to a brief activity, have some refreshments (popcorn and water bottles), a sign-in sheet to get all their contact information in case you do not see them until conferences, and maybe a little slide-show on repeat of pictures you have taken of the kids' first days of school. Make sure you are playing some cheerful music. It makes your room warm and inviting and encourages parents to connect with each other.
- Make sure you prepare a quick five minute presentation on power point that includes the following:
- tell them a little bit about yourself - they are entrusting their child to you for six hours a day, they want to know more about you.
- your classroom management system and plan
- your homework policies
- a quick snippet of your philosophy on education
- You will also want to include a little packet for the parents to take home with the following:
- what are the big ideas of the grade level your teaching
- some information on child development for the age you are teaching
- a three way contract that states your commitment, the parent's commitment, and the student's commitment to the year. Have all three parties sign and return it to you (well, you can sign it before you hand it out). Keep it on file in case any problems arise with the parent or students during the year.
- A questionnaire about their child. This shows the parent that you care about their child's individual needs and really want to personalize their experience in the classroom.
- Lastly, you will want to make a little wish list for your classroom. Take a big poster board. Write "wishlist" on the board and stick sticky notes to it with different classroom items you need, like glue-sticks, pencils, folders, etc. The parents can take as many sticky notes as they want and return the classroom items with their child later that week. It is a great way to get your wish list personalized.
So that is a little glimpse into my Back to School Night. I would love to hear any additional ideas that you use in your classroom. Let's help each other out. I know we are all busy getting pacing guides, lesson planning, professional development and classrooms arranged, so if you want some of the leg work done for you, you can buy my Back to School Night Survival Kit on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Here is the link to the product: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Night-Bundle-1378333
The kit includes:
-Welcome Back to School editable document letter
-Editable Power Point
-Back to School Night Invitation for students to color and write details down on
-Back to School Night Packet to send home with parents
-Sign-In Sheet
-Three-Way Contract
-Parent Questionnaire
Good luck everyone!
Love,
Tomorrow's Teacher
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