Top 5 Things to Have a Great Back-to-School Night

Over the past fourteen years I have never outline specifics for my teachers related to Back-to-School Night. For the most part, I have assumed that everyone knew what to do and did a good job. I still believe that all the teachers know what to do and do a good job. Nevertheless, I started to think about what Back-to-School Night means. Back-to-School Night is a reputation builder. It is a time to make a great first impression. When your parents exit the room you want them sold "hook, line, & sinker" to your teaching style, love of learning, and methods. This is an opportunity to make parent relationships matter. Therefore, here are the top five things that I think are important to have a great Back-to-School Night.

Shake a Hand

Stand at the door and greet the parents as they enter. Similar to how you greet your students at the door when they come to your class. Most of the time teachers hang in the classroom and await the parents. Teachers are a bit nervous and feel secure standing in the classroom. Trust me, by greeting the parents before they enter the room alleviates a lot of that nervous energy. Additionally, it sets a great tone for your time together. Shaking hands and greeting at the door goes a long way in developing a positive relationship with parents.

Practice

Practice your presentation. In my school the teachers have eight minutes per class period in order to present the material to the parents. Nothing gets you more off track than looking up at the clock and realizing that you only have one minute left and ten more items to go over. At that point you start apologizing to the parents, rushing through your material, blushing, and sounding unprofessional. Take the time to practice the presentation. Don't just review your notes. Stand in front of your room and do the full presentation. If possible, have a colleague watch your presentation and help you get it just right.

Something in Hand

Always offer a handout. The super parent and the mega difficult parent will have a notebook to take notes. Everyone else will most likely scribble information on the back of the schedule they have or do nothing at all. Providing a short half page or full page handout with your main points on it is very valuable to the parents. It is also beneficial to the parents who are running late missed most of the presentation and now holding you hostage into the late hours of the night. Remember, on each hand out you give make sure you have all of your contact information. This includes your phone, email, and best time to reach you.

Sign Here...

Make sure you have a sign in sheet for parents or basic information card to fill out. On the sheet/card, have the following:

• Print Name

• Sign Name

• Phone Number

• Email

• Best time to contact

By getting the above information you will have clear evidence of what the parent signature looks like, quick access to their phone numbers, email, and when to call and hold a conversation if needed. Even if you can get this information from the computer database, parents like to put information on a paper and give it to you. They feel more secure knowing they handed it to you personally.

Vocabulary

Be cognisant of the language you use when speaking to parents. Within each industry there is a vocabulary and vernacular that is used. We can not expect our parents to know all of the words and terminology that we use on a daily basis. Using phrases like, “...consistent differentiation through conferencing and instructing within the constructivist method...” does not make you sound smart. Basically, you sound like you are not in touch with the students and a bit of a snob. Use simple everyday language. Slow... it... down. When people are nervous they tend to speed up their talking. Talking fast confuses the parents and leads to them asking questions to clarify what you said. Keep it simple.