This year was my 34th Back to School Night as a teacher! I tried many things over the years to make Back To School Night or Meet The Teacher Night successful. I want to share with you my five favorite Back To School Night activities and ideas that worked well in all different elementary school grades. Before my Back To School Night presentation, I already had things in place to make parents feel welcome and a part of our classroom family.
A Desk Full of Information
When the parents arrived, I had several items ready on their child’s desk. Some items I would refer to in my back to school night presentation and others were there to look through as they waited for all the parents to arrive. My favorite Back to School Night Activity is a Parent Primer or a Decodable Reader for parents. It is a small reader I created in code. It was always interesting to watch the adults go back and forth between the “key” and the reader. This simple Back To School Night activity is an eye opening experience for many as they “went back in time” and felt again all the feelings of learning to read as a new reader. This simple simulation was always a big hit with the parents. You can grab a copy by clicking on the picture.
Another important item to put on the desks is a brochure or flyer welcoming parents to your class. My brochure always gave important information such as my school email address. Another item is our class schedule , including “specials”. This lets parents know what we were doing each part of the day. The last thing I usually put in the brochure was a short autobiography including my teaching experiences and hobbies. This is a simple way to build relationships with parents.
Next, I have an information packet including all the important information the parents will need for the year. You want to have all your information in one place for parents. I always suggest they put it on their refrigerator ! In my back to school night presentation, I emphasize the important information. Information you may want to include;
- Your email address
- Classroom Behavior Policy
- Grading and Homework Policies
- Supply List
- Class Schedule
- Allergy form to keep in classroom
- Calendar with important dates
- A Parent Volunteer Form
A Letter to Your Child
Another favorite Back To School Night activity, is to have each parent write a note to their child. The parents love to do this and the children are so excited to see the letter the next school day! It is a great way for the parents to encourage their child to have a great year! If a parent does not come, I write a note myself and the kids seem to love that as well!
A Place For Everything!
There is normally paperwork due at the beginning of the year, either from the classroom teacher and or the main office! To keep everything organized, I put out several labeled trays on my back table. Parents put the paperwork in the correct tray and all the paperwork is automatically sorted ! I also put labeled boxes or crates in the back of the room as well for any classroom donations that I have asked for previously. It is an easy way to collect and sort an items that will be shared by the class such as tissues or extra glue sticks!
I hope these tips help you to have a great Back to School Night and they help you build relationships with your new set of class parents. Have a great year !!!
– Jeanne
Don’t Forget to Grab Your Free Parent Decodable Reader HERE!!
