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Often, the first interaction you will have as a teacher with parents and guardians will be at back to school night.
This time gives you an opportunity to meet families before the craziness of the first day. During this time, teachers will go over how the classroom operates, the curriculum, and daily schedules. |
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Here are some general do’s and don’ts for your back to school night:
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Do:
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Greet every person that comes into your classroom!
This includes students and other siblings that parents may bring. |
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Don’t:
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Spend all of your time focusing on one parent.
You will want to try your best to spread your time evenly between your families. |
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Do:
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Discuss what the child will be learning during their time with you.
Be sure to create a one-page handout that summarizes the ins and outs of your classroom. Anything more than one page long will overwhelm parents. Keep your points short, sweet and concise. |
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Don’t:
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Forget to share about yourself.
Parents are entrusting you to spend 8+ hours a day with the most important person in their life – their child. They will want to know your background and story. |
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Do:
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Make sure that you and your classroom are presentable.
This means making sure your classroom is clean and welcoming (bulletin boards complete, chairs and desks arranged, books and supplies organized) and that you are dressed appropriately. |
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Don’t:
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Try and wing it.
Parents will be able to tell if you did not put adequate preparation into the meeting. This is the first impression parents and guardians will have of you. Make sure it is a positive one. |
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Do:
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Have a sign-in sheet.
Doing so is the easiest way to check contact information that you may or may not already have on file. |
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Don’t:
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Give out your personal email address.
You will want to provide parents an email that you use solely for your classroom. |
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Do:
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Leave plenty of time for questions.
Like your students, each year brings with it a completely new group of parents. They will have concerns and questions that you haven’t even thought of. |
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Don’t:
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Be nervous.
Remember that more than likely parents are just as anxious about meeting you. Take a deep breath and remember to enjoy meeting all of your new families. |
As you progress through the school year, be aware that parent-teacher communication should not stop after the first few weeks of school. Maintaining a relationship is critical for the student’s learning and growth. Plan on sending home a monthly newsletter with students during the year in order to keep parents up to date on what is happening in the classroom. Also, never underestimate the value of the occasional positive phone call. Parents should not be hearing from you only when something concerning occurs. They need to hear the good that is happening as well.