Our schools are great. I really believe that. And because of that, I’m confident that the leaders and teachers in our schools can put their heads together to come up with a better way to do “Back-to-School Night.” If Facebook posts and bus stop conversations are any indication, parents perceive Back-to-School Night as a test of their endurance and patience. Schools are missing a golden opportunity to show parents why and how they are great.
Back-to-School Night is an occasion to educate parents about what it means to be in the school. It should be focused on helping parents understand what their kids do at school all day and get a feeling for what it’s like to be a student there. It’s also an important chance to build school community. Here are ten tips schools should consider for making Back-to-School Night a night to remember.
Stop the speeches. School leaders, we love you. We really do. In fact, you’re probably one of the reasons I chose to send my kids to your school. But I’d prefer if you didn’t speak for more than two or three minutes to kick off the evening. Of course, you should be the one opening the evening and welcoming everyone. You could even provide a frame for the evening with ideas about how to make the most of it. But please keep it short…really short. Then let me get down to the business I came for.
Let me meet all my kids’ teachers. The main reason I go to Back-to-School Night is to meet my kids’ teachers and to have them meet me. But if I have two (or more) kids in the school, I can’t do that. I’d really appreciate it if you would stagger teacher presentations so that I can go to them all. Better yet, have the teachers repeat their presentations a few times over the course of the evening so that I can get to each one. Put me in a small group with some other parents, and assign us to a slot to visit the teachers. In a small group, I’ll have a chance to meaningfully interact with the teachers during their presentations. It will take some extra time for you to organize and schedule the parent group rotations, but it will be worth it.
Have the teachers teach. Most of your teachers aren’t public speakers, but they are trained educators. So, have the teachers teach me a short lesson (10-15 minutes) so I know what it’s like to be in their classrooms as a student. I’ll get a much better sense of what my children experience every day if I have a taste.
Show me the work. Show me schoolwork my kids have actually done instead of samples of worksheets they will do. I know it’s early in the school year, but I’m certain my kids have done some form of work that demonstrates the nexus between the teaching and their learning. That’s what I’m most curious about.
Give me an iPad. Let me really experience the technology in your school by setting up stations for me to try out some of the technologies my kids will be using and learning with. Don’t just show me a slide on the SmartBoard; let me come up and do something my kids might do in your class.
Remember that I can read. Please don’t give me a handout and then proceed to explain everything that’s written in the handout. I’ll read it later, really. If something in your handout is vital, mention it and tell me it’s vital so I’ll make sure to read it. If I have a question about your homework policy or a unit in the curriculum, I’ll email you.
What’s My Name? Give me a name tag, and please wear one, too. Print the name tags in big letters before the event and hand them out as you welcome parents who walk through the door. That way, I won’t be embarrassed if I don’t remember the name of a teacher my child had a couple of years ago or the name of a parent whose child my son plays with. I suspect it will make your life easier, too.
Help me meet other parents. You’re “more than a school, you’re a home/community/etc.” So, help me feel more part of the community by designing opportunities for me to meet other parents at Back-to-School Night. Just like you helped the students meet each other on the first day, please help me meet the parents of the other kids in my son’s class. Make it part of the teachers’ lessons or one of the first things I do with my group.
Give me access to the school leaders. I didn’t want you to speak a lot at the beginning because I wanted to have a chance to engage with you in a small group. All the school leaders should gather together in the library or some other space where small groups of parents visit during their rotations. There, the school leaders can schmooze with parents, answer questions, and talk about the exciting things going on in their school. By the way, that room is where the food should be.
Provide healthy snacks. Speaking of food, remember that I probably didn’t have a chance to eat dinner before I came. I do love cookies, but my doctor would prefer if I ate some fresh veggies and fruit before returning home for a late dinner when Back-to-School Night is over. This also sets a much better example for my kids, even if they’re not present.
Back-to-School Night can be an event that sets the tone for learning for the year, establishes meaningful relationships between teachers and parents, and fosters the home-school connection. Designing the event keeping the experience of the parents in mind will transform the evening and, potentially, the rest of the school year.
Rabbi Maccabee Avishur is the Associate Director for Teaching and Learning at Yeshiva University’s Institute for University-School Partnership. He can be reached at avishur_yu. edu.
By Rabbi Maccabee Avishur
