Meet the Parents

Some call it Back to School Night, some call it Open House, and others call it a dog and pony show. Whatever you call it, the intention is to bring parents, teachers, and students together, and to make introductions and small talk.

Let’s take a look at a few things you can do to keep conversations upbeat and brief, while at the same time allowing you to be the gracious host where no one feels neglected.

Back to school night basics. Post a sign outside your room with the dates of your school’s parent conferences. Provide a sign-in sheet as well so you will have a written record of all those who attended.

Stay out of your room. This is the most important piece of advice I can offer. Stand in the hallway, just outside your room, and speak to your parents there. Be warned: if you go in the room, you won’t be coming back out. Do make your room inviting, and allow parents to enter. In fact, ask each student to take his or her parent on a tour of the room.

Make your room inviting. Post student work and pictures of your students. Have a slide show running with either photos or information about your class. Have refreshments available. This way, parents are buzzing around your room, not you. (Thank you to Deirdre for the idea. She is a member of Middle School Matters, a group I started on Facebook specifically for middle school teachers. You are invited to join!)

Off topic. Limit the conversation to small talk. Thank parents for coming, maybe mention a connection you have in common, or tell them how much you enjoy the child in class. Back to School Night is a public affair, where ears are listening to everything you say, so steer clear of anything of a private nature, related to grades or behavior. These are topics better suited for a parent-teacher conference. In fact, if a parent asks you about grades or behavior during Open House, remind them of the dates of parent-teacher conferences, or offer to email and set up a conference with them at a later date.

Recruit parent talent and collect information. Take advantage of this opportunity to find out what your parents have to offer. If you are a social studies teacher, you may have a Muslim parent who’d be willing to speak during your unit on Islam. If you sponsor the newspaper staff, you may have a parent who works at the local paper and would be willing to give a tour. Set up several clipboards in your room. One for parent email addresses, one for guest speakers, one for field trips, and perhaps one for parent volunteers. Some of your parents may be stay-at-home moms who are just looking for something to do! Thank you Deirdre for this idea as well. You are awesome!