Back to School Night Meet the Teacher Basics

Are you ready for Back to School Night-Meet the Teacher?  Meeting your incoming families doesn't have to be stressful.  Did you know you could set up everything you need for a successful back-to-school night ahead of time?

Think about what information you would like to give your families. I often create a PowerPoint presentation that plays in the background. At our school, we do not do formal presentations to our families. This is due to families having several students in different classrooms. It is virtually impossible for them to attend each child's classroom all at one time. This is why having a PowerPoint presentation is helpful.

I have my back-to-school PowerPoint presentation of meet the teacher playing in the background. Families can enter the classroom and watch the presentation then they are free to move about the room.

What Should I Include for Back-to-School Night?

When parents come into the classroom I ask them to sign in, then find their child's information packet. In this packet, I include a Meet the Teacher page, a magnet with my school contact information, and any extra forms that did not go home with their child on the first day of school. I let them know what the PowerPoint is for, then let them tour the room. I encourage them to find their child's cubbies and look at the materials they find inside. 

What do I do at Back-to-School Night?

During our back-to-school night, I use this time to have parents sign up for various things. Some of the sign-up sheets I have placed around the classroom include parent-teacher conferences, volunteering in the classroom, and helping to complete prep work at home. I also include information about our school's PTA.

I am available to answer general questions about classroom and school procedures. The minute the parents start to ask questions that pertain specifically to their child, I let them know they can sign up for a parent-teacher conference time.

What Should I Ask for at Back to School Night?

Another section in my classroom that I include during our back-to-school night is a wish list section. Here, I have half-sheet lists for parents to take with them. The lists are of the items that are class to use. At our school, we cannot expect students to donate items, but we are allowed to have a wish list for parents. On my wishlist, I include items like Kleenex, real paper towels, cardstock, and Ziploc bags. Many families are happy to provide these items.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Just a note about Parent-Teacher conferences; I do my conferences at the end of September/beginning of October. I firmly believe that holding a conference around report card time is too late. Being a kindergarten teacher, I want my families to know exactly where their child is academically and socially in the classroom. I use the conference time to go over ESGI assessments and offer strategies and suggestions that they can apply at home to move their child along.

You can get a FREE 60 trial of ESGI. I love using their reports to share with parents at conference time. You can read more about ESGi in this post, Assessments Are Easy With ESGI.

Back-to-School night doesn't need to be stressful.  With a little pre-planning, you too can have a successful Back to School Meet the Teacher night.

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