3 Changes to Back to School Night

I recently helped to organize my first Back to School Night as a Vice-Principal.  As my principal, Fran Schlenoff (an amazing leader), and I began to plan for the night we looked at what was done previously and didn't want to change things that worked in years past, but there were changes we wanted to make.

In the past all the parents met in the school auditorium where the principal greeted and welcomed them.  Once everyone was seated the principal spoke, the PTA president said a few words, and then our Education Association president made some remarks before.  Parents were then dismissed to meet with the teachers of their student as a grade level team.

Highlight the Teachers
Our principal thought it was important to recognize our staff with all the parents present.   To do this we arranged seats for them in the auditorium facing the other parents.  When their name was called they quietly stood so all parents could see them.  I know this might seem like a small step however, I think it sends a powerful message. These teachers are here to be recognized for their efforts in the school, and they deserve to be a part of this large group gathering.  It was important to face the audience so when they do stand all the parents can see who it is.  I had never thought of this before but most of the time when a teacher is introduced so many parents just see the back of the teacher's head.

Student Highlight Reel
I wanted to provide parents with a window into our school so they could see the students in the halls with friends, working in small groups on science experiments, and actively engaged in learning in every subject area.  I emailed the teachers and told them I was putting together a highlight-film to show the parents at back to school night, if they had something they wanted me to see please email me and I would do my best to make it into their room.  Being a new administrator I was afraid many of the teachers would be reluctant to invite me into the classroom, but I was wrong.  Many of the teachers wanted a chance to share what they were doing, and were excited to have an administrator take note of their great work.

I went into the classrooms armed with my iPhone and took pictures and short video clips from every grade level and many different subject areas.  I clipped the images and videos together using iMovie and had "Home" by Phillip Phillips as the background music.  At our Back to School Night we played the video and received a round of applause from the parents who were there.  I learned whenever possible highlight the students in action because it is the students everyone wants to see.

Student Ambassadors
The next change we made involving students was our Student Ambassadors.  Each grade level in our school addresses parents after meeting in the auditorium.  We asked each grade to choose about three students from the previous year's class to introduce teachers, share memorable experiences, and provide advice for parents on how to help.  These Student Ambassadors were a huge hit, they came dressed professionally to our Back to School Night, and were able to explain things through the eyes of a student.  It is one thing for a teacher to say, "This year will be challenging, but your son/daughter will grow a lot this year."  It is quite another to hear a student say, "I had a really difficult time learning how to be a good writer at the beginning of 5th grade, but with the help of my teachers, I can now say I am a great writer."  Both parents and teachers provided us with positive feedback about the student ambassadors, and it is something that will be part of our Back to School Night routine next year.

By recognizing our teachers and placing students at the center of our Back to School Night I believe we made some significant improvements, however there is still more work to be done.  For example, next year I want to provide child-care for parents, I do not want the lack of childcare to be an obstacle for parents to have to overcome.  I'm sure there are many other ways to make our Back to School Night experience a better one.  I would love to hear other suggestions educators, parents or administrators have that has made your Back to School Night a success.