About This Daily Classroom Special Back to School Night was created by former Teachers Network Web Mentor Kristi Thomas, Band Director at
William F. Halley Elementary School, Fairfax Station, Virginia.
First Things First
During the first week of school, practice the first and last names of your students - feel entirely comfortable pronouncing all of them by Back to School Night.
Remember that students' and parents' last names are not necessarily the same. Some students may live with adults other than their parents or have parents
who are divorced or separated. Take the time to know the proper name associations for your class. You might find help with this from your guidance counselor, or from
records in the office. Your attention to this important detail will be appreciated.
If you do not have time to go home between school and Back to School Night, bring clothes to change into. You'll
feel better if you have taken some time to freshen up and change.
Be well-groomed and dress appropriately.
Remember these children are their parents' most precious
possession. They need to trust you. If you look a mess
or disheveled, they won't be willing to put their confidence
in you right away.
Be
sure
to
have
something
to
eat,
taking
a
few
minutes
to
sit
down and
relax
between
the
school
day
and
Back
to
School
Night.
Sometimes
I
like to
do
this
alone,
visualizing
the
evening
and
thinking
through
what
I
have planned
to
do
and
say.
It
helps
to
calm
me
down.
Straighten
up
your
classroom
-
make
it look
organized
and
inviting.
Hide
the
extras piles
of
paper,
empty
the
trash.
Have
extra
chairs.
It is
unnerving
and
uninviting to
have
parents standing
around,
or
to have
to
rush around
at
the
last minute
looking
for chairs.
Prepare
any
hand-outs, forms,
or overheads
ahead of
time. Have
a colleague
proof them,
and have
plenty on
hand. There
is more
detailed information
about what
might be
important to
give parents
in the On
Each
Desk portion
of
this Daily
Classroom Special.
Have
a
sign-in sheet.
Put
a
sign-up sheet
for parent
conferences on
a table
with a
pencil and
an eraser.
Schedule each
conference for
twenty minutes
to one
half hour.
Set up
the sheet
to include
lunch and
several short
bathroom breaks.
Even though
our conferences
aren't until
late October
or November,
it is
convenient for
everyone to
plan ahead.
Have
the
overview of
the units
of study
written on
the blackboard
or on
an overhead
for you
to discuss
with parents.
Some of
us prefer
to have
our schedule
for the
day on
the board,
which we
would then
use as
a reference.
This will
keep you
focused.
Be
in
your room,
TOTALLY ready,
one half
hour before
the starting
time. Some
parents will
arrive early,
and you'll
want to
be ready
for them.