An Engaging Approach to Back-to-School Night

Last year, I participated in a highly engaging back-to-school night presentation in my daughter’s American Sign Language (ASL) class. The teacher took an immersive approach and never spoke out loud; instead, he gave everyone a feel of what his class looked like by demonstrating specific signs and by connecting to visitors through a mini-lesson on ASL. His approach was inspiring because families and caregivers really want to know what it’s like to be a student in each class.

For several generations, back-to-school night has been a staple in welcoming the new school year. Ideally, this special evening should be a collaborative effort between teachers and administrators to create an inviting experience that excites families and caregivers about the upcoming year of learning. However, when visitors leave without a clear sense of what attending the school must be like, the evening becomes a missed opportunity. Back-to-school night should not be about sharing basic logistics, but instead should be about creating a shared love for learning.

With just a few adjustments, back-to-school night can fulfill its purpose and become an invaluable moment for teachers to build strong partnerships with the people who know students best. In essence, back-to-school night should accomplish a few major goals: to help visitors understand what it’s like to be a student in each class, to better connect with families and caregivers, and to ensure that we open the lines of communication for the upcoming year.

Provide operational items in multiple modalities

It is important to share the logistical details of our classes (such as the syllabus), but there is no need to use the limited time we have to review these materials with visitors. Instead, it is more efficient to share both digital links and hard copies of any useful information so that visitors can explore the nuts-and-bolts aspects of the class and can find out the best way to get in touch with any questions.

Another approach to sharing operational items that infuses some creativity comes from English teacher and author Brett Vogelsinger, who engages families and caregivers in a “blended” back-to-school night approach. He recommends creating a presentation in advance of the evening (he uses Prezi) and including “all of the necessary but somewhat dry information—grading policies, expectations, and lists—into a polished professional presentation and pair[ing] it with a warm greeting expressing my excitement to begin the school year.”

Vogelsinger explains that when visitors arrive, they already have that information, and he is able to reference the Prezi without spending an abundance of time on its contents. Instead, Vogelsinger uses the time to implement a “blended” back-to-school night station model in which “parents could move between stations set up in my classroom…each station allowed them to do things like writing an encouraging note to their child.”

Present a mini-immersive lesson

It is far more meaningful to experience a lesson than to have the teacher explain it, not to mention much clearer in demonstrating how the class works. Educator Chris Dolgos recommends modeling a “maître d’” strategy that creates small discussion groups around a central topic question. For example, Dolgos poses a question like, “Which way of practicing spelling words works best for you?” Then, participants share their responses with different groups of people, depending on table numbers that the teacher calls out.

This approach serves the dual purpose of helping visitors get to know one another and demonstrating a discourse protocol that students experience in the class. By encouraging visitors to interact with others rather than having them passively listen to an explanation of what classroom conversation might feel like, Dolgos exemplifies his instructional practice far more clearly and meaningfully for all participants.

Learn from and with families and caregivers

Years ago, I selected our family’s pediatrician because he said, “You are a partner in your child’s wellness. Parents know more about their children than anyone else in the world, doctors included.” That same philosophy can be applied to back-to-school night, which presents a rare opportunity to gather information from and interact with from the people who know our students best.

Having a way to gather any need-to-know information about students is important, particularly in both a digital and a more old-school way. For example, we might give visitors the option of filling out a short form or index card in the classroom, or completing an online version with the same information. Personally, I prefer to have people complete this information while in the classroom, as they might forget once they leave, and then we are missing potentially vital context.

To experience the dual benefit of learning more about the people in the room and getting a feel for classroom culture, math teacher Alex Romero suggests engaging visitors in a “low floor, high ceiling” exercise. One example he shares is to have people “sort themselves by the number of letters in their last name… that gets them connecting with math and literacy, while really getting to know each other and put[ting] faces to names.” Romero’s strategy has the added benefit of including students who may be present in the room along with their families.

Focus on purpose, not personal details

While back-to-school night participants are interested in the person who is working with their students, less is more when it comes to spending a lot of time sharing details about ourselves, especially personal tidbits. Instead of spending the few minutes we have talking about ourselves or our hobbies, think about focusing more on professional purpose by explicitly sharing why we chose to teach and what our goals are for every student who sits in our classrooms.

A teacher who makes a point of prioritizing student participation every day might share that goal and then model an activity that prompts students to engage in speaking, writing, or listening skills, such as a “speed dating” exercise. To adjust this strategy for visitors, the teacher could allow visitors to experience an abbreviated version of the activity with tie-ins to the course. For example, a social studies teacher might ask participants to rotate through two or three one-on-one speed dating conversations with prompts such as, “What kinds of current events or popular culture information does your student like to consume?” or “What historical figure does your student admire?”

As these quick conversations occur, the teacher can also provide a capture sheet that is set up on desks to record answers and collect them to learn even more about their students.

Time is always a rare commodity, a reality that could not be more true for back-to-school night. With only minutes to connect with and inspire the people who are most influential in our students’ lives, every second counts. By moving away from logistics and celebrating instruction, we can seize this rare opportunity to show families and caregivers exactly what it’s like to be a student in our classrooms.