Tag Archives: Back To School

The Dreaded BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!

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How to get ready for the

“PARENTS ARE COMING!” Night!

Screaming Child

AKA BACK-TO-SCHOOL Night!

We ALL get nervous speaking to a room of parents!

I can speak to a group of first graders all day every day…but a roomful of parents?

My palms sweat & my brain “freezes” up!

(Wear good deodorant, use a breath mint, and wear comfy shoes!)

So..THEY are coming.

Today’s tip is about getting parents to sign up for everything you need at Back to School Night.

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!

I work in a Title 1 school.

Most parents DON’T WANT TO COME to SEE ME!

So I have to make it very “inviting”.

I tell the kids to “drag” their parents to talk to me.

(Not literally!) Two hands!

I give stickers to kids who “hand their parents the BTS night NOTE!”

And then…

Number 1

Have Food at Back to School Night.

A bowl of apples, a plate of cookies, popcorn, Mini bottles of water!

CHOCOLATE CANDY!

They will come for food!

I also put the Class DOJO sign-up link on a BIG POSTER

NEXT to the FOOD! Eat, text, and make the teacher HAPPY!

Number 2

Even though parent conferences are MONTHS away…

MAKE a chart of dates & times YOU are available,

AND HAVE THEM SIGN UP FOR A CONFERENCE at Back to School Night!

(You will send a reminder note as it gets closer..let them choose first!)

Put out sticky notes & pens for those who want to write it down AND

a poster to remind parents to TAKE A PICTURE WITH THEIR PHONE of the conference chart, to remind them!

Number 3

If you have any WISH LISTS or things you might need…

HAVE THEM SIGN UP TO PROVIDE CLASSROOM ITEMS and/or to VOLUNTEER for ANYTHING

at Back to School Night!

( We can always use glue sticks, expo markers, tissues, etc)

AND LAST…

If YOU want volunteers for classroom work, parties, field trips, etc…

HAVE THEM SIGN UP!

This is the ONLY night they will ALL be in YOUR classroom!

USE IT!

Sometimes a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE…is a good thing!

So.. Just a quick reminder

Rewards for students whose family attends. DANGLE the CARROT!
Bring FOOD and/or drinks.
Have ALL Sign-UP charts READY

DOJO, Conferences, Wish Lists, Volunteers, etc.

4. Breathe, bring water for YOU! Smile.

For more info on BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT:

Good Luck!

Making A LIST and Checking it TWICE!

IS SANTA ON HIS WAY?

Is SANTA on his way? In JULY?

NO! I am checking MY list.

My Back to School LIST!

And that list get LONGER, every DAY!

My Back to School is next week.

In my district ( a modified traditional calendar) we start at the end of JULY!

No tears for me…we are off the first two weeks of OCTOBER! I LOVE FALL BREAK!

And so first, I make a list – A LONG LIST!

Thank You @createteachshare

Teacher To Do list@createteachshare

Here is how my list begins…

Clean teacher desk
Clean students desks
Number each workbook ( I put numbers on EVERYTHING!)
Get student materials ( books, pencil holders -FILLED, & other things that stay IN THEIR DESKS) on their desks. We will go over them the first day.
Number homework folders, Read at Home folders & books
Tear out & runn of homework for the first two weeks.
Clean out & check literacy & math centers.
Purge ANYTHING I have not used in two years! YES!!!!
Find my teacher tools.
Check technology… after updates…check technology. After call to district office…check technology AGAIN! Finally works! UGH! I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with technology!
Schedule teacher PD meetings. ( 5 days before kids come..starting tomorrow!)
Write Lesson plans for the FIRST WEEK! ( don’t go further…things WILL change.)
Update list.
Unpack the 10 boxes of NEW Science Curriculum. Inventory. Find missing pieces. Inventory again. Store? Stack in a corner.
Add to my list: Unpack science curriculum & go through it. Plan?
Make sure resources on the WALLS are for Back to School ( Not END of School). Update.
Are class lists ready? I need to ADD names to numbers!
Make a LIST ( alphbetically, of course) of students by first names. (WOW! I have an “extra” student on my list…boy will that mess up my alphabtical list. TEACHERS: YOU GET THIS!)
Don’t care that my alphabetical student names will be OUT OF ORDER! 🙂 Breather!
Cross things OFF list. ( After you have added MORE) I know. It’s LONGER than when I started. It’s OK. Ths kids won’t know!
GO HOME EARLY! Relax. Take a walk. Pour some wine. Hug your family. It’s a job. The kids will be there ready or not. THEY won’t care if I didn’t finish ALL of the ANCHOR CHARTS I want to make. ADD that to my LIST!