With a little planning, you can pull off a successful Back-to-School Night (BSN) that’s both fun and informative! Here are some guidelines to help pace your preparations:

	A week (or more) before… Start early! You’ll be busy in the days leading up to Back-to-School Night, so consider doing whatever you can early. Take time to prepare a sign-in sheet, and make sure each child’s desk is quickly identifiable by parents (name cards can do the trick). Plan a powerful presentation. Your year will go more smoothly if you successfully communicate important classroom information to parents from the start. Consider creating a PowerPoint presentation or preparing a detailed handout. Here are some topics you’ll want to touch upon: Lay out the grading system. Provide parents with a handout or visual aid for this vital information. How do students achieve an “A” or an “S”? Make sure you understand how your grading system relates to the school’s overall grading policies. If you’re a new teacher unsure of your policy, consult with colleagues to get their perspectives. Be as clear as possible when you’re communicating all this to parents—don’t forget to talk about homework policies, too—and prepare for them to ask questions. Lay out your classroom management system. Again, provide parents with a handout or visual aid explaining your management system including rewards and consequences. Go over your supply list. Be specific, and have extra copies available for parents to take home. Provide your contact information. Let parents know what kinds of communication you’ll have available to them. Do you have a website? A weekly newsletter or monthly calendar? Give parents an overview of important standards and skills in each subject area that you will be working on with students throughout the year. Everyone knows that Back-to-School Night is a time for parents to learn about you, your classroom, and your classroom policies and philosophies. But it’s also a valuable opportunity for you to learn about your new students. Take advantage of this by providing parents with an easy questionnaire. Ask questions like: “What would you like me to know about your child? What are some of your child’s interests? What are some of your child’s fears and concerns?” Prepare this well in advance, so you just have to set a copy on each desk on the night of the event. While parent-teacher conferences might not be until October or November, it doesn’t hurt to prepare a sign-up sheet to present on BSN. Schedule 20-30 minute conferences such that you have plenty of bathroom/snack breaks. Encourage parents to get involved with your classroom. Create a volunteer sign-up list for parents to fill out on BSN. Parents will have different schedules and the ability to help in varied capacities, so provide a variety of ways they can volunteer in the classroom. Depending on your needs, you could include volunteer tasks like: making copies, working with small reading groups, helping with arts and crafts projects, planning classroom parties, filling out book order forms, chaperoning on field trips, giving job presentations, cutting/tracing at home, etc. Have a couple of fun activities planned for parents on BSN. A scavenger hunt can be a great way for parents to familiarize themselves with your classroom. See the parent scavenger hunt printable. To prepare, you can either make your own checklist of classroom features you’d like parents to see, or, if students are old enough, you can ask them to prepare a list of five to ten things they want their parents to check out. Kick off the BSN with an estimation jar activity. Prepare it ahead of time by filling a jar with (wrapped) candy or some other fun object. On BSN, have parents write their names on sticky notes and estimate how many pieces are in the jar. The next day, begin a lesson on estimation. Help students count the number of pieces that are actually in the jar. The child whose parent made the closest estimate gets to share the candy with the class and take the rest home.
	The day before… Students will be excited that parents are going to visit their classroom. The day before BSN, invite children to write a letter to their parents. Explain that the letters will serve as a welcome, and brainstorm with students what they might want to include in the letter. Leave the letters on the students’ desks for parents to find on BSN. Then, at BSN, encourage parents to respond. A parent’s response is a fun treat for children to find the next day. Invite students to make special name cards to display on their desks to help parents find where their child sits.
	The night of… Give yourself a break! Take some time between the school day and BSN to nourish your body and mind. This means having something to eat, sitting down and relaxing—even if it’s only for fifteen or twenty minutes. If it suits you, close your eyes and imagine the evening going smoothly. Positive visualization can be wonderfully calming. Stock your classroom with plenty of seating. Parents will feel more welcome if there’s space for everyone, and you’ll save yourself a lot of stress if you don’t have to rush around bringing in chairs at the last minute. Set out your sign-in sheet by the classroom’s entrance. You might also want to set your conference and classroom volunteer sign-ups here too. Make it easy for parents to find (and sit at) their child’s desk by prominently displaying whatever signs, projects or name cards you and your students have prepared. Parents will enjoy experiencing the classroom from the vantage point of their child—it will also help you quickly learn which parent/s belong to which child. Prepare for early birds. Be in your classroom—everything ready—a full half-hour before the scheduled parent arrival time.
	When the parents arrive… Introduce yourself as parents enter the classroom. Encourage parents to introduce themselves. Do your best to make verbal contact with each parent…and try to remember the parent-child relationships. Encourage parents to find their child’s desk when it’s time for your presentation.
	When you’re presenting… Begin by stating your full name and describing the experience you’ve had working with children. Feel free to include time student teaching, tutoring, and working at summer camps. Introduce any student teachers, assistants or aids who will be working in your classroom. Hopefully, these people will be able to attend BSN as well. Stay positive and upbeat. Lay out your goals and expectations, and always present your past teaching experience in a positive and professional light. Provide time for and encourage questions. If a parent asks something you’re unsure about, explain that you’ll follow up with the requested information as soon as possible.