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The home of Vocab Gal and other educational experts K–12 resources

August 19, 2021 ELA K-5, ELA Seasonal Back to School, ELA 6-8, ELA Resources - Tip Sheets, ELA 9-12, ELA PD - Leadership, ELA PD - Classroom Management

Resources for Hosting a Virtual Back-to-School Parent Night

Want to host a virtual back-to-school Parent Night but just not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! In this article, you’ll find helpful tips and tricks for hosting a successful Meet the Teacher or Parent Night in an online format. Our new Virtual Back-to-School Night Resources will support you every step of the way!

virtual-back-to-school-parent-night-meet-the-teacher-night-resources

Hosting a Virtual Parent Night or Meet the Teacher Night 

Teachers all across the nation are facing a pretty anxiety-inducing fact: school this year is going to look different than ever before. The routines and habits they’ve been developing for years have to be adapted to fit an ever-changing educational landscape. As the meticulous creatures of habit we usually are, this makes most of us disheartened, frustrated, and downright fearful.

But, despite the challenges of teaching during a global pandemic, there are some tried and true traditions of the school year that are too vital to do away with, first and foremost among them, the annual back-to-school Meet the Teacher or Parent Night!

The back-to-school Parent Nights are crucial to the start of a successful schoolyear for many reasons, which are detailed below, but COVID-19 has forced us to think of new ways to facilitate this pivotal and exciting event. Although the thought of bringing together hundreds of kids, students, and parents virtually can feel pretty overwhelming, there are ways to ensure this night goes as smoothly as possible.

 

In this post, my goal is to help teachers and administrators host a successful Parent Night by outlining some tips and tricks for getting it right, as well as providing a free copy of the new Virtual Back-to-School Night Resources. Read on to find out what the kit includes and to obtain your free download.

 

Back-to-School Meet the Teacher or Parent Nights are crucial to the start of a successful schoolyear for many reasons, which are detailed below, but COVID-19 has forced us to think of new ways to facilitate this pivotal and exciting event.

Purpose of the Back-to-School Parent Night

For many teachers and administrators, the thought of coordinating a virtual Meet the Teacher or Parent Night sounds, well… like a headache in the making. However, despite the obvious challenges (and hassle) of hosting a back-to-school Parent Night in an online format, it’s imperative that schools still make this event a priority.

The annual Meet the Teacher or Parent Night provides teachers with a valuable opportunity to

  • Connect with students and parents
  • Gather information about students and families
  • Excite them about the upcoming school year
  • Ensure that parents and students complete any administrative tasks (such as providing demographic information, records, and so on)
  • Familiarize parents and students with school and classroom policies and procedures
  • Establish a strong social presence in your classroom, laying the foundation for strong parent-teacher and student-teacher relationships

Getting Your Virtual Parent Night Started 

In order to host a successful virtual back-to-school Meet the Teacher or Parent Night, you’ll need to know a few things:

  • WHAT to do

  • WHEN to do it

  • WHAT to say

Our Virtual Back-to-School Night Resources tells you just that. Below I'm breaking down what we have available for download and how they will help make your Meet the Teacher or Parent Night a success!

Virtual Back-to-School Night Checklist

The first download in our kit is the Virtual Back-to-School Night Checklist. This quick guide provides a checklist of items to help you prepare for the big event. Follow the timeline to see exactly what you need to do before, the day of, during, and after your school’s virtual back-to-school Meet the Teacher or Parent Night.

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Download Now

Virtual Back-to-School Night Slideshow

Once you’ve got a handle on the timeline, you’re going to want to prepare the content of your back-to-school Parent Night presentation. That’s where our second download comes in. Our Virtual Back-to-School Night Slideshow is an easy-to-prepare, replicable slideshow presentation that’s sure to excite parents and students at your virtual Meet the Teacher or Parent Night!

virtual-back-to-school-presentation-slides-free-resources

Download Now

Although you can add, subtract, or edit slides to fit your needs, the basic outline is perfect for introducing students and parents to yourself and to your classroom policies and procedures, including

  • What supplies they’ll need for virtual learning

  • Your daily classroom schedule

  • Curriculum Information

  • Your school and classroom’s behavior/conduct policy

  • The schoolwide uniform policy

  • Parent sign-up forms

  • Teacher contact information

  • The procedure for setting up a student-teacher conference

Download our free Virtual Back-to-School Night Resources  to start preparing your presentation!

In Conclusion

There’s no way around it: schools and teachers are facing unprecedented challenges in terms of how to coordinate and deliver their instruction. While we can’t undo the chaos caused by the global pandemic, we hope to support teachers as they navigate these uncharted waters. One great place to start is the crucial and celebratory back-to-school Meet the Teacher or Parent Night!

Download our Virtual Back-to-School Night Resources, which includes the Virtual Back-to-School Night Checklist and the Virtual Back-to-School Night Slideshow. With just these two helpful resources, you’ll have a leg up in planning a successful (and hopefully fun!) virtual Meet the Teacher or Parent Night at your school.