Podcast - In the Classroom - Episode 17: Trying Something Different This Back-to-School Night - back-to-school night ideas
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Episode 17: Trying Something Different This Back-to-School Night

Are you ready to leave that same old Back-to-School Night presentation behind in favor of something more interesting and engaging? Whether you’re looking for back-to-school night ideas because you just can’t bear to do the same thing again this year, or you’re looking for a better way to engage parents/guardians and start a partnership with them early on, we think we’ve got something you might like.

Back-to-School Night at the high school level is rough. Not only have parents/guardians being hearing the same information for years, but then they hear it 5, 6, 7 times in one night? This sounds, to us, a lot like the first day of school for students and many years ago there was a shift away from the welcome-policies-syllabus routine to something more engaging and dynamic. Why not do the same for parents/guardians? We brainstormed lots of back-to-school night ideas and landed on an interactive, station based, day-in-the-life-of experience. Do we have your interest piqued? Listen to this episode for all the details about this fun, engaging (for parents/guardians, students, and even us) back-to-school night idea.

Back-to-School Night ideas like interactive stations make the evening more memorable and engaging.

Interactive Station Ideas

For many of these suggestions, you can easily create a demo student account and enroll the “student” in your class so parents/guardians can experience the interface in the same way their students do. This is helpful for parents/guardians who come without their student and also ensures no students accidentally stay logged in to their own accounts.

  • Your LMS (Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, etc.) Consider providing directions so parents can sign up as guardians/observers.
  • Review/Instructional Sites (Typing Club, Quill, Kahoot, Quizlet, Actively Learn, etc.) Encourage parents to try out some activities for themselves. We’ve seen more than one parent challenge their child to a typing competition.
  • Independent Reading (Include details about expectations, assignments, Libby or Sora sign-up information, etc) Consider having some books from your library and a sign-out sheet available and encourage parents/guardians to check out the titles to read for themselves.
  • Your Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior Schedule (Include details about your class schedule–what does your daily or weekly routine look like?) Consider providing details about the daily school bell schedule, especially for parents/guardians of freshman students.
  • Understanding Your Teen (How to Talk to Your Teen, Teens in Crisis, Handling Technology, Substance Abuse Warning Signs) Consider partnering with your counseling department to get this helpful information in the hands of parents/guardians.
  • Accessing the Parent Portal for the Student Information System (Aeries, Illuminate, PowerSchool, etc.) Consider including information about how to create an account and what to look for when reviewing attendance, grades, missing assignments, etc. on your school’s platform.