Presenting...My First Parent Night!

Wow! I am exhausted. I don't know where I found my energy this week...and tomorrow at school I have yet another exciting, epic event that I'll be sure to blog about later as well. I guess I just need to load up on the coffee-and SLEEP!

My first annual parent night was last night, and it was an incredible success.I had about seventy parents and students show up! Allow me to start at the beginning, and detail for you why I think it was such a success...

First, my kids were so pumped about it. They were texting each other left and right, calling their coaches to tell them they would be missing practice, and even tweeting me to verify the time and place!  Some of my kiddos even volunteered their time to stay after school to help set up the cafeteria.

We set up some tablecloths that our school keeps handy for special events, the popcorn machine that we borrowed from NJHS, and even a table with ice water and coffee! We also set out cute little signs reminding people about the popcorn-aren't they adorable?

There's our Twitter #hashtags poster!

We also set out index cards for the parents and the kids to write down a "New Year's Resolution" for science class. These cards were placed in a bucket, and at the end of the evening I drew several names out to win some fantastic NMS Spirit Wear prizes (donated from my awesome principal).

The set up was fantastic! The room looked so festive and inviting-it really made the whole night feel like an "event." I couldn't have done it without the help of my kiddos! They really made the place *sparkle.*

As parents entered, they were greeted by a sign in sheet and a copy of my presentation. They had to write down their email address as they signed in, as I am also sending each parent an electronic copy of all of the games they saw, as well as the presentation.

What did I present, you ask? Well, I began by discussing the units and projects we have coming up in class. I showed several examples and answered questions about my expectations.

Then, I explained how parents could access various tools on my website that would help them "stay on top of" their kiddo. I showed them how to access the online textbook, how to print/view assignments and power points from class, and even how to send me a post it note on our class Wall Wisher. I also elaborated on how I want my students to accept more responsibility in the coming months and take charge of their own learning by contacting me directly (and not going through their mommies and daddies). The parents seemed so relieved to know that this was my expectation-and it made me feel great to see so many smiling, nodding parent faces in the audience as I spoke.

I also presented some tried and true review games and activities-and even had the kids-and the parents- play them! The kids had a blast demonstrating how we play the game, "I Have Who Has" to their families, and it made them chuckle to watch their parents scurry around the room as they played, "Find Someone Who."

The entire night, the kids were the "servers" and the stars of the show. They served popcorn, coffee, and water to their families, and actively participated in the games. They showed off our Twitter #hashtags, and helped pass out the attendance prizes. One boy even said to me, "Can I help with this next year?" And today, another boy mentioned in passing, "Are we doing another parent night soon Miss Evans?"

So why was this night so successful?

BECAUSE THE KIDS WERE EXCITED ABOUT IT!

It was so awesome to see my kids take charge of this night and to convince their parents to come! Sure, I know some parents would have shown up anyway, but I guarantee that the reason 70 plus parents and kids were jammed into that cafeteria was because my kids were excited, eager, and energetic to share their science class (and science teacher) with their families. How awesome is it that eleven and twelve year olds wanted to come back up to school on a Wednesday night to hear study tips from their teacher? I think that's pretty gosh darn impressive. I totally encourage every teacher out there to open yourself up to experiences like this. Don't be afraid. Be bold and take a chance-you never know how awesome the results will be!

I am definitely doing this again next year!