Are back-to-school nights worth the effort?

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  Posted by Red Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:28pm PDT

  i rarely attend b2s nites for several reasons - one: they start while i am still at work and end just after i arrive. my daughter is in middle school and racing from class to class trying to catch up is wearing after a long day of work. they don't start at a reasonable time. two: you, and 30 other pairs of parents have about 20 mins to meet with each teacher. it's impossible for a teacher to do that individually...so, they do a brief overview of the class, but you never really get to talk to the teacher. why bother? three: you, 30 pairs of other parents, and 31 students plus syblings all crammed into one room is not my ideal way of spending an evening after a long day of work, from which i had to race so that i can at least squeeze in 3 or 4 of my daughter's classes in out of 7. and lastly: i keep open communication between me and all her teachers via email or phone calls or notes from home. anything i need to know about i probably already do. i prefer to attend parent/teacher conferences. it's at a time that's convenient for me, i'm not racing from class to class (i meet only with her homeroom teacher) and i get to ask whatever questions i need answered on a one-on-one basis. b2s nites are fun for the little ones, but as the children get older, i find conferences are more effective.

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  Posted by tbone64 Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:32pm PDT

  I went to my 13 year old's back to school night (he's a freshman in high school) and my 7 year old's also (second grade). When you go to enough of them, you kind of feel like it's a chore. The basic stuf is the same, as the article states. But, it's also about showing your kids that you really care about their effort in the education that they're receiving, so it definitely is worth the effort.

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  Posted by veronica Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:06am PDT

  My parents stopped going when I was in like 10th grade, and it made absolutely no difference to me. My school was so big that all the parents got lost and only ended up going to maybe 4 out of 9 classes. What my aunt does seems like a better idea - she schedules phone appointments with the important-subject teachers. Do you really care what your child's home ec teacher has to say? Or their gym teacher (unless your child is an athlete). I'm not a parent so I really don't know, but I know that I didn't feel like my parents were any less involved once they stopped wasting their time trying to navigate through my high school for 5 mins of facetime with an irrelevant teacher.

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  Posted by Manic Motherhood™ Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:34am PDT

  I go. But only because it's the best time to get the homework policies.

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  Posted by Tara Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:49am PDT

  My son is a senior this year and back to school nights stink at his school. You sit in the auditorium and listen to a speech directed only to freshman parents and you wonder why in the heck you are there. I want to hear about my son's senior year and what he has going on pertaining to that not the same stuff we have heard over the last 3 years. Also, there was no meeting of the teachers either!

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  Posted by insty Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:12am PDT

  I too dreaded going to curriculum night last week, but was quickly reminded how important it is to stay connected to my 13 year old and his daily routine. In the 9 minutes in each classroom, I had such a better understanding of his classes than what little he has told me about them. The teacher's do have to talk fast, but it was still enough time to see their personality shine (or not) and get a feel for what they are teaching. I would have never gotten that much information from just a few notes sent home on occasion. I wish my parents would have taken more of an interest when I was his age.

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  Posted by fine...whatever... Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:11pm PDT

  i didn't even know the MS and HS did back to school night...we didn't when i was a kid.. i enjoy going to my kids back to school night ( pre-k,2cnd and 5th) to meet teachers and other parents. it may be a hassle but i will continue to go if i can. i go alone though and use a babysitter if i have too. i like to at least say hi to the kids teachers o put a face to the name and pass on my info so we can keep in touch as needed..

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  Posted by Moesha102 Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:20pm PDT

  It's just one night and that's the least you can do to support the education of your child.

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  Posted by Frantastic Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:00pm PDT

  Well I have had my fill. I didn't go. But my husband and I keep close contact with the teachers by email. We have this automated call that we get on a regular basis alerting you to missed days, assignments, or special tests that need devoted study time. That I like. I have a freshman in college student, senior and sophomore in highschool. So you basically listen up for the important stuff. Anything else you can probably pass on.

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  Posted by Veronica Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:06pm PDT

  I have always gone. My big complaint is that Back-to-School Night is only three weeks into the school year, and I just met all the teachers and went classroom to classroom at the school open house at the end of August. I've seen the curriculum, visited the Web pages, copied the grading policies, and spoken to all the teachers. Why go back now? I'd rather go back half way through the grading period when both the teacher and I have a better sense of how the kids are faring.

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