Considering the many personal problems these families have, it would be unrealistic to think that they could all attend a planned event with little advance notice. Therefore, I would first send out a welcome letter telling families about myself and the back-to-school event I have planned. Personally, I would opt to have an event for my students and their families that is fun and social. This will help them to relax around me and get to know one another. An example would be an ice cream social or a science game night. Something short and fun would be best for the beginning of the year. I would also let families know that extended family, including small children, are welcome (I would just need an RSVP so I could plan to have enough space). This way, families do not have to worry about leaving children at home or finding an affordable and trustworthy babysitter. In addition, the more people in the family that are there with the student, the greater the feeling of support the student will acquire.
In addition to a back to school night, I would have a class website that is updated regularly. This website would explain which concepts would be contained in each week’s lessons, as well as announce homework, quizzes, and tests. I would also include educational videos for students to watch (and encourage them to watch them with their families) and give extra credit questions on tests about these videos. I would tell parents to please watch the videos with students and help them to understand the content, not only to help their grade but to fuel their interest in the subject matter.
