Meet the Parents, by Dr. Jillian N. Lederhouse

Do you dread your school's Curriculum Night? Here's how to make the best of it – both for you and the parents

I have just attended my last of 39 curriculum nights as a parent of three children. This milestone caused me to reflect not only on those Curriculum Nights in the past, but also those I led myself as an elementary teacher. As a 21-year-old white teacher at an urban school during racially tense times, my first curriculum night was marked by an enormous sense of responsibility. When I looked over the sea of parents wedged into primary-sized desks that early fall evening, I began, "Thank you for entrusting me with your child. I'll do everything I can to live up to that trust."

I'm sure that my age and cultural background highlighted the risk those parents took by leaving their kids with me some 30 hours each week for 38 weeks. However, every parent shares those same concerns, no matter how homogeneous the community or how experienced the teacher. As a parent, 39 Curriculum Nights have introduced me to 18 elementary, 54 middle school and 84 high school teachers. Those nights have also entailed filling out countless name tags, navigating miles of hallway and listening to over 130 sessions where teachers attempted to condense their yearlong courses of study into ten minutes.

Meeting halfway.
Occasionally my own children were taught by teachers who served as mentors to my education students. I saw veterans who were lions of self-confidence with children transform into lambs of reticence when addressing those very same children's parents. Curriculum Night is far more rushed and ambitious than any lesson delivered during the school day. Since the outcome is less predictable than classroom interaction, few educators are as comfortable in one setting as the other.

While some teachers handle the challenge of introducing themselves and their learning goals effectively, others seem to miss the mark. Parents come with one set of expectations while teachers may see the evening's purposes differently. Speaking as a parent and educator, here are a few insights on how to help meet parents' concerns.

Keep it simple.
Teachers sometimes articulate goals on Curriculum Night that parents are not eager to hear, such as "preparing students for the next grade level." This goal is particularly tempting to formulate in kindergarten, fifth or eighth grade. Focusing on the future tells parents nothing of the rich experiences you'll provide for their kids right now. I've never wanted the looming responsibilities of next year's curriculum to overshadow the learning opportunities my child should be having at the present time. Next year will take care of itself if a teacher provides a full, developmentally appropriate subject matter today – no matter whether the next year involves first grade, middle school, high school or college.

Another ill-received goal is "helping your child do well on state achievement tests." This is a school goal rather than a student goal. The task of meeting state standards is primarily a professional, not parental, concern. While I am sympathetic to the significant pressures schools face in light of recent federal legislation, I see school accountability as secondary to my individual child's learning. I want my child to love reading, not perform well on multiple-choice comprehension questions.

Here are three simple statements that parents are eager to hear from their child's teacher.

I care about your child.
You may communicate this by saying you love sixth graders or that this year's class is wonderful. In any case, you need to give some indication that you really enjoy working with children or young adolescents and are genuinely concerned about them.

I love what I teach.
My child will be in your class several hours a week 30-some weeks a year. He or she deserves to see your passion about science, literature, history, etc. Your devotion to your discipline may influence him or her to become a scientist, author or artist. Every child deserves to see your joy in what you study. Parents also need to glimpse this enthusiasm when you discuss your curriculum with them.

Your child is going to love my class.
If my eighth grade daughter learns to love science, she'll be eager, not just ready, for high school science. If my seventh grade son gets excited about history, he'll be more than ready for next year's test on the U.S. Constitution. Although all students in your classes may not become Spanish, music or math majors, your teaching goal should be to win every one of them over.

My best high school teacher convinced me that nothing was more fascinating than algebra. Every school day, my friends and I were spellbound in her math class. Her rigorous assignments were never drudgery because she made us believe in the wonder of her beloved world of algebra. Few of us became math majors, but we all caught her passion and appreciated her subject deeply.

Elementary teachers need to be just as invested in this goal as secondary teachers because they introduce students to all of these disciplines. Children need to explore the roles of author and mathematician in order to develop the skills and confidence to pursue them in greater depth at the secondary level.

Although I heard these three simple statements from several of my children's teachers, I wish I had heard them from every one. No matter how many sessions I attended, if I heard those words, Curriculum Night was a wonderful experience. I know that yours will be, too.

Dr. Jillian Lederhouse is Associate Professor of Education and Elementary/Middle Grade Education Coordinator at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL.