The Parent Becomes the Student at Curriculum Nights

Each year Great Hearts parents have an opportunity to take over their child’s seat in class to get a comprehensive understanding of a typical school day during Curriculum Night. These events, designed for current Great Hearts parents, are scheduled in the fall within the first few weeks of school.

“Curriculum Night is a time when parents can hear about the school’s yearly thematic goal from the headmaster and can spend time in their student’s classroom hearing from their teacher about classroom procedures, the curriculum, and ways that they can best support their student,” said Leanne Fawcett, Great Hearts Arizona Executive Director of Lower Schools.

For our lower schools, Curriculum Night is designed to be more than just a presentation of the curriculum. “In some cases, the teacher will teach a mini lesson to give parents a view into the ways that they approach the curriculum with the scholars,” said Fawcett. “It’s a great time to get to know the teacher better and to connect with other parents at the same time.”

It’s kind of fun to squeeze into small chairs and desks to get a view of the classroom from your child’s perspective. Parents get acquainted with their child’s teachers, classroom procedures, the academy’s curriculum, and specific grade-level curriculum maps. Singapore Math, Spalding Phonics, and other resources are typically shared to equip parents with the vocabulary and tools necessary to best support their child at home. Teachers introduce themselves and it’s a great time to learn a bit more about them and their communication style. Throughout the evening, parents have the opportunity to ask questions about things like homework expectations and how tests or quizzes are administered.

Curriculum Night looks a little bit different for upper school parents. Instead of spending the evening in one classroom with the same teacher and/or teaching team, parents typically receive their child’s schedule and a map and get to go from class to class, spending about 10 minutes inside each one. Once the bell rings, the school hallways fill with parents making their way to the next class. A little bit of light-hearted panic can be seen on faces as they navigate the school, hoping not to be that one parent that is late to the next class. It’s a great reminder of our own time in high school hallways.

As with the lower school Curriculum Night, this provides parents with a great perspective of the rhythm of each class, as well as getting to meet each teacher and get a mini lesson based on the subject matter. Foreign Language classes can always be an eye-opener for parents as they are typically taught in the language from start to finish with very little instruction in English.  Many parents have a love-hate relationship with art, music, and drama classes, as they are forced out of their shells during the demonstrations. But there is really nothing to fear, as the class times go fast and many are “saved by the bell.”

Academies had record turnouts for these events this year. For many, it was a valuable time of getting to know teachers, other parents, and engaging in meaningful dialogues about homework, tests, and challenges. It’s always a highlight for administrators to get to watch parents engage as learners in the classroom, experiencing a glimpse of what students do every day. It is a good reminder of the strong partnership it takes between the school and parents to successfully support our scholars’ education.

If you missed Curriculum Night this year, check with your school to find out when the next one is scheduled. If your child is not currently enrolled, ask about Info Night coming up in November.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jason.moore@greathearts.org.