Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the opportunity to meet teachers and hear about their class.
Our school has a lot of people around who help with directions. I think it is fun.

I think it's so stressful. I did not enjoy school and it brings me right back. I don't like seeing other parents at all and actively avoid it unless I can help it.

Thank you teachers for doing this. It's really helpful for my child who struggles and it helps me give her advice.

I appreciate the opportunity to meet teachers and hear about their class.
Our school has a lot of people around who help with directions. I think it is fun.

Anonymous wrote:In our school, we all sit in a classroom, and the teachers come to us. It's much better than the other way around.

That doesn't work in high school or middle school

I just went to one, and was glad I went. My kid has been telling me that certain teachers are monsters, and meeting them, I could understand why. My kid just hasn't encountered these personality types before, and doesn't know how to work with them. Now I can teach them how to do it.

Anonymous wrote:I hate it, but I feel fully obligated to go. My youngest is in 12th. This is my very last BTSN. Judging from the low attendance each year, it seems many parents are skipping out. I already told my youngest I won't be attending his college orientation. I've already been to two of those and I'm done.

Why would parents be attending college orientation? That's for the students, not for the parents. My parents never came to mine. I don't remember anyone's parents going.

I feel obligated to go but I don’t really care to put a face to the name. I have 2 elementary and one in jr high. There is almost zero need to talk to the jr high teachers. If they have important news they can email it to parents but I want my son to handle almost everything on his own and so far that has worked well. I would only need to get involved in some extreme case. I will feel even more detached in high school.

I hate it, but I feel fully obligated to go. My youngest is in 12th. This is my very last BTSN. Judging from the low attendance each year, it seems many parents are skipping out. I already told my youngest I won't be attending his college orientation. I've already been to two of those and I'm done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our school, we all sit in a classroom, and the teachers come to us. It's much better than the other way around.

All students ant your school attend the exact same classes, with the same teachers, in the exact same sequence?

Everyone in the grade takes the same core classes taught by the same teachers, just in a different sequence. So the core teachers come and present, and that covers 80% of the schedule. Then you go the visit the electives/language teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me? I hate running from class to class to sit down for 10 mins, 5 mins spent waiting for people, then the teacher rushes, and on to the next. Yet I go every year because I'd feel guilty not going.

You’re not alone. BTSN at our private HS became quite stressful to me after encountering parents and staff exuding entitlement.

I love BTSN. My oldest is in college now, and except for his pandemic years, I went diligently to put a face to his teachers' names. I do the same for my other kid. Indeed, last year she accompanied me to BTSN because she was happy to show me her school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Find out if there’s a Zoom option.

Oh my god, I wish my school did this via Zoom.

I'm a teacher.

The issue isn't schools being able to do this, its parents being able to handle it. Even on daily zoom meetings there is always some minor issue, try magnifying that 100x.

Our school holds monthly Teams meetings, with typically around 100 parents on the call. Usually there aren't any problems, and if there is one, it's usually resolved within a few min.

I went first year of middle school, then never again. Who cares? Don’t go.

Even the hallway experience of Back to School Night is a nice reminder of what it's like for the kids - i.e., absolutely awful in middle school.

I go out of respect for my kid’s teachers and advisor who have to be there late into the evening even though they already worked the entire day.