How to Chaperone a High School Dance

As a parent or teacher of high school students, you may find yourself volunteering to chaperone a dance such as Homecoming, Prom, Sadie Hawkins or Winter Formal. Chaperoning may seem a little scary, but the majority of high school students will act appropriately in most situations. In fact, chaperoning a high school dance is a fun, rewarding and interesting experience.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Learn your responsibilities before you arrive at the dance. You may have a station or duty. It is important that you follow your given assignment so that the principal can rely on adult supervision of all areas. You may police behind the bleachers, walk among the students on the floor, check tickets at the door, patrol the bathrooms or watch for alcohol and drug use.
2. Determine in advance if you are expected to stay for all or only part of the dance. If a particular time presents a problem for you, ask to switch hours or duties with other parents or teachers.
3. Learn accepable and non-acceptable high school behaviors at a school dance from those in charge. Watch for non-acceptable behaviors and determine your response by conferring with your colleagues. For example, some schools prohibit kissing on the dance floor; others do not.
4. Make your presence known firmly but gently among the students. An occasional walk past a dancer, accompanied by eye contact and a smile, or a compliment to a girl about her pretty dress will remind students, in a non-threatening way, that adults chaperone their activities.
5. Model respectable behavior. Do not drink before arriving to chaperone a dance or sneak off to the bathroom for a cigarette break. These behaviors send contradictory messages to high school students.

Tips & Warnings

• If you encounter any problem, such as a fight or underage drinking, find a school administrator to assist you.
• Do not hover around the students. Do not stare at students accusingly. Your role as a chaperone is to step in if needed, not to harass the students or assume they are participating in illicit activities.