Tips for Prom Night Teacher Chaperones

There are several ways that teachers and administrators can make sure prom night is safe and enjoyable for all involved.

Prom is an exciting event that is celebrated by teenagers all over the country. Typically, many months of planning and fundraising lead up to the big night. Girls search for the perfect dress, get their hair done, and eagerly await the arrival of their dates at their doors. There is usually plenty of laughter, picture taking, and fun.

However, in the midst of the celebration there is always the possibility of trouble. This is why good chaperoning is so important for prom night. Prom chaperones usually consists of several different categories of people. These may or may not include parents, teachers, administrators, and security. In order for a prom to be safely successful, it is imperative that there are plenty of chaperones to cover this exciting night. Unfortunately, teens will be teens. They like to push the limit as far as they can. There will always be some teens who simply refuse to abide by the rules. In fact, some young people feel that rules were put in place to be broken! When you put several of these types of teenagers together, they can come up with quite a lot of mischief. Some of it may be innocent, but some of the mischief can also be dangerous. Teachers make excellent chaperones because they have the advantage of knowing a good percentage of the students who attend the prom. They know what they are capable, and they usually know which students need to be closely monitored. While parents are usually welcome to chaperone this yearly event, they typically only know a small percentage of the student body. Their presence should only be used in addition to faculty and administration supervision.

Chaperones should each be given a certain area in the building or outside of the building to be responsible for. How many chaperones a school will need really depends on the size of the building that will host the prom, the amount of students that will be there, and the length of time that the prom will last. Some schools actually run shifts for chaperones, and if a faculty is large enough and has enough volunteering teachers, this might work well. Other schools use only a few faculty members, such as class sponsors and prom committee heads to chaperone the event. Whatever method is used, each chaperone should have a specific duty.

Dark areas and unused rooms are havens for teens looking for alternate fun that is away from the action of the dance floor. These areas should be monitored so closely that the students are not tempted to make use of them at all. It is also a good idea to have one or two faculty members stroll around the dance floor occasionally, especially if it appears that something suspicious might be occurring in the midst of a group. Teenagers should not be allowed to stroll in and out of the building at their leisure.

Basically, a good rule to have would be that once a teen is in the building, they cannot leave unless they are leaving for good. This will eliminate any untoward activity that might occur in the parking lot, and it might prevent teens from leaving the prom to drink and then driving intoxicated back to the party. The parking lot needs to be well-monitored also, and while faculty can chaperone this area as well, it is a good idea to hire security, such as off-duty policemen, to help patrol the area. If a fight were to break out, these security officers will be much better equipped to handle the situation.

Finally, as the prom draws to an end, there should be several chaperones at the door to ensure that the teens leave the building in an orderly manner. If a chaperone suspects that a teen is intoxicated, that chaperone should detain the teen and contact the parents immediately. Once it appears that everyone has left the building, chaperones should check every area to be certain that nobody has been left behind. Also, the parking lot should be well-monitored at the end of the evening. Security personnel and faculty can stand in the parking lot to make sure that teens drive safely away from the area.

A high school prom is one of the highlights of many teenagers’ lives. However, it is important that chaperones do their best to make sure that the teens have a safe and enjoyable evening.

Author: Susie McGee

About Author: Susie McGee is a mother of four, ages one to eighteen. She has a Masters of Arts degree in education and English, and she is the contributing editor to the Garden and Hearth's "Toddlers to Teens" website. She has written and sold over 170 articles.