Open House Doesn't Have to be A Lot of Work!

updated August 25, 2009

Wow, it's been quite a while since I've added a whole new page to my website! Most of my time has been spent updating my school eBoard and I've kind of neglected my teacher-oriented website. Luckily, lots of you out there continue to visit it!

Many teachers, myself included, spend at least part of their summers thinking ahead to September. On my website, you'll find pages devoted to getting ready for school as well as the first day of school, and I thought it might be time to write about Back to School Night, also known as Open House. In my school, it happens somewhere within the first three weeks of school. Some years it's been on the fourth or fifth day (yikes!) and other years it's closer to October. In any event, it's an evening for parents only. Parents are invited to join the principal in the auditorium for a brief presentation and then they visit their child's classroom. We teachers are no longer required to attend the general meeting, so we just wait in our classrooms, doing last minute preparations, until we hear the hurried footsteps outside our classroom, and then it's showtime!

Before the parents come cascading down the halls, I make sure the student desks are ready. On each desk is a Back to School Night booklet that I've prepared, which outlines our curriculum highlights, some procedural reminders and a copy of our daily schedule. Also on the desk is a piece of paper (sometimes a colorful shaped note) on which parents are encouraged to jot something down for their child to read in the morning. If a parent does not come, I write a quick note myself after everyone has left. Also on the desk is a letter sized envelope which holds a homemade puzzle made by their child. This is a SUPER EASY back-to-school-night activity for the children to do. Essentially it's a paper with the banner WELCOME across the top and one line drawn across the paper and two lines going down. The children draw a picture (ignoring the lines) and then cut on the lines, giving them six rectangular puzzle pieces. They try assembling it themselves before placing it in the envelope for their families. I know many teachers involve the students in complicated and showy projects to have on display during the evening - I prefer to do this simple activity. Of course, the room's bulletin boards are filled with student work, and the classroom is a warm and inviting place. I just don't see the need to spend a lot of school time preparing for this evening.

Also on the desk is a checklist of jobs that each family needs to complete during the evening. If their children have to work when they come to school, then so should they! Before Back to School Night, I send home an invitation to the parents, letting them know the date and time and asking them to come prepared to contribute $20 to our class fund (almost everyone does in our district). This money is used to fund our class parties and any other special projects that we do during the year. I also ask them to sign up for a fall parent-teacher conference appointment and any BEAR reading dates that they wish to volunteer for. BEAR reading is our guided reading time. Three times a week I like to have a parent volunteer in while I'm meeting with guided reading groups, to help answer questions and manage centers. In addition, I collect $5.00 from each family to use in the developing of the digital photos I'll take all year. We'll use those photos to create an awesome First Grade Memory book in June. All of these sign-up sheets are located at the two tables in my room, and as parents enter, I encourage them to find their child's desk and to visit the tables and check off their names as they sign up and contribute. Many teachers in my district have sign up sheets for parties and field trips; I find this too confusing and chaotic and I have my class PTO representative arrange for volunteers as needed, using the completed volunteer sign-up sheets that I send out the first day of school.

As parents begin entering the classroom, I stand at the door greeting and welcoming them. I give them about 10 minutes to find their child's desk and complete the list of "jobs." Then I flick the lights (that always gets a laugh) and tell them that their child knows what to do when the lights go out - do they? I laughingly direct them to take the chair at their child's desk and then I'm on! In this age of PowerPoint and other techno-presentations, I may seem a little behind the times. I've thought many times about putting together a presentation, but I always seem to conclude that an informal discussion suits my style best. They'll get plenty of PowerPoints as the years go on! I prefer to stand before the crowd and just talk - no different than when I'm with their children! I always introduce myself first and then we quickly go around the room, each parent saying their name as well as the name of their child. I find some parents have heard their own child speak of a classmate and may want to introduce themselves to Johnny or Janie's mother after the presentation.

Then it's time for the Mrs. Tonnessen show! Seriously, I simply speak to the crowd in a straightforward manner, essentially outlining what we do each day and describing some of our special events and curriculum highlights. I try to sprinkle the "speech" with as much humor as possible and over the years I've become a much more confident and relaxed speaker. That's not to say I don't get nervous - I'm just less likely to LOOK nervous! I usually try to focus on those parents in the audience who seem to be "with" me - that is, they are nodding their heads, smiling and involved. Looking at them while I'm speaking gives me the encouragement I need. I probably speak for about 20 minutes or so, and it goes by amazingly fast! At the end, I introduce our PTO representative, who has usually been instructed by the PTO to say a few words and mention some upcoming volunteer opportunities. Then I open the floor to any questions (although the parents are certainly welcome to ask questions at any point). Then they are "dismissed," and although this evening is not supposed to be a forum for addressing individual concerns, many parents come up to me with questions, such as the often-heard "So,how's my child doing?" I give a general answer, as I don't wish to have a conference, and encourage them to schedule a meeting with me at another time if they have any concerns.

My principal almost always makes an announcement at the end of the evening, thanking everyone for attending, and it's a signal that it's time for parents to leave. By that time (sometimes close to 9:00), I'm ready to leave, since the evening began at 7:00. I do my best to gently guide any stragglers toward the door, and I head home for what always seems like a short nap before having to come to school the following morning to teach! I do, however, enjoy the children's reactions as I read the notes their families have written, and I always tell them how "challenging" their puzzles were for their families! Then we're onto the next activity - whatever that may be!

Back Home Parent Volunteers in the Classroom! Graphics by Cute Colors