A Good Impression

Make Sure the Open House Experience Is a Good One

Making a good first impression should be the goal of every teacher. So no matter how your school organizes its open house, there is one sure way to succeed in making a great first impression: plan the event from a parent's point of view.

So, what do parents expect of an open house?

• Parents expect to be greeted at the door with a friendly "welcome" from the teacher.
• Name tags and markers help speed up introductions and enable all in attendance to get to know one another.
• Parents expect the classroom to be clean and orderly; that will signal that their child is learning in a quality environment.
• Parents will be interested in seeing an example or two of their children's work. One year the fifth-grade teachers in one of my schools had students prepare life-sized paper cutouts of themselves. As those cutouts sat at their desks, they were "dressed" in clothes the parents should recognize -- and most did.
• Parents will want to see a display of textbooks and other materials that are being used in the classroom.
• Signup sheets should be available so parents can schedule a one-on-one conference with the teacher; other signup sheets might be available for parents who will be willing to go along on field trips or assist in other ways.
• If allowed, involve the students in the open house. They can answer questions, show how computers are used, and be available to provide other assistance.