Daily Assignment #9: Open House

Aaaahh, Open House.  In the past, I would fear Open House.  I could easily stand in front of a room full of children and be comfortable, but put me in front of a room full of adults and I would have butterflies, my face would turn read, and so on.  It wasn't pretty.

Parents have come to Open House to know about their child's day, what to do for birthdays, how to drop their child off in the morning and pick him/her up at the end of the day, what will parent-teacher communication look like, and the all important, homework schedule.  Having said that, please know, they also want to see you.

Here is a format I used to avoid folks seeing my nervousness, which became a mainstay of my Open House presentations.  A few days before the Open House take photos of the classroom, of the students during meeting time, reading, math, science, social studies, snack time, recess, etc...  Include each child in at least one photo.  (Parents will notice if their child is not in a photo.)  Make a slideshow or a powerpoint presentation of the photos.  For each slide describe what is happening.  Make notecards for yourself, so that you are sure to hit all the important information.

Leave about 15 minutes, at the end, for questions and comments.  If you feel challenged by a question or comment, feel free to say, "I need to think about that and get back to you."  Always think positive intentions.

Providing refreshments helps to make parents feel welcome.

Don't forget to breathe and smile!

Daily Assignment #10 will be on how to handle birthday celebrations

Best Effort,
Linda103