Open House or Meet the Teacher?
Posted by Sharon M. Tresino on 27 Aug 2009 | Posted in: Classroom Routines, Teachers and Teaching
As I drove to work one day last week, I passed an elementary school with a sign out front signaling that open house was scheduled for that afternoon. It caught me by surprise because school has not yet started here. I always thought of open house taking place a few weeks into the school year. It was a time for parents to visit the classroom, ask questions, and learn about routines and the curriculum for that grade. So I figured that the open house I saw advertised was probably what I would have thought of as Meet the Teacher Day—a chance for the kids to meet their teachers before school starts. I brought this up to a few of my coworkers and we all seemed to have had different experiences. That’s why I’ve decided to ask you: do you have both events at your school? And what do you call them? I’m curious!
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57 Responses to “Open House or Meet the Teacher?”
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More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 » Show All Comments
I teach two sessions of Special Education preschool which is comprised of 3,4,5 year olds with developmental delays, integrated with two peer models (typically developing)in each session in a K-6 public school. Our school population is over 51% free and reduced lunch. Our back to school night is a free BBQ where school supplies and backpacks are provided as needed, along with special prizes. A half hour into the BBQ, classrooms are open for an hour for parents and students to drop off their supplies or get their supplies and to meet the teacher. I sent out post cards to each of my students inviting their family to come. In the classroom I took a family picture of each child with their “family” (all persons who showed up with the child). I had their name on an apple taped to their cubby. I invited the child to find their name on the apple then take in to our tree on the wall at circle time area and put it any where on the tree that they would like. In the child’s cubby I had a “Survival Guide” and all forms that needed to be signed and returned. With the child busy at a number of stations set up around the room I was able to speak with each parent about specifics and answer questions. Some filled out the paper work then and some played with their child at the various stations. This was our third year to have this for our parents. In my class,14 out of my 18 families came. School wide - 700 hot dogs were donated, 40 were left! It was fantastically received! In the fall we have conferences at school and in the spring we go to each child’s home for a visit.
We just had our Open House and I don’t feel it was that successful because it was so early. Our students just started the week before and we met and talk to all our parents then. So the marjority of them didn’t attend the Open House. I feel we need time to get to know our students and have them do some art work or other work to have on display for the parents to see. I know as a parent this is what I enjoyed when going to the school.
My school does a meet the teacher or Orientation a week before school starts. We don’t do an open house until the spring.
I teach at a church preschool and we have an Open House about a week before school starts. My co -worker and I send out letters to the parents inviting them to come see their child’s classroom, meet the teacher, and hear about what activities or parties that are planned for the year. We also have a sign in sheet and another sign up sheet to volunteer to be a Room Mom or just to help with one or two parties. It is usually well received if you tell them they can sign up with one other Mother who has volunteered to help. We also allow the parents to ask any questions at that time and hopefully put them at ease by our answers. The transition of coming in the first day of school sometimes goes a lot smoother for the child and parent when they attend our Open House. Everyone has met.
Our elementary does a lot! In mid-August our school has two registration days when parents can bring in all the completed forms that had been mailed home a week or so earlier, pay fees, sign up for PTA membership, etc. We also have school pictures taken that day. A week before school starts class lists are posted and many teachers send home a “Welcome to my class” letter or postcard. Almost all the teachers offer a time or two during the in-service days prior to school starting for students and their parents to bring in school supplies, find their new classroom and meet the teacher. About three days after school starts parents are invited to a “Talk-in” where the classroom teacher talks with just the parents of his/her class to explain routines, schedules, curriculum and other housekeeping details. Then about 5-6 weeks in to the school year we have an “Open House”. The PTA sponsors a picnic, we have a theme basket raffle and classrooms are open for families to visit.
Our school district has a set open house date where parents come in with their children to view the classroom, sign up for conferences, meet the teacher, etc. We also have a few hours that are available to parents before school starts (while teachers are in-service) where students can be brought in to see their classrooms.
At our elementary school we have had our Open House the week before school starts the last 2 years. Our staff decided it would be beneficial for our families, especially the Kindergartners and First Graders. It seems to help for them to know their teacher and where their room is before school starts.
We have both events! Visiting Day is held the day before school starts - families are assigned times to meet the teacher, plus they can make deposits for school breakfast/lunch, drop off medical info/supplies at the nurse, sign up for community partnership programs, walk around the school, and have their child practice getting on and off the bus. Open House is held in the evening a few weeks into the school year, when families can see what their children have been doing in school and can also walk around the building.
We just had our Open House for our preschool program at chruch. It was very successful. All the parents and children came to meet the teachers and visit in the rooms. We had ours from 9-12 in the morning and it was a come and go. That gives parents some freedom to come at a time in the morning that is best for them. We find parents can meet each other, ask the teacher questions about curriculum and class management, etc. This is our fourth year to have an Open House and we will continue having them the Thursday before school begins.
I send out email to all our families two weeks before to remind parents about immunization records,
ask them to bring updated, addresses and phone numbers and remind them to be prepared to review paperwork for completeness with my Admin Assistant.
We hold an Open House injunction with our elementary building. We begin the evening at the elementary with the PTO providing hotdogs, chips, drinks, cookies for everyone; after introductions of staff we go to our preschool center. My classroom is a preschool intervention classroom. This year our them is “Swinging into Preschool”, using monkeys to introduce to the children in making good choices.
We had “Back to School Night” after the second day of school. I teach in a middle school so I don’t think as many parents come as in an elementary school. I thought it was too soon. I didn’t know the kids at all yet and when a parent would share information on their student I couldn’t even picture who they were talking about.
I have an open house night for our preschool and childcare for new and veteran families to come, meet each other and take care of new procedures and questions. Our biggest issue last year was our pick up and drop off line, so we made sure to enforce our policies very strongly at the open house, and had a much easier time when classes began! This is also a great time to touch base on any paperwork they may have missed like calendars, handbooks, or immunization records. It also gives parents an opportunity to drop off supplies instead of during the first day craziness! The children get to find their names, bathrooms, and the parents have time to meet with the teachers one on one. It really helped our first day of school go much more smoothly than last year.