My Open House (Meet the Teacher) Night really hasn’t changed much from year to year. I still continue to give the same meaningful gifts to the parents of my students… the only difference being the colour of the backdrop that I have my students stand in front of. If you would like to learn more about the gifts I give, you can follow THIS link to see the Open Houses from the past.
So, instead of repeating the same information from past years, I thought it might be a good idea to share with you the context of my presentation to my new parents. Sometimes we get nervous when speaking in front of a group of adults so this checklist might come in handy – especially if you are new to the profession.
1.Introduce Yourself
Make sure to introduce yourself! Talk about your teaching experience (if you have any) or your educational experience if you are new to the profession. This is also a great time to talk about your teaching philosophy and what drew you to the profession. Tell them your likes and interests because those are the foundations for starting relationships with the parents. You don’t need to go into great detail about your life, but providing your parents with a little insight into your personality will make both them and you feel more comfortable in each others company.
2. Discuss the Curriculum
Your parents want to know the ins and outs of the major core curriculum subjects. At my school, the emphasis is placed on English Language Arts, Mathematics, and French. My team members and I give a detailed synopsis of what the curriculum expectations are for each subject and we also talk about the methods we use in our classrooms. The orange papers you see on the tables are detailed pamphlets that come from the administration that clearly outline the specifications for each term in regards to the weighting of marks and evaluation procedures. Also, make sure to let parents know about and government/ state exams that will occur at some point during the academic year. And one key thing to remember when discussing the curriculum… keep it short and easy for everyone to understand! Remember, not all parents are teachers!
3. Discuss Rules, Routines, and Procedures
Use this time to let your parents know the classroom rules, routines, and procedures. My students have a binder with their agendas, homework sheet, spelling words, levelled reading sheets, and study guides so I use this time to explain to the parents how to use the binder to use the binder and its’ contents at home. Our school also has a policy for when students go on vacation during the school year or for when they are picked up from school (either during or at the end of the day). It is very important to remind parents of these important procedures.
4. Completed Professional Evaluations or Medications
I always request that parents send in any professional evaluations that have been completed for their child. These might include speech language pathology, audiology, psychological, neurological, and occupational therapy evaluations. These reports help the teaching team to understand the student and helps us when writing and implementing IEP adaptations/ modifications. These reports are particularly important for allocating special services within our school for those children who qualify. I also ask that parents advise me if their child is taking any long term medications (ex. ADHD medications) which may affect his/ her behaviour. The more information you have, the better able you are to understand and adapt your teaching.
5. Respect Respect Respect
It’s unfortunate that this needs to be discussed but as a teacher with 20 years of experience, I have seen my share of parents behaving badly towards a teacher or administrator. I ask the parents that if they are frustrated or angry with something that has happened, they should email me or place their note in a sealed enveloped addressed to me. Frustrations or worries they may have do not belong in their child’s agenda for him or her (or maybe even a substitute) to read. I also assure them that I will do the same.
This entire process takes me 30 minutes to complete. It is quick, complete, and to the point! I hope this helps you plan your next Open House Night/ Meet the Teacher Night.
Have a great day!
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