I know it has been a while since my last post, and we have been busy, I have a lot to share. I'd like to start with my open house experience this year. We held a Fall Festival instead of a traditional open house and I think it was a real success.Traditionally open house has taken place in the first few weeks of school and teachers have all been in their individual rooms for parents to come and find. Now many times this means that families come for dinner in the cafeteria and listen to a message from the principal and then go home because teachers are just too hard to find, and being that school just started, there isn't much for the teacher to say that is specific to the student.
Our festival was held after the end of the first quarter. This made it so that I was able to give personalized feedback to all the parents that I met. It was much more meaningful. We opened our campus with hot-dogs on the grill, performances from student groups, and a booth for each department to showcase their highlights. It was so much nicer to be at a booth with my colleagues than alone in my classroom. The setting seemed to be much less intimidating to parents as well because there was a carnival like atmosphere.
So what would I suggest you keep in mind if you are thinking about doing something similar?
- Make sure the traffic flow ensures that the academic booths are between the food and the entertainment, that way you'll be sure to get visitors.
- Come up with carnival games and have each department host a game. This could be a cake walk, or a baseball toss, or bean bag game, just something to add a little fun. This way it's a fun atmosphere for everyone.
- Invite the community. This is a great time for local businesses and organizations to meet and greet the community and it adds value and excitement to your event.
- Recruit - a fun event like this is a great way to get the younger students excited about coming up to your school. Make sure to invite the middle schools.
I'll have another post soon with the other fun things I've been up to, but I wanted to make sure to share this fun event!
