Open House

Think about when you attended school. We remember failures and successes, fights and friends, discouragement and encouragement. We carry much of that with us all our lives. Our perceptions of those days are challenged when we return as teachers or parents. For me, the hallways seem smaller. The days are longer, occasionally frustrating, and usually more interesting. I'm quite certain the chairs and desks are smaller. As a student I thought I understood schools and education pretty well. I brought that perspective and those prejudices with me when I started teaching. But it looks very different on the other side of the desk.

As I prepare for open house, I know that each of the parents I meet will see something at least a little different (and possibly very different) than what I see. I know that only a small percentage of parents are likely to attend, but I also know there are many reasons why a parent might not be able to attend on that night. Most important, I believe that the parents and I share at least this in common: we want what is best for the students.

On a campus as large as ours, parents may spend more time walking around looking for classrooms than they do in those classrooms. I'll have a few minutes to give an overview of the class and then send them off to the next. I'll get requests for information outside the scope and intent of open house and I'll counter with a request that we meet later or follow up on e-mail or telephone. And when it's over I'll wonder whether it was a satisfying and beneficial experience for the parents. I can't know what their perception of school was before they came in, but I can do a little to inform their opinions tomorrow.