Open House Success Secrets

3 Tips to Rock Your Open House

A Guide for Elementary School Teachers

You’re looking at your calendar and your shoulders tense up when you see that Open House is just around the corner. Your brain is suddenly on overdrive and you’re thinking to yourself “What am I even supposed to display? What are the parents going to think?”

I see you, and I get it. My first Open House I had students rifling through their desks hoping that I had forgotten to collect something that we could display that very same night. Overwhelmed was an understatement.

But that’s not me anymore. What if I told you that preparing for Open House could be stress-free and simple? What if I told you that you can tweak just a few things to make it an impressive display of all your hard work?

These 3 tips will allow you to confidently plan, prepare, and execute a successful Open House that showcases your students’ best work and builds community. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned pro or this is your first rodeo, here are my sure-fire ways to get parents telling you “Wow, this is seriously impressive.”

Tip 1- Plan ahead

Planning ahead is crucial for a successful Open House.

Backwards plan

You’re already an expert at this, so use it to your advantage! My goal is to display at least one work product for each subject that I teach.

About a month before Open House, brainstorm a project or assignment for each subject or concept that you teach that you would like to display.
Note that if students need more than a month to complete a project, it will need to be assigned even earlier.
If projects take up a lot of space, I like to make them due as close to Open House as possible so that they’re not hogging precious classroom real estate for longer than they have to be.
Be specific about which assignments will be completed in class and which assignments will be completed outside of class.
What if Open House is less than a month away already?
- You’ve got this! Apply the same type of backwards planning for however much time you have before Open House whether it be a few days or a couple weeks.

Looking ahead

Create a folder or album of photos and videos on your computer or phone. If you have photos from your previous Open House(s), add them to that folder or album. If you don’t, now is your chance! This year, take photos of all the projects you display as well as the layout of the room. This will save you tons of stress and time when you begin the process of preparing again next year.

Tip 2- Set the tone

Creating a welcoming environment can put everyone at ease, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Music

Create a playlist of your favorite school-appropriate music to play in the background. Don’t have time to curate? Just find an upbeat and cheerful playlist on YouTube, Spotify, or any other streaming service. You can even do this 30 seconds before you open up your door.

Fresh flowers

My mom says this is a must, and though I may have scoffed at the idea in the past, it’s become one of my favorite things! You can purchase them ahead of time or arrange for them to be delivered the day of the event.

Welcome sign

Create a welcome sign with clear instructions for families and place it near the entrance. Include a sign-in sheet to track attendance.

Consider traffic flow and accessibility

Make it easy for people to move around and see the work. Consider how families will interact with student work. For example, if people need to scan QR codes, it would be difficult to get to them if they’re high up or in a corner. Make sure that any writing that is small or multiple pages is at eye level and accessible to touch.

Tip 3- Elevate Your Open House

So you’ve read all of the above, and you’re thinking “What else you got?” Time for a challenge! If you’re looking to go above and beyond, try out some of these ideas:

Variety of work products

Add in some technology and variety to the work products that are displayed. Here are a few categories to consider:

Handwritten vs. typed
Group vs. individual work
Written vs. oral presentation
- Add in videos of students reading their writing out loud with an app like Flipgrid. Print out and display the QR codes so that families can watch the videos.
- If students have created a presentation, have them record audio to accompany the slides. Alternatively, have students screen record while talking and display the QR code to their video.
Assign students to create games, write a script, or do an interview.
3-D creations. Dioramas, makerspace creations, models, etc.

Slideshow

Use the photos and videos you have collected throughout the year. You can upload the photos to a Google Drive album or an album on your computer. Simply choose the “play slideshow” button and you’re good to go! In the settings you can have the slideshow play on a loop so that when it reaches the end, it will just start over again.

Educational Stations

Prepare educational stations for families, including math games, reading games, summer reading challenge information, and community resources. This is a great opportunity for parents to learn more about how to support their students at home. Make sure to include detailed instructions so that the station can function independently without you. Open House is not time for one-on-on conversations or parent-teacher conferences.

Scavenger hunt

Create a scavenger hunt for families to complete while viewing student work at the Open House. Assign each student as a tour guide to show their families around the classroom and explain their work. As an option, you can award extra credit or a prize to students who turn in a completed scavenger hunt.

Post-Open House Survey

Send a survey to families to gather feedback and suggestions for future years.

There you have it! By implementing these ideas, you can easily plan, prepare, and execute a successful Open house that will showcase your students’ work and build a sense of community. And most importantly, you will be able to show off your students’ best work while feeling confident and prepared with no stress.