Open House

(c)2016 Douglas W Davis

My school’s annual Open House is set to start in 20 minutes. Open House is scheduled to last 2 hours. Teachers in my grade level were not required to be at work today until noon since we will be here past 7 p.m. tonight.

I got here at 9:30 a.m. The Science teacher on my team was already here when I got here. The Language Arts teacher showed up shortly after I did and the Social Studies teacher followed closely on her heels. As far as I know, all the teachers who are working Open House tonight were here at least 90 minutes before our assigned time.

The time was used wisely. Last minute cleaning, poster hanging, and list writing were among the many activities taking place. Myself, I prepared sign-in sheets for each teacher on my team. I also had time to prepare an information sheet we will hand out on the first day of school.

Now the rooms are ready, the teachers are ready, the handouts are ready, and all we need is for the students and their parents to arrive.

2+ hours later and Open House is winding down. The traffic was steady over the course of the event. 24 of my 28 students had at least 1 parent show up and sign in. 6/7 is a fair ratio for a 7^th Grade Open House.

Having 24 parents attend means I should also have 24 parents whose students should show up with the correct notebooks, pens, pencils, and other items the first day of school. At least I can hope so.

I also had visits from several of my former students, one of whom was in tears because I’d taught her in 6^th Grade and 7^th but hadn’t moved up to 8^th Grade with her.

That young lady was an extreme example. Most of my former students just wanted to stop by and say hello. It is always good to see them.

I find the first 90 minutes of Open House goes by quickly because of the number of people coming by the classroom. The last 30 minutes, as you wait for the clock to move while the few stragglers find their way to your classroom, can be agonizing. But eventually the final minute ticks away and we teachers can turn off our lights, lock our doors, and look forward to another workday full of meetings, and one last weekend yet to enjoy, before the students come and fill our classrooms as another school year gets underway.

As always, I remain,

The Exhausted Educator