Tips for a Teacher on a Preschool Open House

by Shala Munroe

Preschool can be a stressful time for many parents, who may be sending their children into the care of a teacher for the first time. Teachers can help parents during this transitional period by holding an open house a few days before classes start. An open house gives you an opportunity to meet the parents and your students and allows you to ease parents' fears to get the year off to a positive start. Plan carefully to make your open house run smoothly.


Set up appointment times during open house hours. Although drop-in gatherings can be less stressful for parents because they don't have to arrive at a set time, they can be more stressful for the teacher. Parents tend to arrive in bunches, which can make it difficult for you to spend quality time with each family. Give yourself and the parents time to ask and answer questions during scheduled appointments. This allows you to limit the number of people you interact with during each set time.


Set out activities to keep children occupied as you speak with parents. This also shows parents that you are organized and prepared. Coloring sheets work well and help you evaluate children's crayon-holding skills. Or set up a station for the kids to do a simple craft, such as gluing cut-out apples onto a pre-drawn tree.


Create a presentation to the parents that is formal, such as a five- to 10-minute speech for each scheduled group of parents, or more informal, where you make sure to share certain information with each parent. Sharing individually makes the conversation more personal, but takes longer and means you must repeat yourself with each parent. Giving a quick group overview gives you more time to answer questions about the upcoming year. Hand out packets of information that include a daily schedule, classroom rules, and a list of your volunteer and supply needs. A school calendar showing when the school is closed is an essential document for parents.

Contact Information

During the open house, dismiss your parents by sharing how they should contact you during the year with their questions or concerns. Give them your phone number, if you are comfortable with phone calls, or your email address, if that's your preferred method of communication. Stay away from social media handles; it's usually best to keep parents away from your personal life until you get to know one another. Providing parents with your preferred contact information gives them confidence about leaving their child in your care, knowing they have a way to ask questions or address concerns as they come up.

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