Don't get sucked in!
I have always found Parent Night/Open House as a fun way to do a little PR work. There have been reports - shocking, I know - that students are not always honest about the teacher they have. So Parent Night gives you an opportunity to show that you are not the horrible beast that someone's little cherub has described you to be.
However, this is not the night to get into an all-out debate over a student's performance or latest test grade and the validity of your rubric. NO. Tonight you smile, you charm, you are happy to meet everyone (yes, every single parent thrills you to high heaven!) and ecstatic that they showed up.
But you do NOT get sucked into a conversation about someone's specific child. There have been reports - shocking, I know - that some parents do not realize their child is not the center of your universe. "For everything there is an appointed time." So if you find yourself being backed into a corner, I would say something like: "I'm glad you mentioned that. I'd like to speak further about this but we are not allowed to discuss much in detail at this time. Let's set up a time for a conference." Voila! Crisis averted.
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