If I was to hold a teacher's evening at a book shop, when is the best time to have it?

Question

I am the manager of a remainders bookshop that also sells art materials, children's activites, paper, paint, etc and wanted to hold a teacher's evening. I was going to send out a letter to all schools in the area detailing all the things we sell (people often think we only sell books) and the prices and then hold an evening for teachers.
When would be the best time over the next month or two to hold it as far as school holidays (UK), teachers needing materials, etc?Any other tips to make it successful would be great!
Thanks

Answer 1

6.30pm would be a good time because if there's a staff meeting on, it will be over by then and there's still time to get home. Also teachers don't normally get out of school till around 5.30pm.

If you advertise that there'll be refreshments, that will help!

After the February half term would be good when teachers feel more refreshed, but definitely not too near the Easter holidays when teachers are seriously flagging!!

Would you be able to do a small discount on orders over a certain amount?

When you send out the invites, it might be a good idea to ask for it to be mentioned in the staff meeting, that way people can ask one another if they'll go....no one really likes to go alone!


Also, as it will be near the end of the tax year, teachers have money left in their budgets that they must use up before then otherwise they might not get allocated as much the next time round!

Good luck, have a successful evening!

Answer 2

Donna M said teachers don't usually go out and buy their own supplies.

WRONG!

I spend way too much money on my classroom, but many of the ways to get supplies take waay too much time. For example, I ordered textbooks for my class in September. They just arrived at the school LAST WEEK! Department budgets are not generous enough to allow for special lessons that require anything more than paper markers scissors and glue.

To answer your question, maybe from 5-7.... not too late, but not too early, either. I'd go with a Tuesday, Weds, or Thurs. night.

I live in the US, so I can't vouch for holiday times, but right now, we're in the middle of finals, so the new semester starts next week. It's a great time to look at supplies for the new semester.

Answer 3

Donna M is obviously not a teacher as any one who is knows teachers supplement the resources of the school with their own books and resources, paying for them with their hard earned money.
I think a teacher's evening is a fantastic idea. I would go to it. I think you should avoid holiday times as teachers are quite protective of their holiday time. An evening event would be good especially if the schools were given plenty of notice. Avoid busy times such as christmas as schools are pretty frantic.

You might also consider putting a package together that you could take into schools, teacher's time is at a premium!

offer food and wine (all the teachers I know like wine!)

Answer 4

Teachers don't generally go out and buy materials themselves, so I can't really see the point of you holding a special evening for them

Schools, who are always on a very limited budget, will buy in bulk, and I very much doubt you could beat the prices they pay.

Thecat - what shite, sorry. Teachers do not buy things with their own money (if they do they are reimbursed) and neither should they.

Oh, and no - I am not a teacher. I have manners, an education and quite like children, so not suited to that profession at all.

Answer 5

anytime but not Friday evening...Saturday morning and serve breakfast is used by Office Depot along with prizes...to the person who said that teachers do not spend their own money-I have spent about $25,000 of my own money for supplies and materials for use in the classroom...with receipts to prove it