It is October, and that means half-term is coming. But before we reach that joy, we must all endure open evening.

Attitudes towards open evening vary, depending on whether you are over- or under-subscribed. For some schools, open evening is merely a chance for showing off. In others, they have the “redundancies chat” before anyone has even started putting the displays up.

Last year, I wrote a blog about tried and tested open evening activities. What I’m thinking about in this article is the division of labour.

We have to do it, but in your school is the jobs list put together fairly? Here’s how I think the work should be shared out.

1. All jobs are equal...

If some members of staff seem to be getting off lightly or not participating or (most irritatingly) leaving earlier or arriving later than others, then this can make others resentful.

Transparency is key. If people are deliberately being given lighter duties because they’re completing other comparable tasks, then be open about it. Cut the whispering and second-guessing out, and give a clear account of the jobs that need to be done.

Equally, don’t make work for the sake of it. If you don’t need everyone putting in hours of extra preparation for the evening, do not invent jobs for people to do in same misguided attempt to “even it out”.

2. Classroom wars

In most schools, there will be time given over to “sorting your classrooms out”. If you hear people sniping about the state of their colleagues’ classrooms, then get up and walk away.

Some people like living in a bit of chaos. Unless you’re their line manager and you need to raise it as part of your concerns about their performance, then let it go.

I once worked with a woman who used open evening as an excuse to go into our colleague’s room and empty the drawers of his desk out on to the floor. Never look at what your colleagues are doing when it comes to tidiness. We all have our own standards.

3. Introverted, extroverted - we all have a part to play

I’m a natural extrovert, and I don’t mind speaking to strangers, and really enjoy the chatting part of open evening.

My introverted colleague hates open evenings. He freezes at the thought of speaking to strangers, and spends most of the night with his hands sweating and a dry throat.

It’s no good saying to people, “You just have to get on with it.” If you know people are uncomfortable about speaking to parents, you have two choices: give them a behind-the-scenes role where they don’t have to do it, or give them the tools to be able to deal with the night. This could be a script, or pair them with another teacher who they can refer to if they feel overwhelmed.

Grainne Hallahan has been teaching English in Essex for 10 years. She is part of the #TeamEnglish Twitter group