At my school site, we recently had two very important visitations.
I only made one major change to my classroom: I moved forward the time frame for an art related assignment.
The students created some art-related projects based on a series of short stories we had studied.
The main difference was that my classroom walls were fairly white, not bare but white, before the project.
I borrowed (stole) the idea from a teacher-friend.
His classroom walls are covered with student artwork related to famous works of literature.
Aside from that, I was very pleased not to feel the need to change a thing for the visitations.
I wear a shirt a tie Monday through Thursday, every week of school, and I have since August.
We have a variety of different activities, designed to cover the standards and appeal to different learning styles.
In the past, I have done pretty much the same thing during visitations: try to show what goes on in my classroom, and NOT put on a dog and pony show.
However, I remember one year when I wore a suit on the days of the visitation.
One of my students asked me, "Why are you being fake?" I told that student that if company were coming over your house, most people would clean up.
You would vacuum, and put away anything that was left out.
You might go over some of your home with cleaning products, and check the cleanliness of the bathrooms.
None of that is "being fake", despite that super clean look being the natural state of your home.
You clean up because you want to make a good impression.
Lastly, I told that student that it would be like not taking a shower for five days before going on a date.
Wanting to look and smell nice doesn't mean you're "being fake".
The student seemed satisfied, and I have used that same metaphor ever since when a visitation is coming up.
My observation is that the right comparison or metaphor can often be a powerful way to make your point with teens.
As always, this is like a weather report.
It's just data I'm reporting.
It's on you to decide whether you need to take a jacket out with you, or not.