Parents' Evening !

[weekendwellies]

Is it just me who hates these things?

When they were in primary school it was ok, see 1 teacher who teaches them everything, have a chat and go home.
Secondary school, 10+ teachers most of whom you have no idea of their names or what they teach or how good at their job they are, in a crowded gym or dining room with hundreds of other people all trying to hear and be heard at the same time.

6th form, 6 teachers ~ 2 per subject, never mind General Studies or PHSE, ran out of time for them. Still no idea of their names or what they teach or how good they are at it.
Still in a crowded gym, cant hear or be heard....

And then you have to try to explain that your child is sitting up til silly hours of the night trying to do the work and they still dont 'get it' even after taking extra sessions with said teacher.

And then there is always this one teacher who your child has moaned about since the start of term ~ that teacher's name and subject is engraved on your heart. 'She has lost my essay AGAIN.' 'She came in 30 minutes late AGAIN.' 'She only came in to tell us to research this and then she left 20mins early AGAIN' and you are worked up into a state over talking to this one. Your are ready to draw blood, but thinking calm thoughts, be rational, be sensible.

How to tell a teacher sensitively, that you see they have so many other commitments and wouldn't it be better to let some other teacher take her lessons if she has other things that she needs to attend to. After all, my daughter needs continuity and some semblance of a teacher who is trying very hard to get her to the best she can be for her A levels.


Oh dear, I dont think I did it very well at all, now my daughters upset, and I dont know what to do for the best.

[di]

If there's one teacher in particular that you have problems with then you should make an appointment with the Head to talk about it.If (s)he is scheduled to teach your daughter for an entire lesson yet is only there for a part of it then it needs to be officially documented that this isn't happening,reasons need to be given for why and it's the schools responsibility to ensure that the lesson is being adequately covered.

I always try to remind myself prior to Parents nights that it's not me that has to answer to the teachers but them to me....they're getting paid to give you're daughter the best education they can....it's up to us to enhance that at home and if they're not setting the right foundations you haven't got a chance.xxx

[Two_Sheds]

I sit on the other side of the fence - we find that the parents who really could do with a meeting, don't bother to turn up (and we give them a wide range of appts, up to 9pm).

Talking about being in a big room with everyone talking at once, battling to hear or be heard - it's always like that in class!

[weekendwellies]

I wanted to talk to the teacher in question to get her side of things, and let her know how I felt about the situation, and see if matters improve before going over her head. She is head of her dept, so has other things she has to deal with, I understand that but the reasons why she is not in class are really non of my concern. The head of 6th form saw Rachel was upset, and collared her while I was talking with one of Helen's teachers, so the cat is out of the bag now. I saw head of 6th form and the teacher sitting having a chat later in the evening, so I will have to see what Rachel says when she gets home later about what has gone on today. (If she will tell me )



I know there are teachers on the forum so I would get feedback from some of them too. Its always good to see the other side of things. Rachel's last school used an appointments system, no-one stuck to the times they were given, but at least they had appointments. In this school we queue to see whichever teacher we want to. Which means a lot of standing and chatting to other people in the queue. Highly entertaining, and a good way to meet the new friends and parents.

[jackie j]

This year my daughter's school in their wisdom decided NOT to have parents evening because the last time they did a lot of parents who had appointments didnt bother to turn up. Excuse me but what about the parents who DID bother to sit around, no coffee or tea offered, some parents come straight from work and could do with something.
Now they are going back to the old system whereby the students have to make the appointment with the teacher they THINK their parents want to see. Last time they did this most kids didnt bother, or by the time the student had a lesson with said teacher was told 'sorry I dont have any appointments left.' I used to go and sit and when I saw the teacher was free I jumped on them. If you have younger kids and no one to look after them while you BOTH go it can be a nightmare.

[Two_Sheds]

Of course, if you have concerns you don't have to wait for Parents' Evening. Just phone the school for an appointment. Our teachers hang around at kicking-out time, trying to catch the more evasive parents