I've been to more than my fair share of parents' evenings over the years and I can honestly say I can count on one hand the ones that have been of any use.
When my children were in primary school it was quite a novelty to sit and listen to how well they were doing and what a lovely little child they were, but it gets boring after a while. Don't get me wrong, they've not all been little angels, no1son was a definite underachiever and there were a few heated exchanges, but even that gets old after a while.
The older three went to a secondary that had the organisation and delivery of parent's evening pretty well sussed.
Appointments were made by the child with the teacher, parents turned up, all the teachers were in the same place and you moved between the tables quickly, sticking to schedules as much as possible but there was also the opportunity to grab a seat when it became empty and the whole thing could be completed in about 45 minutes.
The younger three go to a school that think this model is impossible and look at me as though I've grown a second head when I suggest they try.
What you do is log on to an online system, book appointments with teachers, allowing yourself a reasonable time between each, then turn up to find they are scattered throughout the entire school. A good thirty minutes is wasted walking backwards and forwards around the school, and if you turn up without your child you run the risk of getting lost - or not being able to identify which teacher is the one you need to speak to out of a row of four because they don't put name labels on their desks.
And don't get me started on how late they run!
The last one took up the best part of two hours. I got really annoyed at being made late. I got really stressed trying to work out where the teachers were. And then I felt like it had all been a waste of time as nobody told me anything I didn't already know.
I've just received a reminder that I haven't booked any appointments, and an email from one teacher who would very much like to speak to me to tell me how well daughter is doing and what she can do to improve.
Am I wrong in thinking that it would be better for her to tell daughter rather than me?
I've bowed out , blaming work hours and lack of time. But I'm concious that this just makes me look bad. I actually wanted to say "I really don't want to come as these things cause me a great deal of stress and anxiety and I get increasingly annoyed by the teachers throughout the evening" but I didn't .
Any teachers amongst you care to give their input? How badly do you view the lazy parents that don't turn up for parents' evenings?
Any parents want to confess that they hate them too? Or just feel free to tell me I'm feckless.
When my children were in primary school it was quite a novelty to sit and listen to how well they were doing and what a lovely little child they were, but it gets boring after a while. Don't get me wrong, they've not all been little angels, no1son was a definite underachiever and there were a few heated exchanges, but even that gets old after a while.
The older three went to a secondary that had the organisation and delivery of parent's evening pretty well sussed.
Appointments were made by the child with the teacher, parents turned up, all the teachers were in the same place and you moved between the tables quickly, sticking to schedules as much as possible but there was also the opportunity to grab a seat when it became empty and the whole thing could be completed in about 45 minutes.
The younger three go to a school that think this model is impossible and look at me as though I've grown a second head when I suggest they try.
What you do is log on to an online system, book appointments with teachers, allowing yourself a reasonable time between each, then turn up to find they are scattered throughout the entire school. A good thirty minutes is wasted walking backwards and forwards around the school, and if you turn up without your child you run the risk of getting lost - or not being able to identify which teacher is the one you need to speak to out of a row of four because they don't put name labels on their desks.
And don't get me started on how late they run!
The last one took up the best part of two hours. I got really annoyed at being made late. I got really stressed trying to work out where the teachers were. And then I felt like it had all been a waste of time as nobody told me anything I didn't already know.
I've just received a reminder that I haven't booked any appointments, and an email from one teacher who would very much like to speak to me to tell me how well daughter is doing and what she can do to improve.
Am I wrong in thinking that it would be better for her to tell daughter rather than me?
I've bowed out , blaming work hours and lack of time. But I'm concious that this just makes me look bad. I actually wanted to say "I really don't want to come as these things cause me a great deal of stress and anxiety and I get increasingly annoyed by the teachers throughout the evening" but I didn't .
Any teachers amongst you care to give their input? How badly do you view the lazy parents that don't turn up for parents' evenings?
Any parents want to confess that they hate them too? Or just feel free to tell me I'm feckless.
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then looked at her notes to see what she could say about her.
