Ten parents evenings a year - this is fucking stupid!

[10istoomany]

It's infuriating because the logistics it causes me in childcare is horrendous, but aside from which it is surely not reasonable?

The problem is that the PE doesn't technically start until 4:30 and goes on until 6:30, so two hours, but there's an hour and a half of trapped time in there.

[dementedpixie]

10! Are you a secondary school teacher? Is that 2 a year for each age group?

[10istoomany]

Yes, that's exactly it!

[olivo]

Is it in place of reports? I would prefer this to the hours and hours spent writing reports, but the logistics for younger children are hideous!

[dementedpixie]

We get tracking reports which are just essentially box ticking with no written comments. I think we only get 1 parents night in secondary whereas at primary we had 2

[Lenny1987]

I'm going back to work after maternity in June in secondary teaching and this does worry me. I sympathise, as I know we have even more. 7 year groups, all have one, 2 each for both sixth form years, a year 7 social parents evening, at least 2 pastoral parents evenings a year. All start at 5, meant to end at 8 but never do.
That's before we go down the each year group gets a report a term, and prixegivings etc.

[MsRabbitRocks]

I’m Secondary and I have 8 (inc year 9 options eve) and not including Open Evenings, as I teach every year group. This is not in place of written reports. I feel your pain OP. My last one of the academic year is next week though so there is light at the end of the tunnel! (For now!!)

[10istoomany]

I forgot about y7 meet the parents and prizegiving, aka clap like a seal for 2 hours

[AuditAngel]

As a parent (2 at secondary and one at primary) i’d Like to say I really appreciate the time staff put in for parents evenings.

We get one per child at secondary, plus things like options evening, we have open day for potential students held on @ Saturday too.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

That is getting crazy. A parent not a staff member but would the school entertain the idea of a (free to staff) creche? For staff only, obviously, either bring in a few nannies, overtime if you have any willing TAs or pick some sensible sixth formers. You could be allowed to collect from usual day care before 4.30 and then either collect at the end of parents evening or partner/ husband collect with a password. Still doesn't mitigate losing ten evenings a year, but might help with childcare rather than every teacher having to put together childcare.

[mnistooaddictive]

Are you within your 1265 directed time budget? That includes the trapped time beforehand. If your school doesn’t have one, there is a calculator you can use.

[chocatoo]

I’m not a teacher but I am a parent. At secondary level I see parents' evenings as the only way I have of talking to my child’s teachers and seeing how she is doing. I have always found them really informative and useful. I think they are a really important part of your job.

[10istoomany]

And you don't know how to use a phone or email?

Look, how you find it as a parent isn't really my concern. My concern is that also AS A PARENT my own children are missing out because I have to garble crap for three hours!

[NellieBee]

I sympathised with you til your last post.

[Marilla1966]

As a parent and a teacher I had sympathy........then came your last post. 😩

[10istoomany]

Because I got a bit pissed off with the "as a PARENT" crowd?

I am also a parent.

[noblegiraffe]

You need to look up your directed time budget because surely you’re over it!

We tried two parents evenings once and the second one was a waste of time. Said pretty much exactly the same things as the first, and a lot of parents didn’t bother showing.

[10istoomany]

Yes, exactly giraffe, it was 53% attendance!

I think the school get away with it by having our working hours until 4.

[Piggywaspushed]

OP, that's so rude. As a teacher (who is also a parent) I find parents' evenings (ours are longer than yours) irksome and exhausting, but would rather not be told that instead parents can email me and phone me : that situation is bad enough as it is. But I also appreciate that parents want to meet their children's teachers,and cannot do this in the same way as they can when their DCs are younger.

Two per year group does seem extreme if it is not to split a large year group. You didn't answer whetherr this is instead of report writing?

[Myusername2015]

I can beat that. I teach 7-13 and we have two for each year group! 7-11 as we split the year half and two a year for both year 12 and 13. I’ve now got 5 parents evenings 5-8pm every Thursday for the next 5 weeks; adding in options evenings for 9 and 13; open evenings and ucas eves etc sometimes I wonder if I’m ever going to see my child. The joys.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I quite like parents' evenings... I much prefer them to written reports.

[TheFallenMadonna]

As a teacher, I feel compelled to add.

[mineofuselessinformation]

We have two for year 7 and then one per year, except for year 12 when we invite parents in for students who are of concern, as well as the standard parent's evening.
I am also expected to attend for year 11 prom, prize evening for whole school, prize giving for whichever of year 12 or 13 I teach, as well as open evening for at least one of sixth form or year 7. That means up to 14 per year - and some of these (prom for example) are on a Friday which I really object to as I consider this family time.

[minipie]

When are you going to respond to all the phone calls and emails you’d prefer instead of the parents’s evenings?

In the evenings??

[agteacht]

Without meaning to create too much further debate, it's pretty normal to have to work late hours in most jobs, whether that be regularly or occasionally. It's in my view just part of being employed, regardless of career path.

[bookishtartlet]

I'm a secondary teacher. This is part of your job, and an important one at that. I also say that as a parent of a toddler.

It may be better to plan to use that trapped time effectively. Can you leave earlier another night to balance it out?