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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be dreading face to face parents evening Thursday

267 replies

IHateParentsEvenings · 10/05/2022 19:10

Going to get flamed to a crisp, never mind.

I am dreading it … teaching all day and then three solid hours between 4 and 7 talking to parents, some will be lovely but there will be some really difficult ones, won’t be able to be cut off after five minutes, will enjoy making me justify every detention since September.

Then home exhausted and still got the next days planning to do …

sorry MN, I dread it.

OP posts:
Tolson · 10/05/2022 22:23

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jaysusmickeyandjoseph · 10/05/2022 22:22

@Tolson 'Competitive' starting salary of £19,500?? Now I know you're winding us up. National pay scale or not, Teachers start on more than £30k these days. None of them would work for that little money

ICannotRememberAThing · 10/05/2022 22:21

SleepingThroughNight · 10/05/2022 22:17

I really hope @Tolson is a wind up too cos otherwise her DH’s school is terrifying…

Available at ALL times!
I’m in bed with Covid at the moment and just imagining little Jayden’s Mum ringing me up at home for an update just as I’m nodding off….
*@Tolson is definitely having a laugh on this thread!

LeastofLeicester · 10/05/2022 22:21

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So there's not a single teacher there who is also a parent? Or carer? Or has any sort of life outside the classroom?

Surely this is a woefully poor attempt at sarcasm?

Rainbowpjs · 10/05/2022 22:21

As a free school, are your DH's staff entitled to join a union @Tolson ?

Tolson · 10/05/2022 22:20

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PickySlackTastic · 10/05/2022 22:20

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Erm- most teachers will meet with concerned parents outside of normal parents evenings. Is it you or your DH who thinks this is a ground breaking innovation Hmm

I know staff, including HTs, who have visited pupils homes. Usually the most vulnerable children. In guessing your DH will also be doing home visits if the clients request them??

Your post us hugely troublesome. There are presumably hundreds of children at your husbands school. If your husband rhetoric matches yours then I really fear for their education.

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 10/05/2022 22:20

@Tolson what a load of bollocks!

Tolson · 10/05/2022 22:20

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OneCup · 10/05/2022 22:19

I hope tolson's posts are a joke. They show a complete lack of understanding of education and workers' appreciation.

monkeysox · 10/05/2022 22:18

@Tolson sorry but agree with previous poster. Your comments are why teachers are leaving in droves.
@IHateParentsEvenings yanbu. And I raise you. The re introduction of face to face but with no appointments. So I could be talking the whole time or sat like a dickhead if hardly any come.

SleepingThroughNight · 10/05/2022 22:17

I really hope @Tolson is a wind up too cos otherwise her DH’s school is terrifying…

Italiandreams · 10/05/2022 22:17

@Tolson they can book these anytime or On set days?

As head who is paid much more he should be available as much as teachers. That would be an outrageous expectation otherwise.

ICannotRememberAThing · 10/05/2022 22:16

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I think you’re winding us up! 🤣

BarnacleNora · 10/05/2022 22:15

Oh god @IHateParentsEvenings I'm so sorry. I used to sort of like doing them only because frequently it was the only time I'd get to meet the parents (SEN school so majority of pupils arrived and left by taxi) and very often there'd be a bit of a lightbulb moment 'ahhhh so THAT'S why x is like that' But equally, working in SEN school I'd have 9, maybe 10 parents to see max.

I've just had my first return to face to face meeting as a parent. I could see the teachers' 'dinner' of crackers and some packets of cheese on his desk clearly untouched at nearly 7pm. I'm still regretting not thinking to ask him just to eat it while we were talking. Didn't occur to me until I left the room and I feel really selfish about that.

Teachers who are still going are amazing. I got out years ago and am so grateful to all the good ones who still keep at it.

caecilius1 · 10/05/2022 22:15

Those teachers must be extremely well remunerated @Tolson !
Or naive.

ICannotRememberAThing · 10/05/2022 22:14

Iwonder08 · 10/05/2022 22:05

As a teacher, do you see any value in 5 min meeting per child? If it is not the case of 'little Johnny is top of the class' what do you actually manage to fit in 5 min?

The 5 mins allows for a quick update on progress. Parents/Teachers should be made aware of any major concerns when they arise. You don’t wait for parents evening! I talk to parents on the phone throughout the week if need be.

Tolson · 10/05/2022 22:13

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EVHead · 10/05/2022 22:10

Without parents teachers would not have jobs.

😂

Lollabit · 10/05/2022 22:10

The best teachers meetings I’ve seen are where there are no surprises because there is a good ongoing dialogue between teacher, student and parent all the time in whatever form that might take. If there are surprises that come up then you need to look at how you’re preparing for the meetings and communicating throughout the year.

Lollabit · 10/05/2022 22:08

OP, surely you have teachers forums where you can bore people with how much you dislike parents and how worthless their input is, rather than a parents forum?

Not sure what you’re trying to achieve, but in any other walk of life if a meeting you’re running about the work you’re doing doesn’t go well then typically that’s your responsibility.

Iwonder08 · 10/05/2022 22:05

As a teacher, do you see any value in 5 min meeting per child? If it is not the case of 'little Johnny is top of the class' what do you actually manage to fit in 5 min?

ICannotRememberAThing · 10/05/2022 22:04

I’m so annoyed by this thread I’ve forgotten how to construct a sentence…

ICannotRememberAThing · 10/05/2022 22:03

Caiti19 · 10/05/2022 21:56

Why do schools shove 30 meetings into a single evening. How can those meetings be of any real value to parents or teachers at 5 minutes per child? Whole concept smacks of box ticking. Having "parent week" with max of 5 meetings per day and a pre-selected option of online or in-person would put a bit of sincerity behind the whole thing. My last parent-teacher meeting consisted of 3 sentences from the teacher followed by "any concerns? no, great - bye!" - spent more time getting ready and traveling to it - it's all so silly!

How long would you propose the 5 meetings 5 times a week be for?
5 min or however long the parent wants to talk? How would the appointment times for that work then?

SenoraMiasma · 10/05/2022 22:01

@Tolson

whats the staff turnover at his school like. Just out of interest.