Teachers! I have an excellent parents' evening tip for you.

[OoozingCervix]

1. If you have a 10 minute slot and you are still talking after 25 minutes to a parent there is quite obviously an issue that needs to be discussed further at a later date.

1. May I suggest you get a timer? Put it on your table. Set it for 9 minutes. If after the allotted time you are still talking, hand over a card with your email on it and suggest the parent book a further appointment to see you.

IANBU.

I have a suggestion for you, nothing to do with parents evening though.

Put a curtain down the middle of the year six classroom so the girls can get changed behind it for PE.

My parents evenings tend to be pretty smooth. It's primary so we are in my classroom - no bells or knocker-uppers!

I show parents the books which has had remarkable effects on things like handwriting and effort! Also lovely to show off the day-to-day work which doesn't get sent home, and for parents to actually see progress with their own eyes.

We have 10-minute appointments, but I can also block off slots to make them longer if I know I have more to discuss. If I need to speak to a parent outside of those times then I call them. I'm quite good at getting people to leave, though, and I don't have any nightmare parents since the only one swore at the head teacher and took her daughter elsewhere!

Replying to an email or standing answering numerous parents questions after school?

When people have to speak to you in person, they limit how much crap they bring up. Having easy access to email means any little thing can be sent about in a few seconds. You don't have to wait to speak to a person, with other people around you. I did a PGCE placement at one school where parents had teachers' emails, and they dealt with at least half a dozen a day ranging from lost jumpers to allegations of abuse. It was absolutely mad.

Thanks so much for all these amazing tips about how to do my job. I'll be sure to consult an internet forum of non-teachers the next time I'm stuck for what to do

We have just come back from our ds parents evening, and the headmaster had a bell and a stop watch!

I'm sure that if us teachers were to stand up and be assertive and say "your slot has finished, please email any further queries", we'd be slagged off for being rude. Can't win. We have a speed dating system and some teachers can talk for ages but parents need to take hints.

I have done the thank you for coming, stood up and walked to the door and started to open it but the parents kept talking after a ten minute appointment had already stretched to 20!

Blame those parents who don't get the hint to bugger off!!

If a teacher is not able to stand up to a parent and say 'that is the end of our time as I need to stick to the schedule. Please email me if you have any further questions, or ring the school for a further appointment'
...I would seriously worry that they could not deal with a classroom full of teenagers :-/. Surely the latter is a lot more demanding?
Maybe there should be assertiveness training for teachers? I would struggle to deal with 30 odd 15 year olds, but have no trouble telling a couple of adults that I have another appointment now as part of my job!

I'm sure that if us teachers were to stand up and be assertive and say "your slot has finished, please email any further queries", we'd be slagged off for being rude. Can't win.
The one unreasonable parent who you stood up to might think it rude, but the 8 or so who stood waiting would think it was appropriate, truly :-). They think its rude to spend hours with one parent.

I have stood for 40 minutes, after an appointment time, to then be told the teacher is going home as they ran out of time....that is much ruder!

" Poo Teachers"

Like I said, "can't win." I've no problem being assertive and telling parents their time has ended and I've had to do so but I know some of our more precious parents would take offence. Now, what other professions can we pick on?!!

D2's school has the parents and their ewe lambs sit in allocated places, and the teachers skip between them. Result: no overruns. The parent queuing system (which D1 had) was horrible, and virtually guaranteed you'd never see all the teachers. Mainly because of parents bagging a teacher for too long.

What would really really help though is to have some comprehensible written appraisal system, which isn't changed every other year, so you have a fair idea in advance of a parents evening of weak subjects, strong subjects etc. Sounds simple, but not always done. D2's school changed their system last year and it is almost completely incomprehensible. Being scored at 75% for example is apparently poor. When I was at school 75% was bloody stellar.

loverly perhaps that teacher had you know... a family to get home to?

A class full of teenagers is nothing compared to parents who want to know everything. And I mean everything. Even when they haven't bothered to follow up any of the endless voicemails up you gave left throughout the academic year.

cough I completely agree. Every teacher-bashing thread makes me question why I bother with mumsnet.

Our school gives you access to every teacher email from head to office.

I bloody love it.

Just back from parents evening. 5 mins per appointment. We are allowed to book a 15 min comfort break as teaching since 8:50 then revision class and then parents eve.

To parents: if your son or daughter is doing a level then please encourage them to be independent learners. I cannot email you every time they talk in class or do not focus. They are 17!!!

OP, YANBU. My DCs school didn't have timers and it was chaotic and REALLY annoying.

I need a buzzer/bell system in my doctors surgery!

What was that about emailing teachers? Why don't you use the admin office address? I don't get emails directly from parents, the office filters them.

Teachers who give out their email addresses to parents - are there set hours between which you reply to them?

DanyellasDonkey I rarely read emails at home, so my replies will probably be at 8am or around 4.

OozingCervix thank you for the excellent parents' evening tip. I'll put it with the others.

*loverly perhaps that teacher had you know... a family to get home to?

A class full of teenagers is nothing compared to parents who want to know everything. And I mean everything. *
But these issues are not unique to teaching, honestly! Many, many jobs involve managing the time spent with people to be fair to everyone, and sometimes doing extra hours to finish something, especially if you don't do the first part. You will never please every parent completely, but pleasing the most demanding one only is not the answer. If I did that at work, I'd honestly be told to manage my time more professionally.
I'm sorry if teachers find the thread negative, most teachers do a great job most of the time, and inspire many young people to be curious and enjoy studying. I know they also often work beyond school hours too. But the need to manage your time and stand up, politely, to people is common to all jobs. And many other people work in the evening, its unfortunately part of the culture in many British workplaces, not at all unique to teachers.