...to love virtual parents evening

[LODReturn]

Just had my first virtual parents evening. Amazing! No standing round the hall trying to work out which teacher you need to see, no other parents craning to heart what is being said about someone else's child or standing behind the parent who wants to take 20 minutes to discuss their cherub when it is a 5 minute slot...

You log in, get connected to the teacher at your appointment time & the system boots you out dead on 5 minutes. There is a timer that lets you know how much time is left if you need to prioritise questions.

AIBU to hope that parents evening always stays like this?

I’m a teacher and I’d say this is one of the only positive things that’s come out of remote teaching and I really hope we carry on with it. It’s more private and easier to focus and less hassle all round.

Dh is a head and really loved not breaking up two fights between the parents this year

Guessing the police were glad not to have to come

Actually because parents can't come into school they've had to call the police MUCH less this whole year

I loved it for my year 8 son, and didn't bother booking in for my year 4 daughter because the teacher has 0 to say at face to face parents evening so didn't see what I'd get from online or phone call!

I agree, it’s much better. No other parents breathing down your neck, appts run on time and just so much less stressful all round.

I loved it. DS is year 8, so we had one real life parents evening before the pandemic, and it was so stressful rushing from room to room, trying to book appointments with enough gap so if one teacher was running late you wouldn't be late for another. The virtual one we had this year was fantastic, we were able to have the teachers whole attention, privacy and if there was a gap between appointments we were at home, so no hassle. I get the feeling the teachers preferred it too. I really hope it continues

I liked ours, using the specialist software (School Cloud? Something like that... it was October!)DH could attend but not have to take an afternoon off work. I could cook dinner at the same time (not while talking to the teacher, but have stuff in the oven!). Children was just at home, not being juggled.

However they moved schools, and it was just a phone call, and it didn't work well.

I organise the parents evenings at the school where I work and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from both parents and teachers so we have no plans to go back to a real-life parents evening. As a parent attending, it's so much better and less stressful

I agree. It was my best parents evening experience ever and I've been doing them, as a parent, for over 25 years.

YANBU! I really hope this continues.

Yes, we like them. No dragging kids about, no massively overrunning appointments. I hope it helps the teachers too.

Me too it’s 100 times better. Privacy.No over running!!!!! No dashing backwards and forwards because some teachers were already behind due to some parents taking longer. So much less stressful, you can write notes and have whole thing done and dusted in an hour.

God yes, it was so much better.

Parents' evening at ds's (secondary) school were always fraught- parents such as you describe going over their allotted time, the stress of watching to see if it was our turn or someone else's, wondering whether we should skip this teacher because we were twenty minutes behind and the next one wouldn't wait...

Not to mention the heat in there!

Keep it online forever

We had a year 11 parents evening early March 2020. It was a cold, wet, dark evening and people were coming into a fetid hot hall. I sometimes seriously wonder if that partly accounted for cases jumping in my region!

Yup totally much better here. Secondary are keeping it, primary will move to a mixed model with half online and half in person so you can book your preference.

I hate it being virtual ! We get refreshments, cakes, sandwiches and a bit of a catch-up with some of the other parents.
Plus we only got 5 minutes per teacher which wasn't enough. Can't wait to get back next term to proper parents' evenings.

As a teacher - yanbu! A far more efficient use of time than all that travelling, effort and waiting around. Glad to see people feeling the same.

Agree, although would prefer 7 minutes

@DaphneDeloresMoorhead

I hate it being virtual ! We get refreshments, cakes, sandwiches and a bit of a catch-up with some of the other parents. Plus we only got 5 minutes per teacher which wasn't enough. Can't wait to get back next term to proper parents' evenings.

So you're one of THOSE parents

Yes I really liked this....parents evening always seems to run late as some parents chat more...the timer really makes it much more efficient. I'd be happy for them to keep it this way...it's also better than having to drag multiple kids along with you back to the school in the evening

At the primary we got 10 mins instead of the usual 5. If looking at books is important to you our school has always done Open Evenings where for 30 mins after school you pop in and have a flick through.

Yes, I was just thinking I can see why parents would want to see their children’s work but there must be another way - it doesn’t have to happen on parents’ evening.

A million times better. I don't have to take a half day's annual leave, or find a babysitter. Virtual parents evening was the best thing to come out of lockdown! Desperately hoping they keep it, or at least offer some virtual slots for working parents who can access parents evening more easily online.

I love it - one of the best things to come out of lockdown. We get 5 minutes each ad then we’re kicked out so no more of ‘those’ parents hogging more than their allotted time. Brilliant!

No! I hate it. I miss my DS showing me all the work he has done and enjoy a rare opportunity to actually go into school and see his teachers.

I apologised profusely to the school as I was distracted and utterly forgot to attend!! I didn’t remember until the following morning!!! But I’m sure it’s much easier.

@Whatabouttery we usually get 10 minutes