To hate online parents' evenings.

[Hcolhcsra]

DD's school and the one where I work are both sticking to online parents' evenings. I loathe them, both as a teacher and as a parent. Too many issues with connections, countdown timers adding pressure and a general lack of connection.

Am I really in a minority?

SionnachRua

Anything that stops the behaviour of some parents has to be good.

It was my daughters first parents evening at nursery tonight which was the first time I'd been to look properly inside since she started a year ago - Covid!! They still tried to tell DDs dad he wasn't allowed in at the same time only 1 parent?! but you know I couldn't imagine having to do it online.

I was scared shitless when my parents were coming to school it's part of the fun!

@FrippEnos

SionnachRua

Anything that stops the behaviour of some parents has to be good.

I will miss the ones that used to turn up with a box of chocolates at the meeting though...rare but always memorable! And the one absolute trooper that brought me a bottle of whiskey. Not so easily handed over via Zoom.

Love them. Far better than the scrum to be next to talk to the teacher face-to-face. No-one really adhered to their allocated times.

Virtually, the sessions are very focused, stripped of the small talk we don't need. What's gone well?; areas of challenge?; how to do better? Any other problems?

I found the teachers ensured they knew the above whereas before they could get away with deflective ramblings.

I'd have liked it to be 10 mins as opposed to 5 mins but nevertheless they were much better

Love them, no childcare issues, don't need to finish work early, can join from your desk, no hovering or queuing or trying to work out whose turn it is and no appointments overrunning. Super convenient. And teachers can do them from home or work as they wish.

Our head teacher has been known to appear with a cup of tea and chocolate at about 7pm! It's an absolute life saver! The heat goes off at 5pm so by then we're all freezing!

[quote thefourgp]@RacoonRocket your friend shouldn’t have allowed the teenager to listen into the conversation, it should solely be between parent and teacher. It wasn’t the teacher’s fault the teen got upset.[/quote]
At our school it's parent and child at the video call (secondary). I've never been to a parents evening without the child being with me

As a parent: I hate them
As a teacher: I hate them

No good for me as I don't arrive home from work until 6.30pm at the earliest and even though I have a - not the latest but - not that old iPhone, I couldn't connect to these meetings. So basically, with lockdown, I have no full idea about how my child is doing within the past 2 years. I'm not happy, especially since she went to private infant and juniors where the feedback from the teachers was excellent

@hugocat

No good for me as I don't arrive home from work until 6.30pm at the earliest and even though I have a - not the latest but - not that old iPhone, I couldn't connect to these meetings. So basically, with lockdown, I have no full idea about how my child is doing within the past 2 years. I'm not happy, especially since she went to private infant and juniors where the feedback from the teachers was excellent

I don't understand how in person parents evening would be better if you don't get home until 6.30pm

@hugocat

No good for me as I don't arrive home from work until 6.30pm at the earliest and even though I have a - not the latest but - not that old iPhone, I couldn't connect to these meetings. So basically, with lockdown, I have no full idea about how my child is doing within the past 2 years. I'm not happy, especially since she went to private infant and juniors where the feedback from the teachers was excellent

Have you contacted the school and asked?

You should complain. I hate places using Covid as an excuse to not do things properly. It's really important for teachers and parents to meet properly.

@hugocat how do you normally get to parents' evening if you don't get home until 6.30?

I found online parents evening so much better than face to face @Anycolourwilldo, so in my opinion they are doing things properly by continuing it online

Another shock horror for some parents, is that our local schools found some of the events they held last year without parents being able to be there eg sports days, were so much better without the parents! So things will be modified this year even if parents can attend in person.

Another shock horror for some parents, is that our local schools found some of the events they held last year without parents being able to be there eg sports days, were so much better without the parents!
Our local schools too.
I'm lucky I worked shifts availability for sports day etc but I always felt it was unfair on the DC who's parents were working 9-5.
The gate drop off is more convenient too.

I hate them.

My son has additional needs and normally ends up with an appointment and a half because we know it always goes over. The online system counts down 10 minutes and won't allow them to change it because that's the "allowed" time.

I also hate it for disability reasons though, I have autism and really find video chats difficult. They cause massive anxiety!

As a secondary teacher, I love them.

First of all, I can do them from home, which is selfish I know but means I can get some dinner instead of the cold pizza offered by the school.
Secondly, it’s way more organised. We don’t have a cut-off timer or anything like that at our school, thankfully.
Thirdly, I don’t have to worry about finding a suitable place to charge my laptop so I have access to pupils’ data during meetings. Our appointments were all held in a big hall before and I invariably ran out of charge at some point.
The noise level is much better too - I used to find it difficult to conduct an conversation over the general hubbub.

Our parents have been really positive about online meetings and often comment unprompted on how much they prefer things this way.

Lucky you getting an online parent's evening.

We have to make do with a phone call.

I love them. No standing around waiting for those parents who always hog the teachers. No zig zagging around the school because your child's teachers are all in various classrooms and then the hall. No overhearing or being overheard. Can sit on your house with a drink. Completely win win for me.

Having been in the firing line from a parent who turned up 40 minutes after the end of my last face to face evening, YABU. She complained because I wasn't there at 7:40. Her appointment had been over an hour before. It was my DD's birthday and I had a long commute, to add insult to injury. Do not miss that.

I prefer them but we only get 5 mins which isn't really enough in GCSE year

@Fruitloopcowabunga

I prefer them but we only get 5 mins which isn't really enough in GCSE year

I’ve taught for 22 years in secondary and all appointments are 5 minutes long - we haven’t got time to see all the pupils we teach for longer. We could extend the time but then that would have to be taken into our directed hours and at secondary we already do 8 parents evenings a year (7-11 and a tutor) and that’s on top of open evenings, presentation evenings, option evenings etc. That’s why they’re 5 minutes.

*7-13 (not 7-11)

Too many issues with connections,

Maybe your experience would be better with a better signal. If you don't have good reliable broadband at home, maybe you could find somewhere with really good signal. It would probably transform your experience with online meetings.

I'm in one right now! Between appointments.
So much better than flogging off to the school and standing in a crowded gym in disorganised queues.