AIBU to expect teachers to keep to parents’ evening time slots?

[Skipin29]

Waiting past my time every parent’s evening and then when I’m seen it’s rushed through and I don’t get the full 10 minutes.

You need to tell the waffling parents that their time is up and if you personally need to speak to the parent for more time then book them in a double slot.

You don’t explicitly say it, but it’s implicit in your comment and in your replies to me. If it’s not teachers thinking it (in your view) who would it be?

You told me I said it. Which I didn't . I haven't " implied" anything That's only in your own head.

And as I later stated " people on here"

Stick to facts not your incorrect assumptions

It's difficult believe me
One day you will go over your allotted time so please remember your moans
Love from a teacher who tries her very best and doesn't get paid for working evenings to meet you

You’re not reading the room!
Plus you should be taking your anger issue with the parents who love to ramble on.

At our primary school, one class per year group. All the teachers say at places around the edge of the hall and a teaching assistant would be there ringing a hand bell every 10 minutes which reminded both the teacher and the parents that it was time to wrap it off. If they needed longer a private appointment could be made before or after school.

YANBU. It’s bloody annoying, teachers need to be firmer but also people need to be less bloody selfish. I know I have a 10 minute slot so I’m not going to whittle on for ages past that because I know I’m eating into someone else’s slot and being a twat! Unfortunately lots of people are indeed, twats.

If you got everything you wanted then be irritated for a minute then let it go. If not, ask for a meeting.

Sounds like you’d be a really easy person to shake off if you had shit to say.

YBU. As a former teacher I can tell you that it is not usually the teacher's fault if a time slots get missed, but the parents’. Very often they want to go on and on and are hard to get rid of, even though someone else is waiting. Everyone thinks their kid is the centre of the universe, and why not - for them they are, and nobody in their right mind goes into teaching unless they like kids. It is the same with other professionals who interface with the public via regularly-spaced appointments (e.g. GPs, who in lots of ways are just like teachers, except that they get paid three times as much and don’t get treated like shït by the government and public alike). So be happy - if the appointments are running behind it is because the teacher is giving other parents an extra amount of their precious time, and therefore there is a good chance that they will be prepared to do the same thing for you too.

^^this

My child’s secondary school does online appointments that are set at 5 mins - the video call literally cuts off at the 5 minute point. Works brilliantly and those that need extra need to book a further appt with the school. The only frustrating thing is appts open at a certain time and date and it’s like trying to get popular concert tickets, you have to be rapid (learnt my lesson after Y7 and missing out on all essential appts)!!!

My kids are in y9 and sixth form and have never had a face to face appointment at secondary. My youngest did have a couple post covid at primary. Secondary have kept them probably for the timings.

I am a parent and a teacher. I have a child who has self harmed. It was definitely not saved for parents evening. I was in touch with pastoral on a daily basis when it first started. It not something that needs discussing on a parent’s evening. As a teacher I would not be bringing any big issues up on a parents evening chat. These would be done done separately as and when concerns developed. I’ve also had the parent who wouldn’t leave. I kind of knew who they might be and timetabled at the end anyway and the caretaker would be on hand wandering past the door jangling keys.

When two of my children were at school, we had online appointments (during and post COVID). On several occasions the teachers didn't make an appearance, with no apology, no new appointment or any correspondence at all. We just sat there staring at a blank screen.

The teacher does have to be very firm. On the rare occasions this happened to me, I actually got up from my seat and said thank you for coming, the next parents are here, with a nod and smile to the ones waiting. The physical movement seemed to do it.

I loved online meetings, as did all the parents I dealt with. The confidence of utter privacy was very helpful. I made sure that the physical background of the meeting was clearly my home, just as theirs invariably was. It seemed the polite thing to do.

God teachers just can’t win can they??
All you teachers out there, I’m so blood sorry that people are so utterly ridiculous. You can’t do anything right, can you? There’s always someone there to complain about everything.

Imagine demanding a doctor cut short an appointment with a worried patient so you don’t have to wait?

Remember when teachers were well respected as a profession? It’s no wonder kids have got no respect for teachers anymore, it clearly feeds down from the parents!

Just be grateful because at my school each appointment is 3 minutes. Can barely even say hello before times up!

Our secondary school parents evenings were carnage. Electronic booking system where you got 5 minutes with each teacher but had to leave 5 minutes between each appointment. Parents evening ran for 4-6pm so not enough slots for everyone and no timer or bells. Everyone was situated in the assembly hall and very close together so conversations were not at all private. However not sure why there was a booking system as parents would just jump in if a teacher became free even if it wasn't their turn so you ended up running late and missing other appointments. Online parents evenings during Covid were best - if you'd finished the conversation early the teacher could end the call and if they or you waffled on it got cut off at end of 5 minutes. Thank god my youngest finishes school this year!!

Absolutely brilliant comment.

We have online meetings at secondary which are far too short, only 5 mins so you don’t get to ask questions because they spend at least 3-4 mins running through their waffle. It cuts off automatically at the end of the 5 mins, would be far better to extend to 10.

They’re in person at primary and this is very much the pitfall, some parents waffle on and on and overrun. I find younger teachers tend to be a bit more timid and afraid to tell the parents their slot is over.

‘Their waffle’ presumably being their professional assessment of your child’s strengths and weaknesses in the work covered so far, plus suggestions of how to help? That’s what PE is for…

The poster meant the parents were waffling.

I do waffle at parents’ evenings to be honest, as despite being nearly quarter of a century into this job I still have no idea what to say 😂

I always want to rush it and keep to time, DD keeps waffling on and overrunning it. Online during/post covid was great, the teachers must have loved it, as it just cut off when the time ran out

My kids large high school has a big timer up on the wall counting down the minutes. It works beautifully.

I don’t read it like that. They talk about more than one school and about asking questions. It’s parents’ waffle referred to for I person, but not online I don’t think. Pretty sure they are the parent. Apologies if I’m wrong.

Online meetings that automatically cut off are fantastic!!