what (unreasonable) questions shall I ask at parents evening

[TheIIlusiveShadow]

DD is in foundation year:

Any idea what sort of A-level grades we could be looking at?

"God, you're HOT"

My ex husband on the one and only parents evening he attended - recognised the teacher from his childhood and pointed at her ina wild manner, loudly announcing Ha Ha I've seen you in your swimsuit with a big leery stare.

I should have just killed him and saved myself an expensive divorce a few yrs later.

Another parents evening after summer holidays I congratulated teacher on her wedding to be told it had been called off. To save her from insensitive comments -all children had been advised by letter, which we had not had.

legspinner - we were once greeted by DS's maths teacher with "so, which one of you is the mathematician?" - we spluttered a bit and said, well, neither... (cue me getting all thinking she thought we were hothousing DS) - then later in the conversation DH comes up with the immortal phrase "well, when we were discussing Pi and how important it would be to working out what the moon weighs the other day......"

(even though it was true) [geek household]

Anticipated Q from a parent next week:

I note that Oswald has only got B grades for his coursework. It is however essential he goes to a good university...So what are you doing to ensure he gets the A? (omitting any part that Oswald has to play in getting the A).

LittenTree - you do realise you will now freeze completely and be unable to say anything for fear that you will actually say that, don't you?

Last year Dd1s parents evening was most odd. Quite a few teachers just turned the question 'so how is she doing?' back on DD1 saying 'well DD1 how do you think you are doing?'
I can ask DD1 how she thinks she is doing anytime. When I haul myself to parents evenings at 7.00 pm I want to know what the teachers think.

"10% non-contact time. Lots of other professions (such as doctors, MW, HV) have admin time."
Do we I don't neither does any one else in the above listed professions I work with?
"Teachers used to work 38 weeks a year as they were required to teach for 190 days. The 39th week was added for training days so they are effectively doing the training in their own time as holidays were cut to give the training days."
I get 5 weeks and 10 bank holiday a year but not an extra bank holiday/enhanced pay for royal weddings/diamond jubilee celebrations etc I have to do my mandatory training on line because face to face is too expensive and takes me away from my actual job when ever I can grab a free minute which is usually when I'm at home on one of my days off.

So your job has crap systems in place. No need to have a go at teachers.

Just start by sitting down and saying 'I am a teacher....'

Makes me want to run for the hills every time. I am desperately trying to hide my job from my son's teacher, although husband seems keen to drop me in it.

happygardening, if you think teachers have such a good deal there is nothing to stop you from training as one?

Don't turn a nice thread into a teacher bashing thread .. pretty please!

As the daughter of a teacher, I knew from a young age that I did not want to teach. Don't have the bottle. So kudos to all you teachers on here.

happygardening, I think a lot of what you are referring to relates to the fact that GPs (I assume you are a GP?) are self-employed ie have none of the protection that employees enjoy. Too bad we have hardly any of the freedom that ought to come with being self-employed. I share your resentment, but agree it's nought to do with teachers.

My dad used to dread one particular student's parent who always turned up with presents and then felt entitled to a good report of his precious offspring. I think my dad was somewhat alarmed by the fact that it was the students father that rolled up with wine/choclolates/flowers .

Sit down, smile sweetly, give them a little and ask them to guess who your child is based on his or her resemblance to you. I've done it a few times and it seems to break the ice quite well

Actually at DS's Y11 parents evening when we were talking about 6th form choices I said something like well "it's his choice because if he doesn't want to do it and isn't inspired he won't enjoy it and won't work". His teacher sighed and said I should be proud of him!

"What do you intend to spend your gold plated pension on?"

No not a GP but yes a hard working health care professional who along with all my colleagues who work in your and my NHS which you need to be aware of is collapsing under the strain of over regulation from government and financial cuts. What this means is that all staff are be becoming increasingly disillusioned many are throwing in the towel and just leaving and those that stay are being prevented from giving the care and attention that we believe people are entitled too and are being forced to resign themselves to the inevitable. What you need to remember that without your health education is worth nothing. It could be you and your family sitting in that bed being treated like a second class citizen by exhausted staff who never even receive a break to go to the loo let alone protected admin time.

Sounds like teaching in many ways.

And social work .

'Dear teacher, please ensure that DS does not roll in the mud on his way home. Also, why have you not done anything about the annoying whiney kid who keeps provoking him to beat him up?' - said in all seriousness by DSs' school's worst bully's mum

I was going to say the same thing Destrier, sounds like teaching. I wish I got loo breaks! I can't just save them all up over the week and have one big pee in my PPA time

happy gardening -I worked like that. I didn't mind not having coffee or lunch during the day because I had no opportunity to use a toilet. No admin time. No training time. No training budget. Overbooked. Under appreciated. Shite

But remember you'll retire on billions yeh right

I think teachers have the same crap tbh. My friend regularly works evening and weekends.

Happygardening To change your words slightly...
As a result of increased paperwork, target-setting and data shuffling, teachers are be becoming increasingly disillusioned. Many are throwing in the towel and just leaving and those that stay are being prevented from giving the care and attention to which they believe children are entitled. What you need to remember is that without your education, healthcare professionals (for whom I have masses of respect; I couldn't work in healthcare myself) wouldn't have the basic knowledge that they need to begin their post-16 studies and career.

It works both ways (and as someone's already said, you could almost certainly retrain and become a teacher. The holidays are GREAT).

Oh, and way to bring down a really fun thread!

Happygardener that sounds just like teaching. I'm one of the ones who threw in the towel and about 30% of the people I taught with have done the same. With others moving to the private sector. I got out while I could as I could see older, burnt-out teachers who were stuck. I'm delighted that I got out as I can't imagine facing 30 rowdy 15 year olds armed with science equipment at 68. Please remember that without education there will be no trained HCP to care for you (albeit in a shit, under-funded way) in your old age. I genuinely don't know any teachers with an easy life and they really don't deserve a bashing just because you have a crap time too.

Nicketty the "how do YOU think you're doing?" wheeze is very useful as it often makes the little darlings squirm a bit and 'fess up that they're not really over exerting themselves - they may give a VERY different account of things to parents and also it does them good to actually face up to the fact that they could do better. Also it prevents having to launch in with "Well, since you ask, he's a lazy little..."!

this was a lovely thread earlier this evening, Now it's made me a bit cross.

feralgirl I was thinking that till Badgercubs post about doing a weeks worth of pee in her ppa time.