Parents evening

[Blandmum]

Went to one yesterday, as 'parent' rather than 'teacher.
YOYOY did I go. 2 hours to be told, 'She is fine and doing well'

I already knew she was doing ok, we've just had a report. As a teacher I know that there are children who are doing well and I don't need to see their parents.

So why , as a parent, did I feel guilted into going?

Didn't tell me anything I didn't know, I didn't tell the teachers anything new. Why did I waste my time, and the teachers time?

Because you were secretly hoping that the teacher would lean over and say Actually Mizz Bishop your DD is quite obviously the most amazing child I have ever seen and I am in awe of her?

(or is that just moi?)

Because you don't want to be one of those parents "who can't even be bothered to go to parents evenings".

No, because I've met dd!

You just feel that to seem like supportive mummy you have to show your face.

Parents evenings definitely not a waste of time especially at secondary level.

• Parents get the opportunity to see if child's description of decrepit old hag that teaches them X really equates with the elegant 30 year old that you meet;
• Practice for parents in reading marks sheets upside down and double checking that teacher is reading out the correct line (if very clever parents can also take decipher other pupils marks too!)
• Great opportunity for jaded teachers to rubbish current education system to about 100 people in an even

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm a teacher in secondary school and I do know that they are useful.

But I know that dd is doing fine, and has no problems, so this one was a bit of a waste of time......

Yep, agree with Ladymuck. You're worried people will mutter

Oooh, that Bishop child, you know her mum's a teacher but could she be @rsed, oooh no...

spot on MI

I was guilted into it!

Because you didn't know they weren't going to tell you anything without them actually not telling you anything? It's like when someone does some research that proves something obvious and the Daily Mail gets hold of it and says 'why oh why is public money being wasted on proving that bears shit in the woods?' or whatever - we only know that they shit in the woods because we've followed them round and checked. They might have surprised us all and shat in the river.

Also, er, this might just be me but you just perhaps might be trying to get some credit in the teacherly bank for when you (hypothetically obviously) might possible eg forget a PE kit or even leave a book bag at home one day ?

As in 'ah, she might occasionally forget things but she's a supportive mummy, she's really interested in her daughter's education, comes to parents' evenings and all..' ?

well, we had a report at the end of last term, so they only have 3 weeks of 'info' to tell us about. And I'd already seen that in the homework books/ quiz results.

MI, I don't think that i can possibly earn enough good parent points to make up for the number of times that PE kit is forgotten

Bad mummy, bad mummy