Silly question but need a teacher to answer it!

[coldtea]

My son started reception in January & i don't think i've got off to a very good start. I have always been an active parent & enjoyed doing lots with ds. I have asked lots of questions since he started , mainly asking the best ways of how i can help him etc, but i think his teacher thinks i am a pain in the a**e!

Here's for the silly question!

The 1st parents evening is looming & being the paranoid person i am i've started to wonder why we have been given the last appt! Is there a significance to who gets this?? I wonder if it's because she thinks i'm going to go on & on & ask too much. I just want to work with them & do the best by my son. I'm sure i'm being silly but please be honest & tell me if the last appt is given to the annoying parents.

I always gave out appointments on this basis:

Each appointment was 10 mins

Parents could choose their 10 mins within a particular half hour slot, say 7.00 - 7.30.

I would allocate these slots on a first come, first serve basis, so it depended on who sent their slips back first.

If the slot they had requested had filled up by the time they sent their slip back in, I'd offer them a time as close as possible to it.

What's wrong with you asking questions? Better that, than a parent who showed no interest whatsoever in their child's education. They were the parents that annoyed me tbh.

Coldtea - I'm not a teacher and can't answer your question (though in our school I know it's done on a strictly first come/first served/random basis).

One teacher in particular views me as a bit of a pain I think , but we always seem to get FIRST appointment ... but I think it's just because we always get our form in first!

BUT I did just want to say don't worry, you'll get used to it. When ds1 first started school I was a bit paranoid about not coming across as a pushy parent, but now (2.5 yrs on) it doesn't bother me at all. In general school respect the fact that we are interested in the boys' education, and that we both go in very regularly and help on a voluntary basis, and any 'pushiness' is forgiven!

There are times when IMHO you have to be a bit pushy (even in a fantastic school like ours) to get the best deal for your child.

My friends who are teachers say the real 'parents from hell' are the ones who complain at the drop of a hat, but never say thank you, don't support the school or the child in their education in any way, and are incapable/unwilling to see anything from the school or the teacher's perspective.

dd1 is often "last" but our surname is near the end of the alphabet..could be as simple as that

Some people may have specifically asked for earlier appointments, i know i do.

ours is left sellotaped to the window with a pencil attached..we do our own

I've got parents evening coming up and have allocated the last appointment to a mother who I know will have lots to say/ask and I want to be able to give her extra time if it's needed rather than have to rush through it

Thank you for putting my mind at rest. I love the fact mn has teachers on here! I hope she realises i just want to support & help. Our surname does begin with an 's' so perhaps this is the reason. I do hope it gets easier when dd starts school

Aniles , you don't teach in the south east do you !!

Absolutely agree with what has been said so far. Actually, there was one set of parents who were pains in the ar*e and they always wanted the last appointment so they could chat for hours. I rarely gave it to them. I don't think you are being fobbed off - quite the opposite

when I was teaching, I meant to say! Proof read first, woman!

I always gave the last 2 appointments to parents that I loved so I could finish a long night on a good note!!! I put awkward parents as early as possible and right in the middle of loads of others so I oculd hurry them along....!

No, coldtea, I'm in the midlands. Do I remind you of someone?

Oh, just realised you're the OP. No, it's not me!! lol {grin]

I mean

I ask to find out kids what time their parents are coming. I then let them request a timeslot and if it is free, it is theirs, if not, I suggest one close to the time slot they asked for.