Parents thoughts needed!! - Parents Evening

[LauraSmurf]

I am a primary school teacher and have been doing the job for nearly 10 years. But i find them quite stressful, i never know what parents would like to know.

I always start by asking if their child is happy. (I feel the most important point to ascertain)
I often find myself talking about levels and general statements about their work but get little back from parents.

Genuinely want to know!! I am not a parent myself (working on it!) so i have only one side of the story. I want to be a better teacher! So be as brutal as you like. I prefer blunt!

(Braces self!!)

He does indeed! But the hair gel in the boys hair seemed to be a turn off for licking and kissing each others hair!!

(Also we haven't quite covered sex ed yet!! Hehe!! My least favourite week of the year let me tell you!!)

Have you shown them The Lego Highwayman yet (YouTube) - very, very funny!

As a teacher, I prepare for parents' evenings by asking the children to jot down:

• what they think I'm going to say
• what they'd like me to say about how they are in school
• any pieces of work they are particularly proud of and want me to show off for them
• anything that they're worried about me saying

It gives an amazing insight into how the children view parents' evenings... I use it as an opportunity to reassure the children (who seem to remember the most insignificant (to adults!) misdemeanours.

I ask parents if they have anything particular they want us to focus on or if they're happy for me to 'get on with it'. Some raise specific things but most are happy for me to waffle, show work etc. I've worked in a school on NTI and did exactly the same but one thing I did then, and still do now is to share levels in the form of a ladder... very geeky but I mailmerge a summary sheet of each child's progress in reading, writing and maths with a 'X was assessed as being level Xx in September and is now performing at Xx'. I include a horizontal ladder (from 1c at left to 5a at right) which has the expected level for a Year X pupil indicated and, as we're talking I'll say, "X is currently performing at a Xx which you can see is a little bit below the national expectation but if X does blah blah blah X will be at level Xx pretty quickly".

Parents seem to like it as it's a very visual way of seeing how far off the expected level their child is but also how far they've come.

As a parent I like to hear who my DD plays with, how she is in class (with adults and children) and if there are specific things we could do to help her learning. I'm not interested in the 'level' my 6-year-old is performing at because comparing her to a 'national average' is pointless but I do recognise that there is a game to be played and a Government who insist on reducing each child to a number so I play along... (personally and professionally).

I'm more interested in progress than I am absolute performance - this is a point I make when conducting parents' evenings; there's no point being a 3b in Y1 if the same child is still a 3b in Y4!

Some very interesting and positive comments on here.

I like to know how my children fit in socially, if there are any issues with other children, about their confidence and willingness to talk in class. What have they noticed about fitness levels.

Is there anything that needs to be addressed or that I can help with at home.

I do want to know about levels, but not just the one figure, I want breakdown for each strand of maths, literacy and everything else. They are good at most areas but have weaknesses, what have they identified.

I Hate "he/she is doing well/fine, at/above expected level" Being told there are no weak areas and then you get the school report and learn something completely different to what you expect.

I want to feel that if I have addressed and issue that they will take it on board, or at least tell me they wont help, eg help with improving handwriting. They agree to talk to child but never follow through.

I would like teachers to be open about levels if a parent asks. Some obviously are not interested, but if you are, then be given the information. Some teachers do, some dont.

The majority of teachers do a fantastic job, but sometimes because they dont give feedback to parents, parents assume they dont.

Good luck with your parents evening, I hope you got some good ideas of other members.

We get something similar to the ladder as mentioned by SE13 (I would like you as a teacher at parents evening) but I never get feedback on what improvements are required, what the next steps are etc. The Levels are just the overall summary one.

I like to know about levels but they do need to be explained - it's no use saying DS is Level 3C without explaning what that means - ie: what is the 'average' and what he is capable of etc - 3C (or whatever) means absolutely nothing to me.

Please don't try and be politically correct - just tell it as it is. Clear guidelines on the sort of things we could be encouraging him to do at home as well - if necessary. I appreciate it can't be easy for teachers as so many parents are very sensitive about their little darlings .

I agree with IndigoBell (way back at the beginning).

Also, please lay off the jargon - don't forget we parents don't understand all the terminology that is very familiar to educational professionals!

I am delighted for your pupils that you have asked this.

Laura, like you I am a teacher at a school with a nit but am on maternity leave at the moment.
I like to start Parents' evening meetings with, "Is there anything you would like to discuss with me before I start?" I find it relaxes parents and you find out all sorts of interesting things. Also, many parents have issues they really want to mention, but after I have wittered on for 10 minutes, they have forgotten what they want to say and are kicking themselves later when they remember.
As a parent I like anecdotes, examples of good work, or things that my dd has really improved at, specific things I can help with and and thank you for all my support (ie all those helpful little things I keep sending in as I am a frustrated teacher on maternity leave who has far too many resources at home gathering dust and someone may as well use them!!!)

Cat explained so much more clearly.

Hi Laura
how wonderful that you are asking opinions about this. I like to know levels, strengths and weaknesses, how I can support my child to support their learning and development and most importantly is he happy socially and in class..

Maybe because I have older children, I don;t particularly want my 10 minutes taken up with anecdotes - I can do that at home! I want to know that my child is socializing happily and behaving well. I want to know that he is paying attention and doing his best. I would like to know if there gave been any issues with any of this stuff.

But I also want hard facts. I do;t see the point in all the testing and measuring that's done if they parents aren't told. I want to know what level he is working at, whether he is securely in that level and nearly at the next or whether he is just in it. I don't, within reason, care what the level is - but I want to know that there is an upward trend.

And I suspect that if you gave all parents a truth drug, over 90% of them would want to know where their child is in relation to the other children in the class. They will all deny this and say they only care about their child, but under torture they would admit that they would LOVE an old fashioned 'form order"!

I really like DS1 teacher.

he is behind, and has some problems socially-emotionally as well.

She is quiet business like, and we sit down, say where he is now, where he should be, and then:
1.) what the school is doing (Individual education Plans)
2.) What I can do to support him at home.

I appreciate her straight talking, but I know a few friends of mine who have said that if only she would have started the conversation saying: "William is a lovely boy, he's settled in really well. But.....".

It is nice to feel the teacher KNOWS your child, so I would mention maybe one thing that stands out, then get back to business.

If you think the teacher knows your child, you are more willing to accept what they say.

I want to know if they are doing "OK" - if they are achieving what is expected of them (both socially and accademically) and if not, why not.

Negative comments do have to be balanced with positive ones though or you end up with the impression that the teacher just does not like your child.

bump for FuntoLearn

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