Parent's Evening this week - How honest do you want me to be?

[nalubeadsgirl]

Parent's - asking honestly...What do you want your child's teacher to tell you at parent's evening? What questions would you want answering? Finally, would you want to know if your child was 'below average'? If so, how would you like me to phrase this?

Just be good to hear honestly from some parents. Teaching is very political, as I'm sure you all know. Help me to help you! (i'm already working my socks off for your kids!)

Just to add, we gave just had our PE, and I'm very pleased with both dcs' teachers. The main thing is that they clearly know and understand my boys.

I am at recording! Mind you...we have enough problems with FB so nothing surprises me any more!

I always started with a gentle positive."John is a lovely boy you must be very proud of him.He has tried hard in all areas of the curriculum though there are one or two subjects that we need to work on together to make sure he can reach his full potential".Then you swing into the nitty gritty.
Of course if John is not 'a lovely boy' you can substitute a relevant adjective like lively,popular,quiet,hardworking etc.
I used to finish by asking parents if they had any specific concerns and I would write them down if so.
Good Luck

Honesty but positivity and strategies with it.

I have booked an appointment this week with a teacher. How honest would you like me to be? I feel very strongly that this teacher has failed my ds, to the point where I am wondering about taking him out of the school.

I would want parents to be honest.

The only thing I would say though...if you're worried that you child is behind (is that the concern?)..what are you doing at home to support him?

I hesitate to ask..but you can always tell the children whose parents expect the school to do everything. A child's education is provided by school and home. I have a number of children who are 'behind' ...the ones making progress still however, are the ones that I (and the school) are working with AND the parents.

Bit like taking driving lessons, passing your test and then expecting to just be able to drive without any further practising.

What exactly do you feel the teacher is failing to do? How old is your son?

...and as a teacher..i STILL maintain that it is not my sole job to teach children their times tables! Yes, we can drill them at school, but the children who really succeed are the ones who go home and practise! (for example!) Same as having piano lessons, your child not practising and then blaming the piano teacher because your child isn't progressing!

nalube I find it quite difficult as the school has a communication problem. I have no idea what ds should be doing, what modules they are doing etc. I can only gauge by homework. I do work with him and feel this is the only work he seems to do.

My son is 7

Oh sorry, I should add..its not that he is behind, its that he has fallen behind since the new teacher arrived.Its also that he is being left to tread the middle path and has obviously been left to get on and isnt being challenged. Its like he is a good student who is being kept behind due to him not being problematic. I hope that makes sense. Difficult to put it into words.

And what I would like in PE to answer the thread - I would like targets, levels, where he is in the group and how he is being challenged. I would also like to have information on how to work on areas he is weaker in (strategies) and would like to know how we are going to be moving on with him.
And please dont dont dont dont tell me science isnt important in year 2 or I will be a very angry parent.

My DS has gone through infant school (he is in Y2 now and will move to juniors in Sept) without us having been given any relevant assessment info (reports or PE). I didn't chase it until Y2 as I think they were too young to be pushed and thought the school had a similar ethos.

I am not sure about this anymore now after the fiasco about his maths (I think I explained earlier). I feel I do need to speak to the HT and ask her about giving out assessment information, at least when being asked! I feel patronised by the school intentionally not telling me. He is my DS, I should be given that information and the parent should be able to decide what is best for their child.

I am quite upset about it now, especially as I have DD coming to the school in a year's time.

laptopdancer..hmmm..I would say definitely raise your concerns...but do it the right way. See the teacher first, agree what changes you'd like to see..then if you get no joy, see the head.

No teacher should ever say science isn't important - the problem is that a lot of schools put other subjects way above it. Quite often I WILL teach science in the mornings, as it's the only time I have a TA, and I'll move the lit to the afternoon. BUt i know most schools argue that maths and lit have to be taught in the mornings when the children are more alert, and leave 'softer' subjects til the afternoon I love teaching science! And my kids love it too.

I hear what you're saying about your child just being left. These are actually the 'vulnerable ' children. It really depends on the mix of the rest of the class. If there are a lot of SEN children, or disruptive children, in your son's class, then the teacher will inevitably end up spending more time there.(particularly if they work without support) However, I work VERY hard to ensure that I don't leave the well behaved workers out. But sometimes, you do have to remind yourself. We're not miracle workers! It's bloody hard work being a teacher, especially with a tough class. Make your concerns known. Hopefully, it may be easily fixed. But definitely speak now, rather than wait until it really IS a big concern.