Part Time Teachers, do you go to every parents evening on your day off?

[reastie]

I am quite mindful that I may just get flamed for people seeing me as unprofessional but pt teachers do you go into every parents evening when the evenings fall on your day off? How do you feel about going in and doing all the extra things expected of us?

From what I can find I shouldn't have to go to the evenings at all or am entitled to extra payment for it if I do, but I do and always have done so unquestionably as part of my job. I've recently come back from mat leave after having my 1st dd and am tbh struggling with the out of classroom workload. I'm trying to get by doing as little as possible but alot of pressure is on staff where I work at the minute and I'm one of those people who can't wing it and has to prepare and organise things.

I have parents evening for a year group I am currently between classes (ie one group has finished, the new group not yet started). Because of timetabling I won't see this year group (which btw is not an exam year group)until after the parents evening so can't make appointments with the old class if they wanted them (although no need to see them anyway IYWKIM). My plan was to send a message out saying if any parents from my old group would discuss anything I will be happy to telephone them whenever is convenient for them, and tbh no student has asked me for an appointment and there's no actual importance of me attending. So I have zero people to see and I don't teach a core subject.

I feel really annoyed that i'm still required to go (line manager says so) and sit there in the vague hope someone might want to see me. It seems to pointless. I appreciate there may be a parent with questions or an issue from my old group, but surely this could be dealt with over the telephone given that I don't have any planned parents to see. In the past if I've had one or two appointments my line manager told me it wasn't worth me going in just for that and to ring them instead - suddenly all has changed while I was away or maybe he's punishing me I think I also feel a bit resentful as I'm only part time and think I should only have to attend half the parents evenings as I only work less than half a full time worker. IA prob BU here and don't really even know if I'll post this message as the responses will probably upset me and indicate you all think I'm a rubbish teacher for even moaning and not wanting to go. FWIW, I do work hard at school, I do get good results and I do care about the students, I just feel annoyed that working 2 days a week means I still have to do ALL of the extra bits and not my paid proportion of these things.

The PT teachers in my department all attend parents' evening even on their day off. There is a definite expectation that this will happen, but to my knowledge, no-one has objected to it. We don't attend if we have no appointments though.

I think teachers are far more willing to go the extra mile when the school doesn't take the piss with ridiculous demands.

cartoon I only have my classes for few lessons a week, so teach every year group

Tbh, I wonder now if I should have gone above my line manager to the deptuty head and ask her for clarification given the situ, but I've sent a message to students I will be there waiting so be there I must . Next time I think I will. I'm not asking to be paid more for it (although that would be nice ). I went to my line manager as he has been really supportive of me and always taking the attitude of if I don't need to then don't do it and not making work for myself. Since I discussed the possibility that I may consider leaving as I'm finding it all too much with DD at home and all the extra stuff he's shifted and making me do all the extra stuff. This may be coincidence with stuff going on at the school at the same time I'm not sure, but I feel even more down about it

The problem is that even going in and being paid is that you still might have to pay childcare plus the extra cost of the 'unecessary' journey - yes full timers get this as well, but it can be harder to find childcare on those other days/ few hours.

I go in for parents evenings on my days off but the school pays me overtime (without even having to ask). I think I must be lucky?

I don't but that's in part because I'm the Learning Support teacher in an academic independent school and they don't really want me on show.

argh, wrote a message and then my comp froze

to mrudagawa and the school not wanting you on show

whathaveiforgottentoday yes I think you are v lucky

We all enter voluntarily into a psychological contract as well as a legal one. Perhaps only work at a school that will either pay or one where you are happy, or at least willing, to follow the norm?

Every teacher in all DCs' schools attends every parents evening (or genuinely offers alternative arrangements). Most can be seen after school and at weekend events. At the public school one feels they would not be there long if they don't. The comp staff, you know they love where they are and what they do because of daily evidence of the extra mile. A good humour pervades the place, along with the professional discipline. I doubt that any of them get paid for out of school hours. About half are part-time because the range of subjects matches and exceeds the public school's. There is a full bell curve of new and ancient, recent and long-serving, on teaching and other staff.

I would only say this is no different in other professions. While a variety of ambition levels is easily catered for, breach of the psychological contract is not. So why work somewhere if the psychological contract sticks in your throat? The work you are prepared to do may be valued elsewhere. A sabbatical may be the answer for a while. You'd be happier and so would they.

third it's funny as I'm seriously considering requesting a sabbatical but have never heard of anyone in teaching ever having one

Happens all the time. They stop work; some return, batteries recharged, and some move on happily.

third [clueless] - since you seem to know of it happening and say some move on happily, is there a requirement to return do you know?

Depends on the arrangement you make, but how likely is this with an employer you don't gel with? It's more usual in such situations to remember that you're far better equipped than the 18+s or 16+s who venture out to the world.

Someone I know went on three sabbaticals, all to extend their professional portfolio. They returned after two of them, but changed course during one of them, and that wasn't the last one.

Answering on behalf of dh.

He actually has a job in another college 80 miles awayon his "days off" so is unable to attend parents evenings/other functions on those days.

third maybe I should mention that I think I'm thought of generally highly at my school. I almost always get excellent lesson observations and had a pretty good untarnished record until I had to have some sick leave during pregnancy. So it could be a possiblity. thing is, realistically I'd like 2 years to make a difference to me, but that is quite a long time

Well, you may all be interested that I rang up my union this morning. As I work for an independent school they can do what they like - I can be required to come in on any day at any point whether it's usually my day off or not, and I can be required to do every single meeting/open day/parents evening/INSET etc etc whether it's on my day off or not if they tell me to and can have to do the same amount as full time workers (obv with less than half the money). Seems really unfair actually

Dh works in an independent school reastie but he noticed this in his terms and conditions about being required to come in on open dyas etc including Saturdays and told them before he started/signed his contract that this would not be possible

I'm intrigued - all our parents' evenings are on a thursday and all our meetings are on a Monday, so any teacher not working those days would miss everything. When I was part time (worked tuesdays and fridays) I was definitely expected to go in for parents' evenings, but if the monday meeting was important (very few were), I was paid for it and asked well in advance.

Actually, even as a full-timer now I don't teach every year so I don't go to as many parents' evenings as some of my part-time colleagues!