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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Open Evening stresses!

170 replies

Piggywaspushed · 28/09/2017 17:47

I work in a large secondary school. We have two open evenings coming up : one main school and one sixth form on two consecutive Thursdays .

School day finishes 3.10 pm as normal and the evenings start at 5 for three hours. Not all of us need to be at both but many do.

Work life balance!!??? hahahahahahhahhaaahhhaha! I actually dodn't think many of our SLT have children between 0 - 16 and a full time working spouse. Most hods and hofs have grown children, no children or SAHPs as partners... I, on the other hand , am a FT working mother with a FT fellow teacher DH. I thought it would get easier as my DCs got older but it really hasn't.

Anyone want to compare/play Top Trumps/ gloat?

DH (largeish private school) has two Saturday Open Mornings but only needs to attend one and he doesn't need to go to the sixth form evening.

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Fffion · 28/09/2017 21:41

But how real were their moans about open evening? Major impact into family life, or a little readjustment?

How would they like Saturday mornings instead?

MatchsticksForMyEyes · 28/09/2017 21:42

I have open evening til half 7 on Wed with no time to go home between finishing and the start. Then the following week, same timings for a Y7 settling in parents evening as I'm a form tutor. I'm a single parent and have had to get my sister to help.

MsAwesomeDragon · 28/09/2017 21:46

The only teachers I've ever met who don't moan about open evening don't have children at home. The rest of us quite like seeing our own offspring in the evenings.

YogiYoni · 28/09/2017 21:46

But how real were their moans about open evening? Major impact into family life, or a little readjustment?

How would they like Saturday mornings instead?

You're the gift that keeps on giving @Ffion

Fffion · 28/09/2017 21:48

Piggy, if you find negativity in my latest posts, there is nothing I can do to appease you. I will only advise to not be so paranoid.

As a teacher, I hope that you will embrace, if not now but in the future, critical thinking and growth mindset,.

That means, partly, that if I say something you do not agree with you do not become hostile or take offence, but that you think critically about the actual points, and then argue them on that basis.

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 28/09/2017 21:48

To be fair awesome everyone was moaning today - with children, without, we just like a good old moan in our 25 minute lunch 'hour'. Grin

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noblegiraffe · 28/09/2017 21:48

growth mindset

Bobbins.

lougle · 28/09/2017 21:49

YogiYoni I have just got back from a Secondary School Open Evening for my DD, and I was so impressed by the effort that the teaching staff and students had gone to, to show their school as a vibrant and exciting place to learn.

It must have taken hours of planning to put on such a great OE and I'm really grateful to all of you teachers who put so much passion into your work.

Fffion · 28/09/2017 21:49

I'll take it on the chin, yogi, but unhelpful to this discussion.

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 28/09/2017 21:51

We tried debating but you sneered.

You implied we were unprofessional.

You implied I was a shit teacher.

But - hey - you've energised me. I'm not asleep!

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Fffion · 28/09/2017 21:52

Fantastic, lougle, that is how it should be. Good luck in your future decisions.

leccybill · 28/09/2017 21:53

Thank you for the kind comments from parents on this thread.

I was a bit gutted this week to miss Open Afternoon in my own DD's class, and barely see her for an hour or two each evening. One night I didn't see her at all. I left before she woke up and got home when she was in bed. It's a bit crap.

YogiYoni · 28/09/2017 21:53

While your comments have been thoroughly helpful @Ffion? My bad.

Thank you @lougle. Nothing makes a teacher happier than feeling likes it's all worthwhile. Except gin maybe. Gin makes us happy too Grin

Fffion · 28/09/2017 21:54

Assuming you are addressing me, where did I equate your teaching with the brown stuff? I am mortified and sorry if I did.

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 28/09/2017 21:54

I haven't found negativity in your latest posts. It's in all of them .HTH.

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Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 28/09/2017 21:56

You said amazing teachers took things in their stride and didn't moan.

I am officially amazing. My last three observations say so. Hoorah!

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Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 28/09/2017 21:57

And thanks to lougle and Flowers to leccy

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Fffion · 28/09/2017 21:59

Helpful, Piggy. Thankfully, I am not taking exams so do not have to navigate unclear feedback.

DriveInSaturday · 28/09/2017 22:20

Just caught up with this thread. A couple of years ago, we had a new member of SLT whose DP had a senior job in banking. After the summer fête, he asked her quite seriously when she would get time off in lieu for working all day Saturday. Stop telling us that In The Real World everybody expects to work whenever their employer demands it without recompense or complaint.

cantkeepawayforever · 28/09/2017 22:23

Ah. Growth mindset.

Have you read the peer-reviewed literature on that one, Ffion? I understand that it's a common buzz phrase at the moment, but like many popular 'bandwagon' theories, my understanding is that the underlying evidence doesn't support its effectiveness particularly well.

Neuroticwoman · 29/09/2017 00:00

Haven't RTFT but just been to an open day and REALLY appreciate the efforts the staff and pupils made. I needed to point out that if my child turned out like the 2 boys who escorted us I would be proud.
I can't believe the opportunities offered and the dedication of staff.

MiniMacaron · 29/09/2017 01:28

@Ffionn as an ex-trainee teacher who became depressed and had PTSD after just ten weeks in a classroom, I'd like to kindly ask you to take your goady fuckeriness elsewhere.

It doesn't sound like you're a teacher from the kind of things that you're posting on here. If you aren't a teacher, kindly take your teacher-baiting comments elsewhere. And if you are, God help you - you don't really sound happy.

And FlowersCakeBrewWineGin for noble, piggy,leccy and all of the other incredible teachers on this thread (and on MN in general) who I've missed out. You're all absolute heroes.

YokoReturns · 29/09/2017 05:07

fffion needs to do his/her teacher training, and a couple of years on the job, then tell us we’re all martyrs/unprofessional/have an easy life.

I’m a music teacher. My ‘open evening day’ looked like this:

Dropped boys off at childminder at 7.30am
In school at 7.40, sorting out day’s lessons and trying to get a Y11 to practise his solo performance
Rehearsal with form group for their assembly
Double Year 10, personalised feedback in every student’s book on their composition
Break (counselled a student)
Double Year 11, test on set work, alternated groups on composing/performing
Lunch: rehearsed choir for open evening
My Y7 French class (yes, I have to teach French! I’ve got A-level).
Year 8
After school: chamber choir rehearsal then open evening.
7.45: home to put boys to bed (DH useless, that’s another story)

I think I sang/led choirs for four hours yesterday, that’s a new level of knackering.

Fffion · 29/09/2017 05:58

Did you. Not expect to run a choir as a music teacher?

Original poster
Piggywaspushed · 29/09/2017 06:00

Wow yoko that's above and beyond. My subject brings high levels of scrutiny and expectation but a music teacher I could not do.

It's heart warming that people have come on the thread overnight to support teachers - otherwise we can get a rather skewed view of the general public :)

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