Open Evening stresses!

[Piggywaspushed]

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.

On a scale of zero to Donald Trump, how much of a goady fucker is @Fffion? Dearie me.

By all means come in to my school today and take my Year 9s last period. They’ve come from PE and it’s very windy. I’ll be sitting up the back with popcorn watching them have fun with you as, like me, they’ve got finely tuned ‘arsehole alert’ lights and will have spotted how much of a fanny you are as soon as you opened your gob.

Isn’t it funny how it’s always non teachers who come on to MN and tell us how we don’t have stressful jobs and other professions have it worse etc etc etc. Yawn.

I am guessing AIBU has been boring recently so MNers are trawling other places for fun and games. It's a shame.

Fffion. So goady.

Actually, I run three choirs, an orchestra, jazz band, put on performances every week in assembly etc etc. In addition to teaching, marking, phoning home, tracking and assessment, counselling, fielding constant enquiries. A student swore at me last week for giving her some ideas on her Composition. It's thankless sometimes. I'm not moaning, it's enjoyable - but bloody hard work.

Oh, and I don’t have a lunch hour, or even a lunch 5 seconds, because I’m running activities for the children. Again, I’m happy to, but it doesn’t make it easy.

Whenever I cover a music lesson I'm so thankful I'm not a music teacher, I don't know how you cope with the noise! You must have a thumping headache by the end of the day.

To be fair, I was moaning.

And I reserve the right to moan in the relative safety of the STAFFROOM.
Ofsted aren't allowed in the staffroom, let alone fffion.

@Fffion appears to have fucked off. Thank feck.

goady fuckeriness

MiniMacaron, with a turn of phrase like that, you would have been a welcome addition to any staffroom.

I am just posting to appreciate my lovely new school where they have (for the first time ever in my 7 years of teaching) accepted that as a sixth form only teacher I don't need to attend the year 6 open evenings!

Props to the rest of you and noble, if I get any sticky moments at the 6th form evening next week I'm going to think of the invisible penises and what to do with my arms and that will cheer me up.

I've worked it out. I think Ffion is a Business Manager.

The total lack of understanding and empathy is a prerequisite isn't it?

What a worrying set of responses.

All I have done is wonder why it is unreasonable to market the school by attending an open evening, and then query the notion that a music teacher suffers hardship by running a choir or orchestra.

All subjects have their area that make them hard. English teachers have a horrific marking load, science teachers have to prepare and run practicals, PE staff have matches and are outside in the depths of winter. Art teachers seem to be responsible for decorating the school, drama teachers put on productions involving lots of after hours rehearsals, and music teachers run choirs, orchestras and ensemble. It's part of the job and should not be a surprise to anyone.

I don't really like the notion that some subjects are harder because they are more important. All subjects are important. But core subjects can actually be easier because their departments are bigger.

On another note....

In a stroke of genius re parents evenings , my DSs' school (which has its sixth form and main school five miles apart) has decided to have a year 12 parents' evening and a year 9 one on the SAME night. My DSs are in year 9 and... yes.. year 12.

I can't go to one of them and my DH the other, because guess where I am??? Marketing my own school business at an Open Evening.

Surely even you can see that's insane Fffion??

I must say the language you sue does suggest some knowledge of education fff - so I am confused as to your sentiments towards us.

Beg pardon use not sue - Freudian slip

and you have wilfully misunderstood or misread my OP. I am not complaining attending an Open Evening. I am attending two in two weeks (plus it seems now performing the magical feat of attending two in the same night.

Two MORE in the same night .....

The confusion is getting to me. I need a lie down. It'll be that moderation in my p5 PPA that did it. There wasn't even cake.

I have never had my DCs' parents' evenings clash with one another. It is a bit weird for Y9 and 12 to have parents' evenings at the same time. Year 12 in the first half term sounds fine as they are settling into sixth form. It seems like a silly time for Year 9, where you'd expect it as part of the Options process.

I won't be going to my DD's Y11 parents evening in January as I have a work commitment at that time. Hopefully DH will be able to go, but if not, I will have to have email discussions with the teachers.

Lucky teachers.

They are both meet the tutor events, so I guess DH either drives 5 miles between sites or decides one child is more important than the other.

We start in year 9 here. they'll have three parents'' evenings this year.

We as a family have frequently had three way clashes of parents' evenings . One day , there will be a 4 way pile up.

and (tis Friday night after all) to all you lovely teachers.

I'm just a lowly parent. No open evenings for us any more, all kids in secondary already. But we have had two evening meetings this week at school for various trips and "welcome back, here's what's going to happen next for your child" type info. Numerous teachers and the Head at the meetings, all staying late (gone 8pm) after a full days' work. My gratitude to their hard work and dedication is boundless.

Thanks sling.

It's bloody exhausting for parents too :)

How about the school that organises the 6th Form Open Evening (to decide if you want to move up or move elsewhere) the same week that 40 of their year 11 students are away on their German Exchange? How does that rank in the "doh" ratings?

oh , yes, that's good !!

Double doh!

As a yr 6 mother, I would also like to thank all the teachers who are patiently going to be answering my "when do you set..?" etc questions at the Open Days. I know how hard you all work, how exhausted you are and I really appreciate it . I promise not to spend too much time looking at teachers arms and looking for penis desks!

And kudos to you all for your patience dealing with the GF on this thread. I can tell you all have practice and not just telling someone to F off, even though they are being really really annoying!