Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

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Red
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:09 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Red »

I'm about to attend the annual Y9 Parents Evening. Y9s started their GCSEs in September. Most appointments are 5 mins but some are 2.5. We had a grade card at Christmas so I have a starting point re performance.
What would you do with your 5 or 2.5 mins of face-to-face time?
If you are a teacher, what do you want from the parents?

Red
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Amber »

2.5 minutes?! Goodness, shake hands, sit down, say thank you, stand up again, say goodbye. :shock:

OK, as a parent I would have talked to child (is child going too?) and asked about any issues in the subjects. I would then say 'DD is a bit worried about simultaneous equations' or whatever it is...'have you noticed any problems? Is there anything you or she could do to tackle the problem?' By GCSEs (gosh that's early - Y9) most teachers will not just sit there and say 'oh, she's lovely, no problems at all' and if they do, you should press gently because even the most angelic child can work on something. If your child says all is entirely hunky dory in a subject, allow the teacher to open and say what s/he thinks.

As a teacher - I want parents to listen if I say there is a problem. It can be hard to tell a parent that a child is having difficulties and many parents feel very defensive so as a teacher I try to get them onside quickly. I suppose the one thing I want from parents is to feel that they support what I am trying to do. That sounds obvious but often one can sometimes feel that one is trying to convince a sceptical parent that their child is not working flat out and applying themselves wholeheartedly in lessons.

HTH and good luck with your 'speed dat ing'. (had to put it like that as the forum edited it to four asterisks and I thought you might wonder exactly what I was advocating doing with the teachers :? )
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Snowdrops »

Agree with all Amber has said above.

I would also add that sometimes it's just as difficult/awkward to get a teacher on board if your child is telling you they're not totally happy but the teacher sees no problem. (one subject - a confidence isssue, now resolved by myself :roll: ).

All my dd's reports are very good. Some subjects are better than others and we know the ones we're not too bothered about (the ones not on her choices list :wink: ). I try to get as many appointments as possible with all of them, just to let them see we are normal people and happy to work with them/approachable, so if ever there is a problem we know them and they know us. It's nice to 'know' who your child's teacher is, not just a bit of writing on paper.

Re: GCSE's - I know of a school in my town who have made all their year 9's take French and history GSCE's already - and they wonder why most of them only got an E :evil: :evil: A couple got C's. Now the parents have to pay out for resits :evil: :evil: but I don't suppose they'll be much better :shock: Those poor children, losing out on two year's worth of tuition just to boost the school's league table position (which isn't great to start with!).
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Red
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:09 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Red »

Thanks for your replies. I'm good at letting them talk: OH is not!

I've decided that the most useful aspect of Parents Evenings is that I can say "Don't forget I'll be seeing your teachers next xxxday!"

Red
Thingsbehindthesun
Posts: 463
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:25 pm

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Thingsbehindthesun »

Red wrote:Thanks for your replies. I'm good at letting them talk: OH is not!

I've decided that the most useful aspect of Parents Evenings is that I can say "Don't forget I'll be seeing your teachers next xxxday!"

Red
:lol:
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by mike1880 »

Sounds like our son. This was on the way to parents evening last Monday:

Son, with profound sense of injustice: "But I AM working really hard now!"
Parent, perhaps unnecessarily scornfully: "Oh really? Since when?"
Son: "Last Tuesday!"

Mike
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Snowdrops »

:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Red
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:09 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Parents Evenings: How do you use them?

Post by Red »

Love it! DC1 was disappointed in the dreaded grade card because 'I actually worked this term' -- cf last term I presume :shock:

I used to really enjoy Parents Evenings -- basking in the reflected glory of DC1. Then DC2 started school and I began to experience the humiliation of the 'less than perfect' report delivered with passion after the teacher has spent another exasperating day in DC2's company. At that point I began to question the value of PEs :lol: Now DC1 is starting to emulate DC2 :roll: Hubris!
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