So, just had the parents evening and oh what a surprise. First appointment at 5.55, last one at 6.55. Got there 5 mins early for the first one at 5.50 and a set of parents were in there. They took 20 mins and there was then another girl to go in next before us.Ditto that. We always end up not seeing all the teachers. It is impossible and we now have a parents evening on Thursday. It's going to be a disaster.
They start around 4.30 and we are usually allocated to be in at around 5-5.15. By then they are already way behind.
On Thursday we have been allocated our first one at 5.55pm.
I am guessing by then they will be at least 45 mins plus behind.
So, just had the parents evening and oh what a surprise. First appointment at 5.55, last one at 6.55. Got there 5 mins early for the first one at 5.50 and a set of parents were in there. They took 20 mins and there was then another girl to go in next before us.
Our next appointment was 6.05. Finally got in to see the first teacher at 6.25. We were then massively behind. By the time we got to 7.20 we had only seen 4 teachers out of 7 alloted. Went to all the remaining classrooms and all the teachers had gone home.
Happens every time.
I am not down on the teachers though. I have not blamed the teachers at all here. I am blaming the system.Impossible to see all parents in time available. Blame the management who insist that every parent's concerns must be addressed but only give 5 minutes. I may teach 150 kids in one year group and have 180 minutes available to see them per year. I am given 5 minutes and told to leave 5 minute gaps. I can manage 18 appointments. Given that some parents won't take the hint when I try to wrap up the conversation and others repeat the same things over and over, and others want to tell you all the child's idiosyncrasies, anecdotes and troubles PLUS other parents try to push in without an appointment and play the really worried about ... card it's a very tough task for the teacher. After 30 years I am quite good at it now, but you should try it before you get too down on the teachers. BTW I do 7 parents evenings per year plus 3 open evenings, plus new year 7 evening, 2 awards evenings, 2 concert evenings, 1 or more school production. The parents evenings and open evenings are contracted hours. The rest are unpaid.
I have been on the parents side of the desk and know it's rubbish for them too. It is a logistical impossibility.
As an aside: Imagine if a GP had to see all their patients in a given time period. They have well over 2,000 patients each, on average.
At 10 minutes per appointment it would take them 334 hours. My surgery has 4 hours per day, 5 times per week. So it would take a GP 17 weeks to see each one.
Yep, totally agree. I am always looking at my watch and trying not to overrun. Some parents though insist on 20 mins with each and every teacher and that just buggers things up entirely.Sadly parents get the blinkers on when it comes to their kids. From parking at school, driving like idiots to get them to school, always beleiving their kids are right and taking up way too much time at parents evenings as theirown kids are the most important thing in the world and sod anyone else and their kids.
I have a great deal of sympathy with them. It's not just about a next pay day, these movie bosses can have you ostracized and end your career just like that in an instant.All of the famous actress's coming out moaning about Weinstein touching them up and basically being a perv. They are and have been complicit in their silence over the years. A lot of them are high enough profile to have been able to say something but they're more worried about their next payday than blowing the lid on him.
I have a great deal of sympathy with them. It's not just about a next pay day, these movie bosses can have you ostracized and end your career just like that in an instant.
Just think about your own job and think that if you spoke up that would be the end of your career in whatever your skill is.
Completely and utterly understand why people haven't spoken up. Apparently this is rife in the film industry and these movie moguls and producers wield such power.
It doesn't happen when they're really famous, it happens when they're on the way up, so if they speak up at the time people's reaction is " who's she, obviously trying to make a name for herself". It's not so easy to be believed when nobody has heard of you. Emma Thompson summed it up best for me when saying Weinstein is not a sex addict but a sexual predator. I believe there was also an investigation into this before and no action was taken against him, I think we've heard this scenario before.Surely if they 'ALL' knew about it a it was an open secret they should have stood up to it.I can understand the young kids not doing it but when you have the really famous ones coming out years later saying that they knew it went on then it doesn't wash with me I'm afraid as they're the ones who had enough fame and power to make a stand.
My wife is a secondary school teacher and has exactly the same problem. She had parents evening last night and only 6 out of 35 parents turned up!Impossible to see all parents in time available. Blame the management who insist that every parent's concerns must be addressed but only give 5 minutes. I may teach 150 kids in one year group and have 180 minutes available to see them per year. I am given 5 minutes and told to leave 5 minute gaps. I can manage 18 appointments. Given that some parents won't take the hint when I try to wrap up the conversation and others repeat the same things over and over, and others want to tell you all the child's idiosyncrasies, anecdotes and troubles PLUS other parents try to push in without an appointment and play the really worried about ... card it's a very tough task for the teacher. After 30 years I am quite good at it now, but you should try it before you get too down on the teachers. BTW I do 7 parents evenings per year plus 3 open evenings, plus new year 7 evening, 2 awards evenings, 2 concert evenings, 1 or more school production. The parents evenings and open evenings are contracted hours. The rest are unpaid.
I have been on the parents side of the desk and know it's rubbish for them too. It is a logistical impossibility.
As an aside: Imagine if a GP had to see all their patients in a given time period. They have well over 2,000 patients each, on average.
At 10 minutes per appointment it would take them 334 hours. My surgery has 4 hours per day, 5 times per week. So it would take a GP 17 weeks to see each one.
Well everyone seemingly turns up at my daughter's school. There was a queue for every teacher.My wife is a secondary school teacher and has exactly the same problem. She had parents evening last night and only 6 out of 35 parents turned up!
We have just booked our appointment for the next parents evening during the first week in November. It is all been done on one evening and appointments are for 10 minutes duration. There are 28 children in the class, so if everything runs on time it is nearly 5 hours straight through for the one teacher.I go to every parents evening, can understand teachers have a set amount of time but there are in so much of a rush they may as well just sent it home as a school report every so often as you can't really ask them much away from the set notes they have on each kid.
Ours does it over a week I think, makes it easierWe have just booked our appointment for the next parents evening during the first week in November. It is all been done on one evening and appointments are for 10 minutes duration. There are 28 children in the class, so if everything runs on time it is nearly 5 hours straight through for the one teacher.
Thinking not just of the parents needs here but for the teachers as well, the reality will probably be nearer 7 hours. Surely there must be a better system for managing this?
Grown men cycling on pavements
My missus does that, but I think it's a Russian/Eastern European thing. She talks of her brother when she only has a sister. She means her cousin. It's dead confusing. She also talks of historical relatives as if they are still alive.People that refer to friends, actually anybody that isn't their child's "Auntie" & "uncle" as "auntie" & "uncle".
my wife likes to shout 'doesn't your mum let you go on the road?' at them. Has no effect but makes her feel better.Grown men cycling on pavements
also, when you do actually crack and decide to ask for a Latte (pronounced Latt -ay), they then confirm your order and attempt to correct your (alreay correct) pronouciation by saying "OK Sir, 'one Lar-tay". Arggghhhh!It is hard these days to get a coffee. Just an ordinary cup of coffee of decent quality. I like the occasional latte. But most of the time I just want a nice large ordinary cup of coffee. But all they want to do is sell you something with a fancy name and charge you a few quid for it.
Try getting one though. I only drink coffee and beer. When on a long journey I can't have beer. But when you try asking for an ordinary cup of coffee you just get a blank look back. Or 'Is that a Latte, Americano or Cappuccino?' No. I want a nice strong ordinary coffee. Then they have to work out how to make one. I get extra shots of coffee. Then they charge me more for the extra shots of coffee.
Why can't coffee shops sell ordinary coffee? I'm not a snob. I don't need my coffee to have a posh sounding name. I'm happy to pay a few quid for a cup of boiling water and a few spoons of coffee in it. Just have the knowledge on how to make one.
I tried that a couple of weeks ago but it didn't go down too well cos the bloke on the bike must have been about 89.my wife likes to shout 'doesn't your mum let you go on the road?' at them. Has no effect but makes her feel better.
my wife likes to shout 'doesn't your mum let you go on the road?' at them. Has no effect but makes her feel better.
My wife is the same, Otis. Sister or brother seem to be more or less the same as cousin. My wife's mother is from Azerbaijan, and the number of cousins, aunts and uncles that my wife has is bewildering.My missus does that, but I think it's a Russian/Eastern European thing. She talks of her brother when she only has a sister. She means her cousin. It's dead confusing. She also talks of historical relatives as if they are still alive.
'It's my great grandmother's birthday today!'
'Oh, is it? Wow! How old is she?'
'137!'
I used to think she came from a really massive family, with 20 uncles, but seemingly she just has one sister and 2 aunties.
Happened to me a while ago, someone threw several eggs at my car and van parked in my drive.
Happened in Coventry.
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