Parents’ not-really-an-evening
Tonight I went to what was desribed as a “parents’ evening” at my youngest son’s school. I say tonight, but the so-called “evening” started at 3.30pm and finished at 6.00pm.
I’d guess that most people would describe that as an afternoon. Doesn’t the evening actually start about 6.00pm, not end then?
Don’t get me wrong. My father was a teacher and I have several friends who are teachers. I know how hard they work. On more than one occasion I’ve known a teacher go home after an evening out, to carry on with their marking while I was happy to get home and crash into bed.
But when they schedule an event so that most working parents will have to take time off work to get there, and then call it an “evening”, it does rather play into the hands of those who reckon that teachers normally clock off about 4.00pm
Just a suggestion – why not call it a parents’ review meeting instead? Or maybe you can come up with a better suggestion.
7 July 2008 at 9:33 pm
Eeeh, when I were a lass I can remember when parents’ evenings really were as they said. Started at 7pm, ended around 9pm. Much better for working parents.
Obviously, this was at the same time when you were still able to play British Bulldog and other excellently fierce games in the playground. And that was just the parents…
8 July 2008 at 11:02 am
Well I didn’t want to hark back to the Good Old Days and come on like some fogey, but it does seem that the old name, which was accurate, has just been carried forward without thought for the impression it gives nowadays.
It was the same at their junior school too. But of course then I didn’t have a blog on which to spout about it
)
9 March 2009 at 8:45 pm
I’ve actually sacrificed having a family of my own to be a teacher. We usually all get to school at 7.40 -8am at the lastest and most leave at 5,6. There is not one teacher alive who doesn’t work weekends, to keep on top of everything and most evenings too. The so called glorious holidays we all get are likely to be taken up with planning, report writing and numerous otherwise activities.
The current teacher bashing that seems to go on, because…
a) most of the “civilian public” don’t have a single clue our lives
b) We are easy targets, being the conscientious profession that we are -ever eager to always be better etc
c) People still hold grudges from their own school days
It really ticks me off ( for want of a really stronger word) when parents expect us to parent their child ( out of school hours which is rapidly becoming the case with so-called wrap around care – aka p** the teacher off who is trying to stay late and be professional, by letting your kids run riot in an after school club, because you can’t be ar**d to parent them)
We are rapidly becoming a culture of “sprog without thought because someone else will take care of them”
Here’s a thought. Just a thought!
a) Have children beause you want to raise a healthy, welleducated/adjusted member of society NOT because you think you should because everyone else has
b) IF you’re gonna have children at least be bothered TO BE A PARENT!
c) Send your children to school ready to learn, not in a state where the teacher has to virtually be their mommy and daddy before they can – that’s right you’ve guessed – it EDUCATE them – yes that actually is our job!
GGRRRRRR – don’t get me riled ANY more
The best thing would be for every parent to have to do a year’s teaching to recognise the “walk in their shoes” aspect – to be honest however I don’t think half of you so called parents are up to it!!
10 March 2009 at 11:21 am
If you re-read my post, Claire, you’ll see that I’m actually on your side. I’m just pointing out the unfortunate effect of this mis-labelling of the event.