There's a tempest brewing at work.
Parent-Student-Teacher conferences are fast approaching.
In the distant past, conferences were held on a "non-student" day. This simply meant that the kids got the day off school, except for the 15 minutes they were sitting in the hotseat, being grilled by - oh, I mean, showing their work to - their parents and their teacher.
As a rule, this was a Friday. Conferences were held from 9:00 to 3:30. An average class had 28 students, give or take, and, at 15 minutes a conference and a half hour off for lunch, this constituted the length of a regular school day.
(This previous paragraph does not take into account, of course, the hours of preparation for the conferences, but that doesn't really pertain to this particular tempest.)
About seven years ago, the powers-that-be decided that this particular schedule did not cater enough to our clients - that in many families, both parents work outside the home and are unable to leave work to meet with their children's teacher. The schedule changed to Thursday evening and Friday morning. In lieu of working Thursday evening, we were given Friday afternoon off.
At the time, I was livid. Completing four hours of conferences after teaching a full day exhausted me. And why would I want to work through an evening when I could be spending time with my own children? I already spent a couple of hours every evening doing homework - why would I want to make it worse? Oh, and my reward was an afternoon off when my own kids were in school. Whoopee!
Well - you guessed it. Now they want to have conferences on a Wednesday evening and a Thursday evening, with all day Friday off in lieu.
That's right- two whole twelve hour days in a row, two evenings missed with my own family, with a day off when my own children are not at home.
Oh - and I haven't told you the reason behind this new push.
Evidently, when the hockey coaches in the community learned that there was "no school" on the particular Friday in question, they booked more ice time. Now, it's inconvenient for the families to attend their Parent-Student-Teacher conferences on Friday morning because "Little Johnny has hockey practice" and we all know that hockey practice is sacred in these parts.
I'm really getting fed up with everything else being more important than their child's education. And I'm getting even more fed up with the fact that, in the short term, it always seems to be the teachers who pay for this warped sense of priorities. Of course in the long term, it's the kids themselves who pay.
Somedays I feel as if I've just fallen in the rabbit hole. If I could just find my way out, I could find the sane world that existed before all this craziness.
About Me
- Library Mama
- I am a mom, a wife, and a teacher-librarian. I have four boys at home: Main Man (44), #1 (14), #2 (11), and #3 (7). Although they keep me very busy, I also look after a library for an elementary student population of 500 (give or take). I love my family; I love my job.
9 comments:
I say guerrilla tactics a la IRA are called for here. Some cold foggy night, the hockey coaches should get a "visit" from some people dressed for the weather in dark jackets and balaclavas. That would make him and everyone else in the community think twice about crossing teachers again.
Is balaclava the right word or is that the Greek pastry? I always get that mixed up.
We just had parent/teacher conferences this past week. How they do it is the kids get half days ALL WEEK and then the teachers get their normal hours, just half of it is spent with the parents while the kids are not there. The few years we have ever had our kids in public school here, they have never once had the students involved in the conferences. I think that would be kind of neat.
Anyway, I can understand your annoyance and frustration! TOTALLY. Karen had a good point in you having a day off, but I also understand you missing out on those nights with your kids also, not to mention being exhausted. Unreal.
The hockey thing REALLY ticks me off. That is just...man. It gets me. Sounds like something they would do here in the hockey community (of which I am part. Since Jock discovered the sport while watching one of the many movies my cousin is in {MVP Most Valuable Primate} at my parents house about four summers ago, our house has been turned upside down!) and it drives me NUTS.
Last year, the coach made a huge deal out of the kids going to practise the same night as they should be trick or treating. Made a HUGE deal out of it, insisted there would be hell to pay if they did not show up, etc etc. Stud took Jock and the coaches own kid was not there. He was out trick or treating! I WAS LIVID. Hockey is fun and all but GET A LIFE.
Brain has often lamented, "If only Jock never saw that STUPID movie Big Rick is in! Of all the movies he is in...WHY THAT ONE!?!?!" LOL We call my cuz "Big Rick", cause I have a brother with the same name. Anyway, all that to say...
I FEEL YOUR PAIN!
This post was very interesting to me. Our school district has always done parent conferences on school nights with a Friday off. They used to do it on Wed and Thu, but now it's Mon/Tue or Tue/Wed and then we have to work the next day or two. That's a killer. This year we've already had the make-up day and so we work a five day week in addition to 2 late nights.
Sounds unfair when you put it that way.
It is hard for a lot of parents to get time off work to attend parent teacher conferences. So I don't know what the answer is.
I don't agree with kids attending these meetings with the parents. I refuse to bring my kids with me. It's hard to have an open conversation about someone when they are sitting right there with you.
Having a teacher say your kid is a troublemaker is bad enough without feeling obligated to defend the little troublemaker, ha,ha..
Keep your children out of school on Friday as a protest..
Mentok, you've been married to a teacher long enough to know that we never really stand up for ourselves. We're destined to be walked over.
Karen, I know what you're saying about time off without the kids, and sometimes I do appreciate it. This term has been particularly grueling, though, and I'm feeling major mommy guilt for all the time the job has taken me away from my family.
Lowa, are you saying that the teachers at your school get five afternoons out of the class to do interviews? That would be great. I really do find the long days onerous.
Booklogged, I'm not sure I could do it. Those long days are bad enough, without having to teach for a couple more days after the evenings. I'm afraid I would have to resort to at least one video on one of the afternoons. ;-)
Happy, I can understand if a parent can't get time off work, but to influence a change in the school's schedule because of a hockey practice really burns my butt!
I've grown to like having the students in on the conferences. When I taught Grade 3, the kids loved showing off their work, and I always scheduled a short time at the end of the interview for "adult only" conversation. Rarely was this needed, though. With fifth grade, they're getting to the point where, if they're not holding up their end of the bargain, they deserve to be on the hotseat for a time, and if he/she is there, both the parent(s) and I can hold them accountable.
And no, as much as I would like to spend time with the boys, I will not interfere with their education by letting them play hookie. :-P
Who on EARTH would rather play hockey than attend a parent-teacher-conference?!?
I wish we had parent teacher conferences in college.
At first I thought you were being sarcastic, Hippo, but I remember you saying once that you really didn't like hockey that much, so maybe you're telling the truth.
I've missed you. Good to have you back. Hope your weekend was relaxing.
Hi LM,
As a teacher, I'll throw in my two cents. We don't actually "have" to show up for those evening conferences, which is why the boards set up those PD days, right? I am quite honest with my parents, and I offer them one or two spots at 8am the week after reports go home- that takes care of about 8 families right there, and parents pop in before heading off to work. It also limits the time- gotta go teach, sorry!
I also set up two or three interviews right after school on each night of the week, which take care of another ten or twelve, which leaves about 5 or 6 for the interview day. Last year, I had competitive tennis on the night where the school stays open late, and I refused to give it up. Having gathered up a half day over the week, I start my weekend midday on the Friday as well.
Parents work around you when you give them no other choice as well. I think you're right that we seem to be a spineless group as a whole, but I started finding mine again a few years ago. Amazing what happens when you don't let yourself get pushed around.
Good luck with it all. I have a Who concert that stands in the way of one night's availability, and then the tennis thing. Should be a fun December week. :)
Anne-Marie - I think you're right that parents will work around you when they have no other choice. The sad thing here in our school is that parents are always given a choice.
I'm not entirely inflexible, but I get a little peeved when a parent (and this has actually happened to me!) says, "Oh I couldn't possibly make the interview at the scheduled time, but I could make it on Saturday morning at 10:00. How does that sound?"
Ummm - I don't think so. Contrary to popular opinion, I do actually have a life outside of school.
Which reminds me - a Who concert? That is so cool!
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