Conferences | Imamother

amother

OP ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 7:11 pm

I'm a teacher. We have zoom conferences next week. Only 2 parents signed up!! I'm honestly shocked. I don't get it. Don't you care about how your child is doing?? I'm trying really hard not to judge but I have some students with major issues and the only people who signed up are the ones who are doing very well with zero concerns. To me, these conferences are very important to see the teacher, discuss the child and make sure everything is going alright. I'd never skip out on them for my own child....(and yes I have multiple children, one with issues, etc.)

BrachaVHatzlocha

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 7:45 pm

Yea, it's usually the ones coming for nachas lol. That being said, you said next wk . So maybe people waiting til closer to see their schedules. However, if not, you may have to initiate meetings

mushkamothers

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:00 pm

1. Sometimes, not always, but it's definitely sometimes true that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and the student is indeed a reflection of their home and the same reason they aren't succeeding is why the parents don't bother to show up.

2. A parent of a difficult kid can be burnt out from hearing all their problems and either ditching PTA, avoiding it or putting it off.

3. Many parents are juggling multiple things and either didn't book because they need other pieces in their schedule to fall into place, have to confirm a babysitter, forgot about it, didn't yet get a chance or missed the message entirely.

4. Some parents figure their kid is fine and teacher will reach out if there's a problem.

5. Some don't think PTA is important. They know their kid and don't care what the teacher says. Or their own parent never went and they turned out fine.

All possible options. I'm sure there's more. (I've been a teacher waiting to meet specific parents who obviously never showed up.)

amother

Aubergine ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:02 pm

I never skip but I hate zoom I find it awkward being on camera. Curious why they don’t do in person? I love in person I get to shmooze with people I never see while I wait for my turn. I might actually skip too if it was zoom.

amother

Glitter

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:39 pm

what grade is this for? we do in person. just went for my 9th grader and not only do parents come but I've even seen both parents there! but don't know if we even had conferences when I was in highschool...

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:47 pm

amother Aubergine wrote:

They tried to and they called the parents and none of them wanted to come in person...

amother

↑ OP

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:48 pm

amother Glitter wrote:

3rd. I don't get it. You can sit in your pj's on zoom. My husband and I always go together unless there is some crazy issue.

amother

↑ Aubergine

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

They tried to and they called the parents and none of them wanted to come in person...

So sounds like a lack of interest in their child’s life. No one called to ask what we want, they say this is the night these are your times switch with someone if it doesn’t work. Maybe giving the parents this much power is backfiring.

amother

Ginger

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 8:55 pm

Something sounds off. This is not typical in most schools.

amother

Papayawhip

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 10:58 pm

This is not typical. What kind of school is it?

nicole81

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 11:11 pm

Perhaps the school needs to send out a reminder email to parents, or you should send out one if you have that access. I know sometimes schools send out emails at inconvenient times; I open them to glance then forget about them until I get a reminder. Also, it's in a week. Many parents will remember to sign up last minute.

seeker ↓

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 11:18 pm

I have a theory and I might be wrong, but I think anything online is too abstract. It doesn't feel real or pressing. Even signing up - if my kid is waving a sheet of paper in my face, I'll sign it. If I get an email with a link, it's so easy to miss or ignore. Or click the link and then get distracted before completing the process of setting a password, selecting your child, and the date, and the time, and making it work with the other times, and then confirming, and if you accidentally refresh or navigate away or get distracted in middle you need both the memory and the patience to do it again.

Not like this is so difficult per se but amid all the other digital and non digital static in life, how many brain cells do you want to make people use?

And all this for something that in itself is abstract. Oh another zoom meeting. Of course if you ask any of these parents, their kids' education is important to them. But they don't feel the immediacy or importance of the meeting when there is no physical body in the physical room physically waiting for them.

Our brains and bodies were built for the real, concrete world and things just don't work the same online.

I see the same thing with camp tips. Could be just correlation but it took a huge nosedive when zelle became the standard (oh I'll get around to it on the phone...)

oohlala

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 11:29 pm

Where is this school located? This is unusual. My kids school hasn’t had conferences on zoom since covid. Conferences are usually packed with parents. This school needs to do more to engage parents. Maybe the school is sending off vibes that they don’t want their involvement?

↑ seeker

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 11:41 pm

seeker wrote:

The tips were one example I experienced, just thought of another one - online courses and professional development. Sure it's more accessible and everything. But in the olden days when I signed up for a class, I put other things on hold and moved my body out of the house and to a venue for a few hours where I engaged with a speaker, sometimes spaced out, had it all in front of me anyway, and probably had a danish too. Now I sign up for webinars and even pay money for them and half the time forget to listen. Though I'm probably having the snacks anyway. And I'll download the slides, but they'll slip past my eyeballs instead of sitting on my desk for at least a few days hopefully making some dent in my brain.

amother

Skyblue

Tue, Nov 19 2024, 11:51 pm

amother OP wrote:

I can suggest a couple of possibilities.

1 - It can be hard to find privacy in your home for a zoom session. I wouldn't want to talk about my child within earshot of that child or other children.

2 - people don't like online conference

3 - how long is a session? Is there enough time for parents to discuss their concerns?

I personally dont find scheduled PTA/ conferences really valuable. If my child is doing well, I'm aware of it. If I have any concerns, 5-10 min isn't sufficient to address it. All I usually walk away with an agreement to follow up later. And if there are indeed any concerns, why wait till now to raise it? Ad-hoc meetings are so much more productive.