Reflections on PT Interviews

This is one school meeting in the year that makes parents and teachers both anxious.

Parents are hoping to hear only positive things about their child and teachers hoping their ability to teach may not get uncovered in a negative light.

I was looking forward to PT interviews today as I was rather fully booked- a greater turnout of yr 12 and 13 parents to my surprise. I briefly wondered if my own ability to teach was so bad that parents wanted to see me.

During PT interviews I often put a parent hat on- what would I really want to know about my child. Today was no different. Parents came seeking help with their child’s ability to succeed- the gap in their understanding of how their child should learn and how the child of today actually learns was clearly evident.

Their eyes told quite a story- hardworking but tired middle class parents wanting the best for their children, hanging onto every word being said whilst taking notes, some requesting more HW while others firmly stamping their thoughts on how children should spend their school holidays (revising for exams).

I surprised myself when I gently asked parents to ease off on the pressure and allow their children to make mistakes and succeed from it. Ten years ago I would have agreed with the thinking in the earlier paragraph. Increasingly I am finding that parents and children are leading such busy lives there is very little time to stop and enjoy the little things in life. One might call it ageing but surely children deserve the opportunity to play, feel valued, explore the world and nurture relationships without having standards set for them- some beyond their reach that they give up even before trying.

Educators have an invaluable role to play. Let’s keep encouraging the valuable gems at our disposal being the guiding beacons in an ever so rushed and information rich society that we live in.