Calling all teachers! I need advice please

[dez1978]

With options like Photomath, cheating is easy if math is just worksheets. Kids just take a photo w/their phone and the program solves it step by step. Photomath is just one of many options.

I am glad you mentioned this bc I am awful at math and I'm also old enough that I didn't learn math the way it's taught now, so when my kids need help I am not very good at it. Fortunately, they are both math whizzes so it's not often they ask me for help.

In the past years when I've pulled them out, it has never been a problem. Either the teachers say have fun, and don't really assign anything, or they will send home some math stuff or have them check Schoology on their Ipads. They have never given them zeros for not being there. But this year my oldest is in 6th so he has multiple teachers and I wasn't sure how to approach that. Also different this year is that my youngest broke his leg in December and was home the 2 weeks before xmas break because the cast was to his butt and I could not expect the school to deal with that until he figured out how to use a walker and get himself to the restroom and the worst of the pain was past. They did send home some school work for him then. And while I was talking to the principal about him returning to school after break, I brought up these trips. I didn't really ask permission, just said by the way, he'll also be gone these days, but I will make sure he gets his work done. The prinicipal was fine with it, but thats the elementary school. Honestly, I'd never plan for my kid to miss so much school, and they rarely ever miss more than a day or 2 thru the year for illness. But this year just seems to be a mess, and our family is dealing with some personal stuff, so this is a year for making memories and doing all the things.

 

[lowlight]

I am glad you mentioned this bc I am awful at math and I'm also old enough that I didn't learn math the way it's taught now, so when my kids need help I am not very good at it. Fortunately, they are both math whizzes so it's not often they ask me for help.

In the past years when I've pulled them out, it has never been a problem. Either the teachers say have fun, and don't really assign anything, or they will send home some math stuff or have them check Schoology on their Ipads. They have never given them zeros for not being there. But this year my oldest is in 6th so he has multiple teachers and I wasn't sure how to approach that. Also different this year is that my youngest broke his leg in December and was home the 2 weeks before xmas break because the cast was to his butt and I could not expect the school to deal with that until he figured out how to use a walker and get himself to the restroom and the worst of the pain was past. They did send home some school work for him then. And while I was talking to the principal about him returning to school after break, I brought up these trips. I didn't really ask permission, just said by the way, he'll also be gone these days, but I will make sure he gets his work done. The prinicipal was fine with it, but thats the elementary school. Honestly, I'd never plan for my kid to miss so much school, and they rarely ever miss more than a day or 2 thru the year for illness. But this year just seems to be a mess, and our family is dealing with some personal stuff, so this is a year for making memories and doing all the things.

Kids have been through a lot the past two years. Mental health and enjoying life is, in my opinion, more important than a week of math. Enjoy your trip.

 

[sam_gordon]

No horse in the race, as I don't have kids and I'm not a teacher. But the very exclusive prep school I attended would disagree with you. Kids were regularly pulled for travel, which could be as long as a month's safari in Africa. Not to mention ALL the school-sponsored travel opportunities throughout the year, each of which was a week or two at a time. They considered travel to be a vital part of education. And the professor for the Harvard course I took entitled "Saving Our Schools" strongly believed that the only reason travel isn't usually excused in public schools is that funding is tied to butts in seats.

I think you missed my point. I didn't say travel WASN'T educational. My point is LIFE is educational. A trip to the grocery store is educational. Would you take your kid out of school for a trip to the grocery store?

 

[lowlight]

I think you missed my point. I didn't say travel WASN'T educational. My point is LIFE is educational. A trip to the grocery store is educational. Would you take your kid out of school for a trip to the grocery store?

I’ve done it to have a pizza lunch date. Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset.

 

[sam_gordon]

I’ve done it to have a pizza lunch date. Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset.

Wow. OK. I wonder what the teachers on here think about that.

 

[lowlight]

Wow. OK. I wonder what the teachers on here think about that.

Why would that matter to me? It’s like asking a doctor what they think about big pharma.

 

[JLTraveling]

I’ve done it to have a pizza lunch date. Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset.

This. I was allowed to miss school all the time for theater--a day or two during tech week, plus days for school performances (morning and afternoon shows for school groups). I took the PSAT, my dad picked me up for lunch at Red Lobster, I overate and got a stomach ache, Dad called me out for the rest of the day.

I think you missed my point. I didn't say travel WASN'T educational. My point is LIFE is educational. A trip to the grocery store is educational. Would you take your kid out of school for a trip to the grocery store?

Funny you should mention it. When I was in kindergarten, we literally took a school-sponsored field trip to the grocery store. Each kid got handed $10 and told to buy everything we needed to make dinner that night. Then we all brought our bags back to school and presented them to the class. It led into a series of lessons on everything from budgeting to nutrition to what constitutes a complete meal. And because we were kindergartners, the selections we brought back were hilarious. The school thought it was a valid use of learning time.

Several years ago, my mom and I ran a psychoeducational day camp for children of newly immigrated Dept. of Agriculture workers. About 15 kids ages 4 to 17. We divided the summer into week-long modules. Every Friday we took a field trip based on that week's module. Like the week we did space and rocketry, we spent the week building and launching model rockets. Then on Friday we went to Kennedy Space Center. Those kids learned more physics and planetary science in that week alone than in an entire year of sitting in a public classroom.

@lowlight is 100% correct. Public schooling was developed to create obedient people who knew just enough to be good assembly line workers for the Industrial Age. Sure, different districts have evolved since then, and some try really hard to offer more opportunities. But the system itself was designed with that in mind, and it hasn't really changed significantly. That Harvard course I mentioned upthread is free on edx.org if you'd like to learn more. But yes, at its heart, public schooling is there to institutionalize. That was literally its founding principle.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’ve done it to have a pizza lunch date. Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset.

I'd be concerned with any method of education that is insular and narrow focused. Private schools can be worse there (both secular and religious), homeschooling depends on what level the parents are doing because a parent solely teaching their child or seeking out resources only they agree with can be worse not to mention inadequate in learning, etc.

Rather than focus on which (public in this case) if you're concerned about the quality of education I'd be focusing on the education portion itself.

 

[aprilgail]

If you are taking them out for anything other than being sick by me you can not make up the work, You get zeros on things that you missed.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

My kids, my choice?

if want to take them out of school because that is when I can travel then who’s is to tell me no.
and if there should be consequences for taking my kids out of school for vacation there should be consequences for teachers striking…..

anyone remember what happen to the controller that went on strike against Regan ?
it didn’t end well.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

If you are taking them out for anything other than being sick by me you can not make up the work, You get zeros on things that you missed.

I could have so much fun with this statement as you did not specific sick of what.

Would a mental health day count or is it a subjective standard and only you get to decide ?

 

[lowlight]

My kids, my choice?

Pretty much this.

 

[dez1978]

My kids, my choice?

if want to take them out of school because that is when I can travel then who’s is to tell me no.
and if there should be consequences for taking my kids out of school for vacation there should be consequences for teachers striking…..

anyone remember what happen to the controller that went on strike against Regan ?
it didn’t end well.

I'm pretty much in agreement with that. If they should really want to be jerks about it, I can just unenroll them for the week and re-enroll when we get back. They mostly only care about butts in seats for the $. When school reopened here in Aug 2020 in person and my kids had to quarantine 10 days (twice that year bc they were in contact with someone who had it) they didn't send any work home for them or do anything on the ipads even tho they were set up to do so. If they really cared about kids being gone and how it affected their education, they'd have followed thru with the virtual learning during those times.

 

[Frwinkley]

Wait...what???

"Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset."

Yes, yes, that's exactly right. I signed up to be an "institutionalizer". Gosh, I just thought I was an educator.

Why such disrespect? It's like saying accountants are really money launderers.

Sickening.

 

[lowlight]

Wait...what???

"Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset."

Yes, yes, that's exactly right. I signed up to be an "institutionalizer". Gosh, I just thought I was an educator.

Why such disrespect? It's like saying accountants are really money launderers.

Sickening.

I wasn’t intending disrespect. There are a lot of good teachers that try to do their best within the system, but ultimately it’s the system that’s flawed. It’s funny you bring up accounting, since tax law is hilariously broken.

 

[Bamaclan4]

I'm pretty much in agreement with that. If they should really want to be jerks about it, I can just unenroll them for the week and re-enroll when we get back. They mostly only care about butts in seats for the $. When school reopened here in Aug 2020 in person and my kids had to quarantine 10 days (twice that year bc they were in contact with someone who had it) they didn't send any work home for them or do anything on the ipads even tho they were set up to do so. If they really cared about kids being gone and how it affected their education, they'd have followed thru with the virtual learning during those times.

As a recently retired teacher of 35 years that did on occasion take my kids out of school for travel I must say that this and “my kids my choice” is just arrogantly wrong. First of all when you enroll your child in a school you also enter into an agreement with them to follow the school‘s rules, or face the consequence.These rules are put in place to keep your child safe and to give them the best possible education. Are all of these rules reasonable? Not always , but they are there for a reason. I was fortunate that I worked in a system that wasn’t too strict on missing for travel on occasion as long as it wasn’t abused. If you choose to unenroll them then re- enroll there are no guarantees they will get back in the same class, so they’re basically getting used to a new teacher this late in the year. As far as institutionalized, I really wish someone would’ve told me that years ago, it certainly would have saved me a lot of hard work. I’m a firm believer in everyone has their own opinion, but to that comment I would suggest you spend a couple of weeks in any public classroom then see if you have a better understanding of what teachers And students go through daily. And furthermore it’s attitudes like yours that make it so hard on teachers. Now as for that awful year of Covid , if you weren’t a teacher or school personnel during that time you have no idea how difficult that was. The entire world was turned on its head and we were all just trying to survive and hoped that our students learned something!
To the OP if the past few years has taught me anything it is to each life. Go on your trip. Talk it over with the teachers and admin and most of the time you will find they are willing to work with you.

 

[dez1978]

I wasn’t intending disrespect. There are a lot of good teachers that try to do their best within the system, but ultimately it’s the system that’s flawed. It’s funny you bring up accounting, since tax law is hilariously broken.

Wait...what???

"Once you realize the purpose of public schooling is to institutionalize and not educate, it changes your mindset."

Yes, yes, that's exactly right. I signed up to be an "institutionalizer". Gosh, I just thought I was an educator.

Why such disrespect? It's like saying accountants are really money launderers.

Sickening.

So I love and respect our teachers and know teachers are out there doing the best they can and it’s not easy. I don’t think it’s the teachers that are the problem at all. Or at least not most of them. But @lowlight is right. The education system is institutionalized and broken. It’s meant for kids that can be made to fit in boxes. It’s a pretty rigid system that doesn’t allow for individuals to flourish if they don’t fit in that box. That’s not the teachers fault, and a good many of them try to make it work for the kids outside the box. Ask a neurodivergent kid or adult if they feel like school was set up for them to succeed or if they constantly felt like they were failing because they couldn’t fit into that box. As an ADHD mom with an ADHD kid I can tell you it seems like it’s meant for my kid to fail.

 

[Bamaclan4]

So I love and respect our teachers and know teachers are out there doing the best they can and it’s not easy. I don’t think it’s the teachers that are the problem at all. Or at least not most of them. But @lowlight is right. The education system is institutionalized and broken. It’s meant for kids that can be made to fit in boxes. It’s a pretty rigid system that doesn’t allow for individuals to flourish if they don’t fit in that box. That’s not the teachers fault, and a good many of them try to make it work for the kids outside the box. Ask a neurodivergent kid or adult if they feel like school was set up for them to succeed or if they constantly felt like they were failing because they couldn’t fit into that box. As an ADHD mom with an ADHD kid I can tell you it seems like it’s meant for my kid to fail.

I’m sorry that is your experience. At the school I was in we bent over backwards to help all children succeed. I literally went through the detox of 2 separate students as they were adjusting to their new homes. By the end of the year they were performing above grade level. We’ve had more adhd, ocd, bi-polar etc. babies than I can count. We have chased kids down that were running away straight into traffic. We have been hit, kicked, cussed , had numerous objects thrown at us, including chairs and metal bars. And through it all we continued to teach ALL of the students and got up the next day not knowing what was waiting on us, but we faced it all. As I said I’m sorry you haven’t had a good experience, but all schools aren’t that way.

 

[dez1978]

As a recently retired teacher of 35 years that did on occasion take my kids out of school for travel I must say that this and “my kids my choice” is just arrogantly wrong. First of all when you enroll your child in a school you also enter into an agreement with them to follow the school‘s rules, or face the consequence.These rules are put in place to keep your child safe and to give them the best possible education. Are all of these rules reasonable? Not always , but they are there for a reason. I was fortunate that I worked in a system that wasn’t too strict on missing for travel on occasion as long as it wasn’t abused. If you choose to unenroll them then re- enroll there are no guarantees they will get back in the same class, so they’re basically getting used to a new teacher this late in the year. As far as institutionalized, I really wish someone would’ve told me that years ago, it certainly would have saved me a lot of hard work. I’m a firm believer in everyone has their own opinion, but to that comment I would suggest you spend a couple of weeks in any public classroom then see if you have a better understanding of what teachers And students go through daily. And furthermore it’s attitudes like yours that make it so hard on teachers. Now as for that awful year of Covid , if you weren’t a teacher or school personnel during that time you have no idea how difficult that was. The entire world was turned on its head and we were all just trying to survive and hoped that our students learned something!
To the OP if the past few years has taught me anything it is to each life. Go on your trip. Talk it over with the teachers and admin and most of the time you will find they are willing to work with you.

I don’t disagree that Covid was really hard on kids and teachers alike. I was fortunate that our school picked upon Aug 2020 and stayed open.
Actually the thing about unenrolling and re-enrolling them was actually suggested to me by an educational consultant we used when the school insisted my kid didn’t need evaluated, he was just disobeying for attention. She was a former public school principal at a large school district, who after seeing the mess the schools were for kids who don’t fit in the box, decided to be an advocate for them. While I know that could be a challenge in some districts where there are multiple schools and large classes, in our district where k-12 is on one campus and the avg grade size is 60, it wouldn’t likely be an issue where they would have to adjust to a whole new teacher or class. They’ve been in the same class with the same kids their whole lives. And if we are talking about rules that are supposed to keep kids safe, that’s a joke. Those zero tolerance for bullying rules? How often do you read about those not being enforced? Parents whose children have been bullied to the extreme and schools aren’t doing a dang thing about it. Kids who have taken the bullying for years but as soon as they stand up for themselves they are the ones in trouble. Those rules are to protect the schools. Again, I fully believe that the teachers are doing the best they can and really want what’s best their students. But their hands are often tied by the administration and funding. Which brings us back to the push for perfect attendance. Funding.

 

[dez1978]

I’m sorry that is your experience. At the school I was in we bent over backwards to help all children succeed. I literally went through the detox of 2 separate students as they were adjusting to their new homes. By the end of the year they were performing above grade level. We’ve had more adhd, ocd, bi-polar etc. babies than I can count. We have chased kids down that were running away straight into traffic. We have been hit, kicked, cussed , had numerous objects thrown at us, including chairs and metal bars. And through it all we continued to teach ALL of the students and got up the next day not knowing what was waiting on us, but we faced it all. As I said I’m sorry you haven’t had a good experience, but all schools aren’t that way.

Teachers like you are what make the difference. And I’m glad teachers like you exist and I’m sorry you have to go thru all that.