Homeschooling right now

[HeatherC]

I'm losing my mind... I'm not a teacher. I don't know how to teach. I'm still working full-time while trying to teach 5th grade math, science, social studies, ELA. My DD conveniently "can't remember" the lessons they learned in school from this year. None of it. SOMEONE SEND ME A DRINK!!! I'm becoming unraveled.

Please try not to stress over school. It is not worth it. The kids will be fine...it is a couple months out of many years of schooling. I’m sure her teachers would tell you the same thing. Just do what you can...or have your dd do what she can and leave it at that. I am a substitute teacher (teacher certified) and all of our teachers are saying the same thing. Life is stressful enough now. It is ok to have that drink!

 

[tinkerhon]

Are they grading it? Most around here are not and as someone who works at an elementary school; I really wouldn't stress over it. Especially if they're not grading it (which in my opinion they shouldn't be especially for ES - just too many different factors for kiddos) just make sure she's reading, ask her questions about it, maybe on the weekend do some math doing fun activities like baking or a craft project and just let her do what she can. Take this time to teach life skills and let the teachers catch them up next year. I hate to hear how stressful this stuff is for kids and parents. School wasn't made this way for a reason...I'm sure in the grand scheme of things she'll be okay with every lil thing completed.

We just had a Microsoft teams town hall meeting, and they told us that they were grading based on attendance only - monitored by their time a teachers ( Microsoft teams 2x a week) and myon and I-ready ( math and reading programs) - not sure how I feel about it - DS in third grade - I would want the online tests that he does count for something

 

[mefordis]

My kids are basically teaching themselves. The materials are on google docs., they read the teacher's emails, and I never need to get involved.. I got lucky with the homeschool situation. I think success mostly hinges on what type of personality your kid has. Some people are okay with the self learning and others need the classroom.

 

[MarkLT1]

...not sure how I feel about it - DS in third grade - I would want the online tests that he does count for something

May I suggest a small change in perspective that could help? They absolutely do count for something. Something even more important right now than a letter grade. We could be in a situation where kids aren't moving forward at all in school; where everything is stagnant. Instead, our kids have the opportunity to keep learning (admittedly in ways that may not be as effective as being in a classroom), and those online tests are helping reinforce that learning. It may not seem terribly useful, but just having them experience learning with some sort of feedback very valuable even without the outcome being a letter grade. (Just my 2 cents..)

 

[fly girl]

I am lucky. I know it. I have a middle schooler so she is independent. Had a minor struggle last week with geometry, but with math once it "clicks" it is not a big deal. Took longer than normal, but I blame that on her teacher (her at home teacher, me!) lol. Her teacher at home doesn't have to patience of those at school. She's a jerk!

Seriously, I have extreme empathy for those of you with elementary school kids. Entirely different ball of wax, not even remotely the same. And then to find out some of you guys only have a 30 minute window to ask questions? That is not right. We have everyday 10:00am-2:00pm for all teachers, plus their google meets which varies each with with the subjects. (and 9 times out of 10 if you have a question from 8am to 8pm it will be answered on google classroom within a half hour, but the live chat isn't an option.) Amazing how differently NTI is being handled everywhere.

 

[tinkerhon]

May I suggest a small change in perspective that could help? They absolutely do count for something. Something even more important right now than a letter grade. We could be in a situation where kids aren't moving forward at all in school; where everything is stagnant. Instead, our kids have the opportunity to keep learning (admittedly in ways that may not be as effective as being in a classroom), and those online tests are helping reinforce that learning. It may not seem terribly useful, but just having them experience learning with some sort of feedback very valuable even without the outcome being a letter grade. (Just my 2 cents..)

I totally understand your point - I just worry about it from the perspective of the child - during the Q & A, one of the parents brought up the question of incentive ( he children were at present at the town hall - well, at least most of them )
I realize all children are different - mine are total opposites - DD13 is totally self-motivated - DS9 is on the low end of the spectrum, and he needs a little push sometimes to stay motivated, and definitely needs positive feedback.
My daughter, on the other hand, couldn't give a flying fig whether or not she receives positive feedback -

Again, I totally get what you are saying, but I heard a number of parents mumbling that if the tests are not being graded, they are just going to have their kids spend less time on them, and basically "wing it" - was a bit disheartening

 

[olwyngdh]

Sorry, long rant. I always thought I'd like to homeschool this kid if given the chance. These last few weeks have cured me of that idea.

Try to remember what is happening isn't homeschooling--it is schooling at home. You don't have control over what is being taught or how it is being taught or the freedom to sit with your child and figure out what the child wants to learn. Real homeschooling is a lifestyle that can be as rewarding as it can be frustrating. I feel really bad for parents thrust into this. I homeschooled for 5 years and then sent my daughter to a DODEA high school. She is in her final semester of Sr year. Because of the years we homeschooled, she is doing well--even though she complains like crazy about one teacher who just doesn't get how this is different than sitting in a classroom and it making things harder for them. Some of her classmates? Not so much. They have never learned the skills they need to be successful in this style of learning.

If you ever do decide to do actual homeschooling, enjoy it. Don't let this nightmare sour you on the idea.

 

[brockash]

Yes, I got an email yesterday reminding us to get everything in on time because they are putting grades in this week. And I have to do her Progress Monitoring this week as well. Which I hate to do all of this because she's not getting the full schooling that she should be. I really don't think they should be graded on this stuff. But what are you going to do?

Omg...are you saying the parents are being made to do the progress monitoring for their kids? So odd...that would never fly here. Honestly I think you should get some parents together and discuss reality with the district. So crazy...what about kids who don't have parents that can even read, or parents who are unable (for a number of reasons) to be active at all in their kids learning, let alone the sole provider of that education. Kids that go to the same school usually come from such a large spectrum of support at home...there is no equity in that.

 

[MarkLT1]

I totally understand your point - I just worry about it from the perspective of the child - during the Q & A, one of the parents brought up the question of incentive ( he children were at present at the town hall - well, at least most of them )
I realize all children are different - mine are total opposites - DD13 is totally self-motivated - DS9 is on the low end of the spectrum, and he needs a little push sometimes to stay motivated, and definitely needs positive feedback.
My daughter, on the other hand, couldn't give a flying fig whether or not she receives positive feedback -

Again, I totally get what you are saying, but I heard a number of parents mumbling that if the tests are not being graded, they are just going to have their kids spend less time on them, and basically "wing it" - was a bit disheartening

Absolutely- each child is different, which makes a 1-size-fits-all approach really, really tough. Is there the possibility of you seeing his test, and being able to give him some of that positive feedback verbally? (And would that work for him?) I wish you the best in finding what works for him.

 

[Summer2018]

It is so hard on parents right now.

I'm a teacher trying to educate young learners in the inner city. We print out work packets for families without internet. We have handed out 800 chromebooks, and are immediately available to our students and parents from 8:30am-3:00pm Monday-Thursday. I'm one of the stupid teachers that answers questions that come to me as late as 9pm. Friday we are still available to students, but we have TEAM meetings and webinars. We are using technology that we have never used before, so we are learning how to do our job while we are teaching others how to access distance learning.

Our superintendent is very demanding, and the work that the kids have to do is overwhelming. Teachers speak on behalf of families to lower the workload and grade them based on participation. Report cards will be pass/fail. I only have two families completely ignoring me and not participating no matter how many phone calls and emails I send.

Overall, I am very proud of my students and families for attempting to do the work while trying to survive a pandemic.

 

[MarkLT1]

It is so hard on parents right now.

I'm a teacher trying to educate young learners in the inner city. We print out work packets for families without internet. We have handed out 800 chromebooks, and are immediately available to our students and parents from 8:30am-3:00pm Monday-Thursday. I'm one of the stupid teachers that answers questions that come to me as late as 9pm. Friday we are still available to students, but we have TEAM meetings and webinars. We are using technology that we have never used before, so we are learning how to do our job while we are teaching others how to access distance learning.

Our superintendent is very demanding, and the work that the kids have to do is overwhelming. Teachers speak on behalf of families to lower the workload and grade them based on participation. Report cards will be pass/fail. I only have two families completely ignoring me and not participating no matter how many phone calls and emails I send.

Overall, I am very proud of my students and families for attempting to do the work while trying to survive a pandemic.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all you are doing for your students, and especially for advocating for them, and their families!!! When we started, the assignments we were getting were overwhelming- I don't think the district realized how hard this was going to be for families and how much they needed to scale back. For a couple of weeks, it felt like we as families, were being ignored. However teachers in our district, like you, took a stand and advocated for the kids and families, and it helped immensely. At least here, it feels like we've now struck a very good balance of continuing learning, while recognizing that it looks very different now than 2 months ago. However it took a great deal of effort on the teachers and school administrators working with the district to get there.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Try to remember what is happening isn't homeschooling--it is schooling at home. You don't have control over what is being taught or how it is being taught or the freedom to sit with your child and figure out what the child wants to learn. Real homeschooling is a lifestyle that can be as rewarding as it can be frustrating. I feel really bad for parents thrust into this. I homeschooled for 5 years and then sent my daughter to a DODEA high school. She is in her final semester of Sr year. Because of the years we homeschooled, she is doing well--even though she complains like crazy about one teacher who just doesn't get how this is different than sitting in a classroom and it making things harder for them. Some of her classmates? Not so much. They have never learned the skills they need to be successful in this style of learning.

If you ever do decide to do actual homeschooling, enjoy it. Don't let this nightmare sour you on the idea.

Thank you, that was mainly just aggravation talking. I haven't completely given up on the idea yet. It's been a tough couple of weeks and I hate to see DS so stressed.

This school actually began as a homeschool coop, so we are probably closer to actual homeschool than a lot of parents are having to do (teacher instruction was limited to a couple of 5-10 minute videos a week at most) and I love the curriculum . I just wish we had a. a little more teacher support (correct assignments would have helped a lot) and b. a little sympathy for the fact that most parents are having to do this while still working. Several parents tried suggesting that we cut out the extras like projects and enrichment classes after the first week, but no luck. Then we suggested that the diorama and model portion of the projects be cut out so no one had to make a special trip to the store to get supplies, still no luck.

On the other hand, DS is begging to go back to school. I never thought I'd ever hear him say anything like that. Apparently, I'm mean and his teacher is an angel.

 

[OneOftheB's]

It's very interesting the difference in experiences my kids are having. DD is in 4th grade, they receive an email each evening with the next day's assignments and reminders of ongoing work to complete. Some of the assignments are on SeeSaw, some are in workbooks or text books the teacher got to us about 2 weeks after school closed. She could get everything done in 2-3 hours, if she concentrated. Once or twice a week they have a zoom meeting and on fridays her teacher facetimes her for a spelling test and one on one time to see if everything is going well. DS is in 7th grade (they are at the same private school) and his classes are all over the board. Science and math are regularly scheduled zooms where the kids are given the material prior to the class starting. They run well, they learn and the teachers are organized and on top of everything. The history class seems like a lot of busy work, Spanish is a bi-weekly zoom with worksheets and conversation but ELA is a hot mess. Granted, they have a substitute who started the week prior to schools closing, but they are reading a few chapters of Chained, answering a couple of questions and that's it. They've had 1 zoom meeting (after parents complained) and have another scheduled tomorrow, but no real writing, no grammar, no vocabulary. The art, music, and STEAM teachers have all put together some activities for the kids, but I have treated those more like optional work, but it's nice to have something non academic as an option, especially for DD.

 

[JimMIA]

DD's online schooling has been very good, but she's a Senior, technically competent, and our teachers use a lot of online stuff anyway so the resources were already there.

The only real problem she's had is with an economics course. Teacher assigned an online game where you play the chairman of the Federal Reserve. They've never even mentioned the Fed, kids have no clue what fed funds rates are, how they affect various aspects of the economy, etc. And the darn game is impossible. It's basically pass/fail, and it's a test grade!

Today, she beat it! Unbelievable. Not bad for a biomedical research student with no clue what she was doing!

 

[piccolopat]

We just had a Microsoft teams town hall meeting, and they told us that they were grading based on attendance only - monitored by their time a teachers ( Microsoft teams 2x a week) and myon and I-ready ( math and reading programs) - not sure how I feel about it - DS in third grade - I would want the online tests that he does count for something

Even if your child's school doesn't count the online tests, how about you create your own grading/reward system? It could be as simple as a gift certificate to go out for ice cream when this pandemic is over.

 

[Wendy1985]

I'm so sorry. Yeah homeschooling is not meant to be done by people working full time, especially since you are having to do what someone else picked out for you!! ( Caveat, a few full time people can homeschool, but that is an exception not a rule!). How much longer do you have? Here in Texas parents have about 3 weeks left.

My mom did it whennI was in highschool the ex ed lessons were not challenging enough and regular ed was too challenging

 

[choirfarm]

My mom did it whennI was in highschool the ex ed lessons were not challenging enough and regular ed was too challenging

Awesome. I homeschooled my 3 children for 12 years. I cannot imagine doing it trying to work full time. Kudos to your mom. Hope you said thank you!!! As I said, not impossible but rare.

 

[Wendy1985]

Awesome. I homeschooled my 3 children for 12 years. I cannot imagine doing it trying to work full time. Kudos to your mom. Hope you said thank you!!! As I said, not impossible but rare.

Yes I have thanked her

 

[BLAZEY]

I'm losing my mind... I'm not a teacher. I don't know how to teach. I'm still working full-time while trying to teach 5th grade math, science, social studies, ELA. My DD conveniently "can't remember" the lessons they learned in school from this year. None of it. SOMEONE SEND ME A DRINK!!! I'm becoming unraveled.

One of the best quotes I have heard is we are not homeschooling, but crisis schooling and they are very different. Understand that you child will most likely finish their work at home much more quickly than the would at school. the are not 20+ other kids distracting them. I volunteered in my daughters class and my goodness so much time wasted getting the classes attention to start an activity. My daughter is also in grade 5 and does about 2.5 hours of actual work, plus online games like Prodigy or Khan academy. Each morning she is to login to her google classroom at 9 am for the days assignment and her teacher is available to answer questions through the message board feature. Some work is done in a google document, others need to be printed and scanned. DD's school finished on March 13, for spring break and then never went back. Many teachers, like DD's already had online portals set up and had an easier time moving to online instruction. One thing her teacher stressed is that to do what you can, and that it is not designed to add stress to an already stressful situation, and that he is there to help in anyway he can.

 

[tinkerhon]

Even if your child's school doesn't count the online tests, how about you create your own grading/reward system? It could be as simple as a gift certificate to go out for ice cream when this pandemic is over.

Oh, we do that all the time ! )