Schools complicating hybrid and remote learning schedules.

[bookwormde]

I wouldn't consider the public schools around me to be "very small" (graduating classes of 200 and 250, respectively) but they both have a number of classes, particularly in the hard and social sciences an foreign languages but also in upper level math and in English electives) that are only taught by one person, who teaches that class to several periods each day. And at the elem level, it doesn't look like there are going to be enough families opting for distance learning to divide them into classes by that choice. If they did, they'd have two full classrooms in person and one remote class at the neighborhood elem, but the district has decided it would be better to have three 2/3 full classes (for the sake of spacing), even though it means the teachers will have to juggle teaching in both in person and remote methods.

Yes those are the areas where a teacher might have to do both though there is not reason when considering virtual learning that multiple schools could aggregate students, it is also unfortunate that we have not invested in combined remote/in person classrooms. we have a few at our magnet schools where students from different schools can join virtually, but they are the exception.

 

[sk!mom]

This should not be needed except for very small schools/district or some of the specialty HS classes, if the districts put in the up front work, of course it appears that to many are just winging it or doing what is administratively convenient

Frustrated teacher here. Last spring, Ok, it was unprecedented and we all winged it as best we could. However, we have now had months to prepare for the likelihood of remote learning but I haven’t seen much evidence of preparation.

I just wish our schools would tell us what we're doing. We're on remote learning for the first 9 weeks, that much I know. But I have no idea if there will be real-time classes, videos available, etc. Orchestra should be fun. Ditto for gym. BTW, classes start in a week, letting us know any day now would be nice...

Same, and I’m the teacher. I go back Wednesday with kids coming a week later. Hopefully in those five days, I’m going to get lots of info and training.

Because I’ve taught at my neighborhood school for over 20 years, I’ve been contacted in recent days by friends who are trying to make the decision between full remote or full in person. They would like me to tell them, “what it will be like.” It’s been a balance for me to be a loyal employee while also saying, I don’t have any insider info. Aside from kids 10 and up wearing masks, I don’t know any other details.

Frustrating since I’m the point of delivery so you would think that if there is a well thought out organized plan, I would have some info with a little over a week to go.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We had an 8 day cycle with a modular schedule. Each day was different. Everyone wrote their schedules on index cards to carry around and also posted said schedule in their lockers. This was all in the pre internet days.

Yeah, I understand why this stuff happens. It just seems not very user or kid friendly.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Yeah, I understand why this stuff happens. It just seems not very user or kid friendly.

Obviously, I can’t speak for other schools. However, my kids high school went to a schedule like this because it gives the teachers a longer instructional period, which is beneficial in terms of teaching topics on a deeper level. And while it took the teachers a little bit of time to adapt, the kids took to it immediately, and the teachers adjusted within a few weeks. It’s really not that complicated.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Frustrated teacher here. Last spring, Ok, it was unprecedented and we all winged it as best we could. However, we have now had months to prepare for the likelihood of remote learning but I haven’t seen much evidence of preparation.



Same, and I’m the teacher. I go back Wednesday with kids coming a week later. Hopefully in those five days, I’m going to get lots of info and training.

Because I’ve taught at my neighborhood school for over 20 years, I’ve been contacted in recent days by friends who are trying to make the decision between full remote or full in person. They would like me to tell them, “what it will be like.” It’s been a balance for me to be a loyal employee while also saying, I don’t have any insider info. Aside from kids 10 and up wearing masks, I don’t know any other details.

Frustrating since I’m the point of delivery so you would think that if there is a well thought out organized plan, I would have some info with a little over a week to go.

I can feel your frustration! My DD is also a teacher, she found out the other day that she'll be teaching remotely, at least at first. On the good side, she's been preparing for that, but OTOH, she teaches 4th grade immigrants--she'd rather see them in person, because it makes such a difference in how they learn. Not to mention, not everyone has access to pencils at home, let alone internet. Of course, she's also young and healthy, so it's easier to consider in-person. And I've sent her a ton of supplies, so she can give each kid a pencil case with crayons, highlighters, etc., so they have some supplies.

I think too, as a parent, things happened so suddenly back in the spring, that parents were pretty understanding that classes were "fly by the seat of your pants". Nobody saw it coming. But now--it's been 5 months. You (the administration) had at least some clue that it could come to this. And I'm set up better than most--I'm a SAHM with an engineering degree. My kids WILL be learning their math and science! Working parents, parents who are less confident in their own skills--the schools are their kids educational lifeline.

 

[monsterkitty]

I just wish our schools would tell us what we're doing. We're on remote learning for the first 9 weeks, that much I know. But I have no idea if there will be real-time classes, videos available, etc. Orchestra should be fun. Ditto for gym. BTW, classes start in a week, letting us know any day now would be nice...

Teaching orchestra from behind a computer was not something I thought I would ever do! I felt so bad for the kids for many reasons, such as many parents wouldn't let their kids play during the day because they were also working from home. The strings would slip so the kids couldn't play so I would do drive by tuning for them. They would leave their instrument on the porch, I would go and tune it, they would come outside when I was in the car to retrieve the instrument. The speed of the internet connections also made it impossible to play as a group in Zoom - no one was ever together.

I can feel your frustration! My DD is also a teacher, she found out the other day that she'll be teaching remotely, at least at first. On the good side, she's been preparing for that, but OTOH, she teaches 4th grade immigrants--she'd rather see them in person, because it makes such a difference in how they learn. Not to mention, not everyone has access to pencils at home, let alone internet. Of course, she's also young and healthy, so it's easier to consider in-person. And I've sent her a ton of supplies, so she can give each kid a pencil case with crayons, highlighters, etc., so they have some supplies.

I think too, as a parent, things happened so suddenly back in the spring, that parents were pretty understanding that classes were "fly by the seat of your pants". Nobody saw it coming. But now--it's been 5 months. You (the administration) had at least some clue that it could come to this. And I'm set up better than most--I'm a SAHM with an engineering degree. My kids WILL be learning their math and science! Working parents, parents who are less confident in their own skills--the schools are their kids educational lifeline.

My old district is going back 100% in person with the option of 100% online. There are only 17 kids from our school of 600 that are doing online so you know school is going to close with in 2 weeks. After the 14 day quarantine, the special needs students and our many English Language Learners will go back to school in small groups. We have about 100-150 ELA students depending on the year so the 3 ELA teachers will divide the students in groups and do a hybrid system. The Sped teachers will do the same.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Teaching orchestra from behind a computer was not something I thought I would ever do! I felt so bad for the kids for many reasons, such as many parents wouldn't let their kids play during the day because they were also working from home. The strings would slip so the kids couldn't play so I would do drive by tuning for them. They would leave their instrument on the porch, I would go and tune it, they would come outside when I was in the car to retrieve the instrument. The speed of the internet connections also made it impossible to play as a group in Zoom - no one was ever together.



My old district is going back 100% in person with the option of 100% online. There are only 17 kids from our school of 600 that are doing online so you know school is going to close with in 2 weeks. After the 14 day quarantine, the special needs students and our many English Language Learners will go back to school in small groups. We have about 100-150 ELA students depending on the year so the 3 ELA teachers will divide the students in groups and do a hybrid system. The Sped teachers will do the same.

The only good things about orchestra are (1) his violin teacher (as opposed to his orchestra teacher) does lessons in person, so at least he's getting some instruction, and (2) while he loves playing, he doesn't have a future as a professional violinist or anything. So, I'm not super worried about him missing out on vital skills for his career.

I know down here (North Carolina) they're prioritizing immigrants and special needs students to go back full-time. I'm not sure what's happening in DD25's district (outside Boston--hit hard by COVID back in the spring). I've heard so many horror stories about what her kids have dealt with already in their young lives, and you know education is their ticket to future success. On the good side, though--they have my daughter. If ever anyone was born to teach immigrants, it's her. She's magical! (I'm completely unbiased, of course!)

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm not sure what's happening in DD25's district (outside Boston--hit hard by COVID back in the spring).

If you want to PM me the city, I'll see what I can find out.