Was the teacher wrong?

[Magical2017]

2 + 2 = 4.

Yes, and 34-19= 15. I can use an algorithm, including the US standard algorithm to solve this efficiently and accurately, which is why it is a standard in the CCSS-M. I love algorithms and there are many algorithms in the world that are fast and efficient. However, before teaching these algorithms, it is interesting to allow children to come up with a strategy on their own. "How would you approach this?" I might put it in a context I have 34 pencils and give 19 to a friend. Now how many pencils do I have? Some students are at the concrete stage and require counters. Some will use drawings. Some will be at the abstract stage. As a student, I can decompose by place value, or compensate by changing one of the numbers to easily calculate. This involves using the properties of operations, such as the commutative and associative properties. These are not new to the Common Core.

If I use the standard algorithm and regroup (or borrow and carry), I am essentially recomposing the problem as 20 + 14 minus 10 + 9. I can now subtract either the ones form t he ones or the tens from the tens. Understanding several ways to approach a problem allow a student to better understand the steps in algorithms. Most students will not automatically attempt to subtract the ones places before the tens place. They will intuitively try to work with the tens place first.

Another example is comparing fractions. Before teaching students to find common denominators, a good class discussion might center around deciding which is larger, 3/5 or 4/10, and proving to a partner why we are correct. If I think about the fact that 3/5 is greater than one half and 4/10 is a bit less than a half, then I am building conceptual understanding. Students can then be taught to find common denominators using a procedure if they don't automatically make the connection to multiplication, but this can be taught after the conceptual understanding is there.

 

[Magical2017]

My apologies to the OP for the math discussion instead of focusing on the letter. I really enjoy discussing math education and love a good Common Core discussion.

 

[Scifidiner]

Yes, and 34-19= 15. I can use an algorithm, including the US standard algorithm to solve this efficiently and accurately, which is why it is a standard in the CCSS-M. I love algorithms and there are many algorithms in the world that are fast and efficient. However, before teaching these algorithms, it is interesting to allow children to come up with a strategy on their own. "How would you approach this?" I might put it in a context I have 34 pencils and give 19 to a friend. Now how many pencils do I have? Some students are at the concrete stage and require counters. Some will use drawings. Some will be at the abstract stage. As a student, I can decompose by place value, or compensate by changing one of the numbers to easily calculate. This involves using the properties of operations, such as the commutative and associative properties. These are not new to the Common Core.

If I use the standard algorithm and regroup (or borrow and carry), I am essentially recomposing the problem as 20 + 14 minus 10 + 9. I can now subtract either the ones form t he ones or the tens from the tens. Understanding several ways to approach a problem allow a student to better understand the steps in algorithms. Most students will not automatically attempt to subtract the ones places before the tens place. They will intuitively try to work with the tens place first.

Another example is comparing fractions. Before teaching students to find common denominators, a good class discussion might center around deciding which is larger, 3/5 or 4/10, and proving to a partner why we are correct. If I think about the fact that 3/5 is greater than one half and 4/10 is a bit less than a half, then I am building conceptual understanding. Students can then be taught to find common denominators using a procedure if they don't automatically make the connection to multiplication, but this can be taught after the conceptual understanding is there.

Just reading that gave me a headache. lol

 

[mom2rtk]

Lol... seriously talk to me after you've taught middle school for a few years... you can say it "nicely" until you're blue in the face and with many it just does nothing.... they don't get it. FOR some you really have to spell it out or in your opinion "yell" and have "rant," neither of which do I think is true in this case.

This isn't something she said in the heat of the moment though. It's something she wrote. So should have had time to think over what she was about to distribute. I haven't been a middle school teacher, but have been through the middle school years with all 3 of my kids. I still don't think yelling and ranting is the best approach.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I don't think the teacher was wrong...I guess the message was a bit harsh though. That teacher said what many teachers feel all along. It seems that students only get interested in their grades right at the end of a grading period when it is too late. When I was a teacher, I was not a fan of extra credit anyway. It really seemed that the ones who did not need it were the only ones who would do it anyway.

 

[SteveH]

My question is are high school graduates in 2019 more or less proficient in English, math and history than a high school graduate in 1955? In my experience and that's working with Master's level college graduates is absolutely not.

As an employer or a number of young adults, high school, college and some recent graduates I would say beyond the proficiency issue is the work ethic, or lack there of. Thankfully there are a lot of great young adults, but I feel that we're seeing fewer of them.

 

[Scifidiner]

As an employer or a number of young adults, high school, college and some recent graduates I would say beyond the proficiency issue is the work ethic, or lack there of. Thankfully there are a lot of great young adults, but I feel that we're seeing fewer of them.

Dumb AND lazy is no way to go through life.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

Doesn't indicate any "why". Sometimes you have to be harsh to get the point across.

The why doesn't matter. That teacher failed to act in a professional manner.

And, believe me, I could never be a middle school teacher. But I would know what not to put in writing.

Teachers are professionals. That was an unprofessional memo.

A simple "As stated earlier in the year, I do not give extra credit" would get the point across just fine. And, like all professions, people will beg and plead for extensions. Stiff upper lip. Look straight ahead and repeat: "As stated earlier in the year, I do not give extra credit."

 

[starry_solo]

I've been out of school a long time.
When did students start getting syllabuses in middle school that parents had to sign for?
I only got those in college.

 

[bethbuchall]

I've been out of school a long time.
When did students start getting syllabuses in middle school that parents had to sign for?
I only got those in college.

Probably when the parents became helicopters and lawn mowers. All three of mine did from at least some of their teachers in middle school and high school, and they are 28, 25, and almost 20.

 

[Floridaman999]

Dumb AND lazy is no way to go through life.

It's worked out pretty well for me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

simple "As stated earlier in the year, I do not give extra credit" would get the point across just fine. And, like all professions, people will beg and plead for extensions. Stiff upper lip. Look straight ahead and repeat: "As stated earlier in the year, I do not give extra credit."

I would want to know every effort the teacher has made this year before deciding the tone was inappropriate, and how many years she's been teaching. Maybe, sure, this is the first communication home since the beginning of the year. This letter is so blunt I tend to think not, but rather that everything else failed.

 

[Scifidiner]

It's worked out pretty well for me.

It's better to be lucky than good. lol

 

[Floridaman999]

It's better to be lucky than good. lol

I got real lucky indeed.

 

[tcufrog]

I love it! And, I would love to wave it in my kids face should he be the one this was directed at.

My oldest...ugh. He does ALL the work, but NEVER turns it in. His gradebooks are littered with 4/5, 24/30, 40/50, etc. All would be PERFECT grades, but he turns them in late. So, it is an automatic 20% drop in grade . Then, he is not a good test taker, so his grades falter there.

If he had the balls to ask for extra credit, because his grades were low due to his own negligence in getting the work in...I would laugh in his face, too.

There is only so much warmth, compassion, etc. you can devote to a kid before the frustration of them not listening/caring takes over. I am 100% sure that is where this teacher was.

Kids need tough love, too. Especially from teachers, since a lot of parents don't do it any more..

I am a huge fan of tough love and use it a lot. I have a middle school son though who has ADHD so I have to figure out whether the stupid stuff he does like forgetting to turn in homework is due to laziness or his ADHD. I don't lower my standards because of his ADHD but if it's because of that I use different strategies.

My dad who is now in his mid 80's mentioned that when he was in school the students were assigned seats with the best grades up front and in order back according to grades. Wouldn't bother me any but I'm guessing that would no longer work, too offensive. Someones feelings might get hurt. Thing is athletic achievements are posted in the school for all to see. The best get their names mentioned over and over. My niece gratuated as an above grade student in a city of Orlando high school a few years ago. She knows nothing, it's sad. In fact she graduated early. Had she been in the city private school with my daughter she would not have made it past grade 9. So many schools are too easy and are graduating dummy's.

Personally, I think the students not doing well should be put up front so they can't hide.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

To me this is the most salient aspect of the issue: "This note was not approved by district administrators and was distributed without district permission."

Now I'm not sure if she would get in trouble (here in my area I'm fairly certain she would even if publicly the school districts around here opted to support her which I'm not 100% sure they would in this case) but it comes off to me like an impulsive reaction.

I will assume she was just at her wits end and thought perhaps this will wake them all up. But I'm not sure the optics of it look all that great. I know the bold, different font sizes,etc are to emphasize but they just come off in a certain way to me.

Either way I'm not 100% ok with it but not 100% not ok with it. I think she should have run her thoughts through the District first if nothing else she might have had more weight to throw around.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My apologies to the OP for the math discussion instead of focusing on the letter. I really enjoy discussing math education and love a good Common Core discussion.

I do too, but I still don't think we've got the balance quite right.

 

[EveDallas]

Just reading that gave me a headache. lol

Me too. I'm so glad DS graduated before this CC stuff became widespread. He had enough trouble in school as it was - this would have done him in.

 

[Suprize2017]

I’m a middle school teacher and I think the letter is inappropriate. I agree with this teachers stance on extra credit, I feel the same way, but the teacher could have expressed herself without the demeaning, snarky tone.

I’m surprised at how many have said that stating this policy in a factual way at the beginning of the term would be useless. How? Have the students and parents sign off that they have read and are aware of the policy. Any arguments later on can be met with, “I’m sorry you feel this way, but my policy was spelled out at the beginning of the term. The time to discuss your concerns with that policy would have been at that time,” or something similar. No further discussions needed. Also, if the district policy is that letters home need to be approved first, she definitely set herself up by not doing that.

Just to be clear, I agree with her stance on extra credit. I feel the way she communicated it was unnecessary. Just because they are middle school kids doesn’t mean they can’t be communicated with in a respectful way. Especially by an adult. We (society) get frustrated with the way kids act and speak, then defend adults that act or speak like this to kids?

 

[Suprize2017]

I’m a middle school teacher and I think the letter is inappropriate. I agree with this teachers stance on extra credit, I feel the same way, but the teacher could have expressed herself without the demeaning, snarky tone.

I’m surprised at how many have said that stating this policy in a factual way at the beginning of the term would be useless. How? Have the students and parents sign off that they have read and are aware of the policy. Any arguments later on can be met with, “I’m sorry you feel this way, but my policy was spelled out at the beginning of the term. The time to discuss your concerns with that policy would have been at that time,” or something similar. No further discussions needed. Also, if the district policy is that letters home need to be approved first, she definitely set herself up by not doing that.

Just to be clear, I agree with her stance on extra credit. I feel the way she communicated it was unnecessary. Just because they are middle school kids doesn’t mean they can’t be communicated with in a respectful way. Especially by an adult. We (society) get frustrated with the way kids act and speak, then defend adults that act or speak like this to kids?