My kids are more comfortable at home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No. DL is happening because we are in a pandemic. People assumed that schools were legally required to provide them with childcare. They are not.

That's not fair. It is perfectly reasonable for parents to expect that schools provide child care. That's how the system was built up and people planned their lives and careers around the expectation that once kids hit K, they would be able to cut back on the need for paid child care except for holidays and summer vacation or sick.snow days.

However, older kids, especially teens, do not need child care. For at least some of them, Distance Learning has been OK and maybe even preferable to in person school, especially if they can get their in-person socializing needs met after school. For kids on "Home and Hospital" instruction due to medical needs, it has been a book. For kids in inpatient treatment for anorexia or another illness, it has been great.

[Anonymous]

I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

Sounds like you’ve already made the choice to do less and are trying to justify it. Also, I’m assuming you’re one of those teachers without a masters degree, or relevant training, because your textbooks would have gone over the fact that one of the purposes of schooling in the US is childcare. You knew this going in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

^^empty threat

Thankfully we have accountability measures which help keep bad teachers like you in line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree completely. Also, if your kid is awkward socially, avoiding people forever isn't the solution.

A child does not have to be "awkward socially" to be bullied or have some other reason to prefer not being around classmates. Lots of very normal kids feel unsafe or unwelcome at school.

That doesn't mean school should be closed. I'm fine with in-person being the default and it is certainly better for my child. But being online has solved problems for kids and I hope it continues to be an option.

If this is true, how will they go to college? Work? Have adult relationships (romantic or otherwise)? I think this has been a buffer for parents of 'weird' kids to feel like they get a breather, but it's not helping their kids in the long run.

Your premise seems to be that school helps these kids and that social discomfort is somehow "for their own good" because they'll learn from it. That's not typically true. School is just hell for them until they can get into the wider world (whether that is HS, college, or adulthood) and control who they associate with and under what conditions. Spending more time with bullies does not improve the situation for the bullied, and can cause long-term damage. Kids who have mobility issues that make the classroom environment painful, or who have various food or medication needs, may be more physically comfortable at home where they control the surrounds. Even taking your example of the merely "awkward" kid -- that kid might benefit from a social skills class, but is not going to just magically learn social skills from proximity to other children: that's a television fantasy.

When people talk about liking certain aspects of covid-era workarounds like remote school, they are identifying areas of the world that don't work for them, perhaps have never worked for them. It's reactionary and frankly cruel to demand a return to a "normal" that didn't work for so many people, when we have the tools to allow them to continue to participate comfortably.

You are assuming that we have the tools and resources to address the problem. I'm not sure that is true. With the resources in place, I'm all for choice. But reopening in person should no be delayed just because some students like DL better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

I hope you realize how completely unprofessional you sound. Particularly if you’re an elementary school teacher, providing care for children has always been *part* of your job. The bigger issue is why you think that fact demeans everything else you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

I hope you realize how completely unprofessional you sound. Particularly if you’re an elementary school teacher, providing care for children has always been *part* of your job. The bigger issue is why you think that fact demeans everything else you do.

I’ve been a nanny before. I didn’t go to grad school to continue nannying. I taught during the day, went to school at night, and put in twelve hour days between planning, my own school work and class time, certification, and all my professional responsibilities as a full time special education teacher. I paid thousands of dollars and put in countless hours. The reality is that I made more money nannying part time than I did as a first year teacher. As a nanny, I was expected to provide childcare, period. As a teacher, parents expect us to fulfill that function (for ten times as many children at once) as well as our educational responsibilities. You’ve made it clear you see us as babysitters with the added responsibilities of paperwork, administrative duties, curriculum planning, writing legal documents, test prep, and more-not even including the actual instructional time with our students. The expectation is that we will work for as many hours each day as this takes, as we are not permitted to so much as open our computers while the kids are in the room. I am no longer willing to do that. If our jobs require hours of unpaid labor each day, that is a systemic problem. I am not going to fix the system through martyrdom. I think you’re going to find far fewer people willing to do so after this year. It is not unprofessional to expect to be paid for our labor.

I also want to address the other poster who thinks teaching textbooks address childcare. That is absolutely untrue. Teachers study developmental reading, learning disabilities and research based strategies to mitigate their impact on student learning, childhood development and psychology, behavioral disorders and management, and methods of instruction for social studies, science, and mathematics. They write research papers and conduct field studies and complete certification exams and portfolios (see the edTPA). You’ve made it very clear that you have absolutely no idea what teaching involves.

So no, I absolutely will not go out of my way to spend my own money or work outside my contract hours again. I’ve seen the way teachers are vilified and trashed by parents and politicians. I will show up and do my job, and then I’ll go home and my prioritize my own family. I suggest you do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

I hope you realize how completely unprofessional you sound. Particularly if you’re an elementary school teacher, providing care for children has always been *part* of your job. The bigger issue is why you think that fact demeans everything else you do.

I’ve been a nanny before. I didn’t go to grad school to continue nannying. I taught during the day, went to school at night, and put in twelve hour days between planning, my own school work and class time, certification, and all my professional responsibilities as a full time special education teacher. I paid thousands of dollars and put in countless hours. The reality is that I made more money nannying part time than I did as a first year teacher. As a nanny, I was expected to provide childcare, period. As a teacher, parents expect us to fulfill that function (for ten times as many children at once) as well as our educational responsibilities. You’ve made it clear you see us as babysitters with the added responsibilities of paperwork, administrative duties, curriculum planning, writing legal documents, test prep, and more-not even including the actual instructional time with our students. The expectation is that we will work for as many hours each day as this takes, as we are not permitted to so much as open our computers while the kids are in the room. I am no longer willing to do that. If our jobs require hours of unpaid labor each day, that is a systemic problem. I am not going to fix the system through martyrdom. I think you’re going to find far fewer people willing to do so after this year. It is not unprofessional to expect to be paid for our labor.

I also want to address the other poster who thinks teaching textbooks address childcare. That is absolutely untrue. Teachers study developmental reading, learning disabilities and research based strategies to mitigate their impact on student learning, childhood development and psychology, behavioral disorders and management, and methods of instruction for social studies, science, and mathematics. They write research papers and conduct field studies and complete certification exams and portfolios (see the edTPA). You’ve made it very clear that you have absolutely no idea what teaching involves.

So no, I absolutely will not go out of my way to spend my own money or work outside my contract hours again. I’ve seen the way teachers are vilified and trashed by parents and politicians. I will show up and do my job, and then I’ll go home and my prioritize my own family. I suggest you do the same.

^^^ lol this person paid for grad school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the most selfish, irresponsible reason for keeping schools closed or staying distance learning.

Because you are privileged and lucky - or maybe your kids are awkward socially and prefer not to interact - is not a good reason that thousands of children should get a subpar education. Many are left alone all day long because their parents have to work. Most children whose parents don't have the resources for tutors and extra help are not learning a thing. Children are gaining weight and getting depressed from not leaving their houses all day - not everyone has a park or a big backyard they can go to.

So at least on this board, can we agree that just because you prefer it, it doesn't make it better?

But it is better for them. So it is better. What don't you understand about that? Just because you don't like it doesn't make it not good. It just isn't good for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

x1000 Good for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

I hope you realize how completely unprofessional you sound. Particularly if you’re an elementary school teacher, providing care for children has always been *part* of your job. The bigger issue is why you think that fact demeans everything else you do.

I’ve been a nanny before. I didn’t go to grad school to continue nannying. I taught during the day, went to school at night, and put in twelve hour days between planning, my own school work and class time, certification, and all my professional responsibilities as a full time special education teacher. I paid thousands of dollars and put in countless hours. The reality is that I made more money nannying part time than I did as a first year teacher. As a nanny, I was expected to provide childcare, period. As a teacher, parents expect us to fulfill that function (for ten times as many children at once) as well as our educational responsibilities. You’ve made it clear you see us as babysitters with the added responsibilities of paperwork, administrative duties, curriculum planning, writing legal documents, test prep, and more-not even including the actual instructional time with our students. The expectation is that we will work for as many hours each day as this takes, as we are not permitted to so much as open our computers while the kids are in the room. I am no longer willing to do that. If our jobs require hours of unpaid labor each day, that is a systemic problem. I am not going to fix the system through martyrdom. I think you’re going to find far fewer people willing to do so after this year. It is not unprofessional to expect to be paid for our labor.

I also want to address the other poster who thinks teaching textbooks address childcare. That is absolutely untrue. Teachers study developmental reading, learning disabilities and research based strategies to mitigate their impact on student learning, childhood development and psychology, behavioral disorders and management, and methods of instruction for social studies, science, and mathematics. They write research papers and conduct field studies and complete certification exams and portfolios (see the edTPA). You’ve made it very clear that you have absolutely no idea what teaching involves.

So no, I absolutely will not go out of my way to spend my own money or work outside my contract hours again. I’ve seen the way teachers are vilified and trashed by parents and politicians. I will show up and do my job, and then I’ll go home and my prioritize my own family. I suggest you do the same.

Actually, I do know that because I have a PhD in education and am involved in teacher training in a department of Curriculum and Instruction. I don't know where you went to school, but it wasn't worth the money, and I have no idea how on earth you've gotten this far without having to write a teaching philosophy. If your program only went over the "how" of education and not the "why," I have no idea how you would select an appropriate philosophy. Have you honestly never read anything like...Friere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say, as a teacher I am no longer bothered by people insisting school is childcare. Fine! I’m not going to spend my own money on supplies for my childcare job. I’m not going to bother putting together Donors Choose projects for babysitting supplies. I’m certainly not going to come home stressing about providing daycare or planning for the next day. If the kids are occupied and alive, then I’ve done my job as a childcare provider.
I’ve cut way back on my planning elaborate lessons. I don’t grade outside of my contract hours. My off time is my own. I’m fine putting the district provided resources in front of the kids, even if I previously thought they were confusing or inadequate. It’s childcare-I’ve done my job.

I hope you realize how completely unprofessional you sound. Particularly if you’re an elementary school teacher, providing care for children has always been *part* of your job. The bigger issue is why you think that fact demeans everything else you do.

I’ve been a nanny before. I didn’t go to grad school to continue nannying. I taught during the day, went to school at night, and put in twelve hour days between planning, my own school work and class time, certification, and all my professional responsibilities as a full time special education teacher. I paid thousands of dollars and put in countless hours. The reality is that I made more money nannying part time than I did as a first year teacher. As a nanny, I was expected to provide childcare, period. As a teacher, parents expect us to fulfill that function (for ten times as many children at once) as well as our educational responsibilities. You’ve made it clear you see us as babysitters with the added responsibilities of paperwork, administrative duties, curriculum planning, writing legal documents, test prep, and more-not even including the actual instructional time with our students. The expectation is that we will work for as many hours each day as this takes, as we are not permitted to so much as open our computers while the kids are in the room. I am no longer willing to do that. If our jobs require hours of unpaid labor each day, that is a systemic problem. I am not going to fix the system through martyrdom. I think you’re going to find far fewer people willing to do so after this year. It is not unprofessional to expect to be paid for our labor.

I also want to address the other poster who thinks teaching textbooks address childcare. That is absolutely untrue. Teachers study developmental reading, learning disabilities and research based strategies to mitigate their impact on student learning, childhood development and psychology, behavioral disorders and management, and methods of instruction for social studies, science, and mathematics. They write research papers and conduct field studies and complete certification exams and portfolios (see the edTPA). You’ve made it very clear that you have absolutely no idea what teaching involves.

So no, I absolutely will not go out of my way to spend my own money or work outside my contract hours again. I’ve seen the way teachers are vilified and trashed by parents and politicians. I will show up and do my job, and then I’ll go home and my prioritize my own family. I suggest you do the same.

You sound like a child. All of us have parts of our jobs we don't like. All of us have to go above and beyond at some point. You want to make a point to parents by hurting children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree, OP.

I hope schools discontinue remote learning options next year. It is a drain on school resources and limits their ability to serve the well being of everyone else. This semester should be the last of it.

+100

This doesn't make sense to me. If a certain number of kids want to be DL, it is easy to find a certain number of teachers who want to teach DL. The curriculum is already mostly on screens anyway. Why do you think this is a drain on resources? If anything, teaching this way will be less expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We heard back from our elementary school. out of 300 students, 70 will return to in person instruction. To me this is confirmation of the fact that we teachers are doing a pretty good job with the distance teaching, and that our mostly minority or immigrant parents aren't comfortable with in person school just yet for their elementary kids.

Or the parents just didn't respond... which means their child was put in DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's this undercurrent through a lot of threads here that the distracting kids don't truly belong, that they're a hassle for teachers, that they are a problem.

Their presence at school is just as legitimate as the presence of your quiet, obedient, academic child. I would argue that they need it even more.

I feel bad for those kids who are getting lost right now.

This. So many of these "disruptive" kids are acting out because they need more, whether that's attention, challenge, specialized instruction, in some cases even things as simple as safety and food. And DL allows schools to wash their hands of them. It is tragic.

This whole thing might just finally spur me to get my masters in social work so I can become a school counselor. I just feel like we need to be doing something for this generation of kids who will get lost in all this. I'm so worried for the kids at our school and in our neighborhood. And I'm most worried for the ones I never see any more.

I see teachers who cheerfully talk about how they no longer have to deal with the behavioral issues of the bad kids. Those kids are still having behavioral issues, but I guess you can just tune them out now. Those issues are still getting in the way of effective learning, and that's concerning.

I'm sure that someone will come along to argue that it's the parents' responsibility first. I won't dispute this. But some kids have crappy parents or parents who don't know how to deal with certain types of behavioral issues. And those kids deserve an effective education too.

They do deserve an education, but this is the result of complete mainstreaming, which is a disaster for all involved. One person's right to an education does not cancel everyone else's right to an education.