Question for TJ parents- TJ teaching practices

[Anonymous]

This is Dd’s first year at TJ. Looking for perspective and advice from TJ parents…

She says that multiple teachers she has do not actually teach material. Rather the teacher is there to provide assignments and it seems up to the kids to work through them. Example is her computer science class - the entry level one: there is no actual instruction in coding techniques and strategies that the teacher provides. Apparently this is not unusual.

This strikes me as crazy odd. It’s not a grad student - it‘s 9th grade. If this is normal, why is this the set up? Seems bizarre to not require the teachers to instruct

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is Dd’s first year at TJ. Looking for perspective and advice from TJ parents…

She says that multiple teachers she has do not actually teach material. Rather the teacher is there to provide assignments and it seems up to the kids to work through them. Example is her computer science class - the entry level one: there is no actual instruction in coding techniques and strategies that the teacher provides. Apparently this is not unusual.

This strikes me as crazy odd. It’s not a grad student - it‘s 9th grade. If this is normal, why is this the set up? Seems bizarre to not require the teachers to instruct

The intro CS courses and APCS A+ run by labs - the didactics are from the lab handouts. There is not enough time in the class to do the lab and have the teacher spell out the basics of the coding. The kids pick that up while doing the labs. In more advanced CS courses like AI and ML there are more didactics on the theory but not on the coding per se. For APCS there is also more didactics in the data structures part of the course (2nd half).

[Anonymous]

Thank PP. Yeah she has been using the packet but it sounds like sometimes she gets stuck and then the teacher is unwilling to help explain the approach needed and seems annoyed by being asked questions. This is as they are all working through the packets so it’s not like she’s interrupting while he is trying to lecture the full class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank PP. Yeah she has been using the packet but it sounds like sometimes she gets stuck and then the teacher is unwilling to help explain the approach needed and seems annoyed by being asked questions. This is as they are all working through the packets so it’s not like she’s interrupting while he is trying to lecture the full class.

So what does the teacher do during the class period? Help out students when they are stuck? Walk around and give guidance check that they are on the right track? Something else?

[Anonymous]

Not answering re: TJ, but some classes especially math classes, students learn the material on their own. Do problem sets. Then, teacher answers questions goes over the problem sets in class during the next class period. Repeat. DD was doing this routine on her own one year when she didn't have a good math teacher. It did teach her to-teach-herself.

It is an actual model of teaching.

[Anonymous]

A common practice in my TJ BC Calc class was that the teacher would go over something for the first 10-15 minutes of the 90-minute class period and then leave us to our own devices to work on the homework or, honestly, for another class.

His rule of thumb was that if more than one person came to him with the same question, he’d stop and lecture on it for everyone. Ended up being a really easy way to manage our time and keep up in other classes. I did extracurriculars, so to have that time was golden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is Dd’s first year at TJ. Looking for perspective and advice from TJ parents…

She says that multiple teachers she has do not actually teach material. Rather the teacher is there to provide assignments and it seems up to the kids to work through them. Example is her computer science class - the entry level one: there is no actual instruction in coding techniques and strategies that the teacher provides. Apparently this is not unusual.

This strikes me as crazy odd. It’s not a grad student - it‘s 9th grade. If this is normal, why is this the set up? Seems bizarre to not require the teachers to instruct

They're very used to parents footing the bill to have their children educated outside of school at places like Cuire so most of these kids have a different set of needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A common practice in my TJ BC Calc class was that the teacher would go over something for the first 10-15 minutes of the 90-minute class period and then leave us to our own devices to work on the homework or, honestly, for another class.

His rule of thumb was that if more than one person came to him with the same question, he’d stop and lecture on it for everyone. Ended up being a really easy way to manage our time and keep up in other classes. I did extracurriculars, so to have that time was golden.

From your description the class doesn't sound like it was challenging at all. Was there another TJ calculus class like analysis that was more difficult?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not answering re: TJ, but some classes especially math classes, students learn the material on their own. Do problem sets. Then, teacher answers questions goes over the problem sets in class during the next class period. Repeat. DD was doing this routine on her own one year when she didn't have a good math teacher. It did teach her to-teach-herself.

It is an actual model of teaching.

Is this the model of teaching “I don’t care”?

[Anonymous]

This is a very common way to teach gifted children. It’s sometimes referred to as a flipped classroom.

This is not unique to TJ and many AP classes run this way. Self teaching is a vital skill for high performers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank PP. Yeah she has been using the packet but it sounds like sometimes she gets stuck and then the teacher is unwilling to help explain the approach needed and seems annoyed by being asked questions. This is as they are all working through the packets so it’s not like she’s interrupting while he is trying to lecture the full class.

So what does the teacher do during the class period? Help out students when they are stuck? Walk around and give guidance check that they are on the right track? Something else?

Basically this. But seems like replying to questions is kind of hit or miss. There is no direct instruction at all and replying to questions is more along the lines of “can’t you see what you need to do?” often.

I appreciate the replies that this is not all that unusual. It seems incredibly dumb to me to have highly credentialed teachers though and then let them “teach” the class by just letting kids work on their own.
- OP

[Anonymous]

I would also understand having kids work through a more advanced class in this way MAYBE but this is a foundational skills level class not an advanced one or one where you just need to read and remember info.

- OP

[Anonymous]

OP - I have a freshman at TJ too.

The intro to CS class def seems very hands off and taught in a mathematical way.

I my kids did not know a bit of coding ( we learnt on our own - Not Curie!) - he would be struggling.

Even now, he finds the class tough. But at the same time he has mentioned that some kids, with no programming background are breezing through. I think if the kids have strong math aptitude - the teaching method works.

However, Like in college they should have held TA type sessions where they do some hands on programming, learn syntax etc.

for other classes my kid finds the teachers really “hands on”

good luck!

[Anonymous]

* if my kid did not..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I have a freshman at TJ too.

The intro to CS class def seems very hands off and taught in a mathematical way.

I my kids did not know a bit of coding ( we learnt on our own - Not Curie!) - he would be struggling.

Even now, he finds the class tough. But at the same time he has mentioned that some kids, with no programming background are breezing through. I think if the kids have strong math aptitude - the teaching method works.

However, Like in college they should have held TA type sessions where they do some hands on programming, learn syntax etc.

for other classes my kid finds the teachers really “hands on”

good luck!

Which CS class is taught "in a mathematical way" ?? I'm not aware of any entry level CS class that has a lot of mathematics, unless you're talking about more advanced classes like data structures, algorithms, or discrete math. An intro to CS class is generally mainly about learning the basic syntax of a particular language and using the basics to write small pieces of code.