Why is it like this?

[Anonymous]

I teach in an elementary school. Parents have never been more resistant to limits being placed on their children under any circumstances. Children are more fragile and less resilient as a result. Things that are tolerated in our school because teachers are tired of the fights with parents and therefore admins:

Kids can eat snacks at any time of the day in the classroom. They often just get up and go get them out of their locker. It could be right after lunch, right after arrival, in the middle of a lesson, etc. Even with a built-in snack time for an upper elementary grade, we are discouraged from disallowing this at any time of the day.

Kids frequently get up and pop out of the classroom without asking to go to the bathroom, get something out of their locker etc...

Kids have "fidgets," aka toys at their desk all day (rubics cubes, therapy putty, pop-its, stuffed toys). You risk parent anger and admin admonishment if you require the children to put their "comfort objects," in their locker. Or even limit it to just one during class. Yes, some children have this as an accommodation. But this does not mean every child has a stuffed toy, keychain, pop-it, and putty all on one desk.

Kids often bring huge pencil bags of multiple pencils/pens/colored pencils into class and spend instruction time drawing. Sometimes it is okay, but many kids are doing it all day long.

Kids are impulsive and compulsive with the Chrome book. Unless you have GoGuardian on constantly, the children will be off task on Nearpod (to look at You Tube), and many many other sites. Even with many different tech limits placed on sites they can go to they will open Google slides/docs/etc and compulsively insert images and pictures. It's endless.

We are not allowed to ask children to take down their hoods (comfort object).

Don't even get into the misery involved in trying to give a kid a grade lower than a B, or ask/guide a child to apologize to another child, reward anyone for doing homework lest it upset those that don't do their homework, etc...

Students talk over their teachers, call out answers, and expect to have all their thoughts listened to whenever they are ready to share them.

I am not a full-time classroom teacher, but rather a teacher that frequently pushes into many different classrooms and I see this all over the school with many different teachers. It isn't just a classroom management issue. To those parents out there who are teaching their kids they should be able to eat/drink/take a break outside the classroom at any time, use the Chromebook as they please, never apologize or make amends for bad choices, never be required or even encouraged to complete homework, and basically never be told no or be made to feel uncomfortable or unhappy ever for any reason....you may be making life easier for yourself right now, but we will ALL regret it someday including your kids.

[Anonymous]

I have no ideas. Because they can? I have high schoolers and don't remember it being like that when I volunteered in the classroom. Certainly some issues but not all of those. Another post-Covid outcome?

[Anonymous]

This sounds like you need to get your classroom under control. You tell kids when snack time is. Done.
You teach vs. dump kids on chromebooks.
You tell them this is the consequence if you don't get bathroom permission and have a pass or sign out sheet.
As a teacher, you need to set expectations and be consistent.

[Anonymous]

What ES has lockers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like you need to get your classroom under control. You tell kids when snack time is. Done.
You teach vs. dump kids on chromebooks.
You tell them this is the consequence if you don't get bathroom permission and have a pass or sign out sheet.
As a teacher, you need to set expectations and be consistent.

I am not a classroom teacher and I see these things in many classrooms. Teachers do have good classroom management.

When the teacher gives clear expectations of snack time/food in the classroom all the kids need to do is go home, say "Ms. so and so wouldn't let me eat my snack." Parent emails angry. (kid knows they will do this). Admin asks "why wouldn't you let Ella have her snack?" She needs it to (pick your reason) calm her down/because of her medicine/in order to better concentrate. After that happens multiple times it becomes discouraging to enforce a rule that the kids can easily undermine and they know it.

In upper grades, kids complete many writing assignments on the Chrome book. Take the Chrome book away? Well, then what about all the kids that are required or desire to have speech-to-text/need access to their technology tools?

It's endless. I'm pretty sure you've never been in a classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What ES has lockers?

All the schools that were built post-2008 or so, at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What ES has lockers?

Ours does. We are at a school in Silver Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like you need to get your classroom under control. You tell kids when snack time is. Done.
You teach vs. dump kids on chromebooks.
You tell them this is the consequence if you don't get bathroom permission and have a pass or sign out sheet.
As a teacher, you need to set expectations and be consistent.

And what should a teacher do when a kid disobeys these expectations? THAT is the problem. A teacher’s hands are tied when it’s impossible to implement meaningful consequences for negative behavior. Admin and MCPS Central Office do not want to see ‘retributive justice’.

Kids learn that they can get away with really bad behavior. They learn this early and their behavior just gets worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like you need to get your classroom under control. You tell kids when snack time is. Done.
You teach vs. dump kids on chromebooks.
You tell them this is the consequence if you don't get bathroom permission and have a pass or sign out sheet.
As a teacher, you need to set expectations and be consistent.

I am not a classroom teacher and I see these things in many classrooms. Teachers do have good classroom management.

When the teacher gives clear expectations of snack time/food in the classroom all the kids need to do is go home, say "Ms. so and so wouldn't let me eat my snack." Parent emails angry. (kid knows they will do this). Admin asks "why wouldn't you let Ella have her snack?" She needs it to (pick your reason) calm her down/because of her medicine/in order to better concentrate. After that happens multiple times it becomes discouraging to enforce a rule that the kids can easily undermine and they know it.

In upper grades, kids complete many writing assignments on the Chrome book. Take the Chrome book away? Well, then what about all the kids that are required or desire to have speech-to-text/need access to their technology tools?

It's endless. I'm pretty sure you've never been in a classroom.

ES kids don't need chrome books. You are talking about SN kids and some may need a snack for health reasons. You sound pretty clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What ES has lockers?

My kids are in a DC charter with lockers. They are in the hall outside the classroom. But they have rules. Definitely no free feeding (they get 2 set snacks), no hoods (though coats ok in the classroom when cold which drives me nuts looking at pics), lots of strict routines. I love it and my kids need it. It's a lot like what I hope to have at home .. rules, expectations, boundaries, and lots of laughter and love.

[Anonymous]

Last poster saying ES kids don't need Chrome books.

Have you ever taught in a classroom?


I'm definitely not clueless. The problem isn't Chrome books. The problem is not being able to set clear, realistic expectations for students and have them upheld and respected by students (expected to an extent) OR Parents and admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach in an elementary school. Parents have never been more resistant to limits being placed on their children under any circumstances. Children are more fragile and less resilient as a result. Things that are tolerated in our school because teachers are tired of the fights with parents and therefore admins:

Kids can eat snacks at any time of the day in the classroom. They often just get up and go get them out of their locker. It could be right after lunch, right after arrival, in the middle of a lesson, etc. Even with a built-in snack time for an upper elementary grade, we are discouraged from disallowing this at any time of the day.

Kids frequently get up and pop out of the classroom without asking to go to the bathroom, get something out of their locker etc...

Kids have "fidgets," aka toys at their desk all day (rubics cubes, therapy putty, pop-its, stuffed toys). You risk parent anger and admin admonishment if you require the children to put their "comfort objects," in their locker. Or even limit it to just one during class. Yes, some children have this as an accommodation. But this does not mean every child has a stuffed toy, keychain, pop-it, and putty all on one desk.

Kids often bring huge pencil bags of multiple pencils/pens/colored pencils into class and spend instruction time drawing. Sometimes it is okay, but many kids are doing it all day long.

Kids are impulsive and compulsive with the Chrome book. Unless you have GoGuardian on constantly, the children will be off task on Nearpod (to look at You Tube), and many many other sites. Even with many different tech limits placed on sites they can go to they will open Google slides/docs/etc and compulsively insert images and pictures. It's endless.

We are not allowed to ask children to take down their hoods (comfort object).

Don't even get into the misery involved in trying to give a kid a grade lower than a B, or ask/guide a child to apologize to another child, reward anyone for doing homework lest it upset those that don't do their homework, etc...

Students talk over their teachers, call out answers, and expect to have all their thoughts listened to whenever they are ready to share them.

I am not a full-time classroom teacher, but rather a teacher that frequently pushes into many different classrooms and I see this all over the school with many different teachers. It isn't just a classroom management issue. To those parents out there who are teaching their kids they should be able to eat/drink/take a break outside the classroom at any time, use the Chromebook as they please, never apologize or make amends for bad choices, never be required or even encouraged to complete homework, and basically never be told no or be made to feel uncomfortable or unhappy ever for any reason....you may be making life easier for yourself right now, but we will ALL regret it someday including your kids.

Please name the school or the HS/pyramid.

Is this behavior uniform across the board or do you see any trends?

[Anonymous]

I used to volunteer in ES, pre-Chromebooks. Or at least when Chromebooks were used more sparingly. I saw all the other behaviors you mention, in certain classrooms but not most. I can believe it’s worse now, though, because after the Covid lockdowns, there is what I believe to be a mis-used emphasis on “mental health”, which in practice has come to mean a highly self-driven, child-led approach. Except that this does not work with 30 kids! It works in a household with 1-3 kids. Group discipline is not the same as individual discipline.

I have a senior and a 7th grader. In high school, consequences are largely natural: you pay attention, work hard, get good grades, get into a good college. The ones who go off the rails are not getting into college. Middle school is the worse: kids are bigger, experiment with adult behaviors, but are not faced with adult consequences. You have to be a special human to teach middle school! Some find… creative ways to control their class, others act like they prison wardens, and a few just give up discipline altogether.

So yes, I sympathize.

[Anonymous]

OP - seems like you have a very weak Principal

You shouldn't have to deal w/parent complaints. Not on these issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach in an elementary school. Parents have never been more resistant to limits being placed on their children under any circumstances. Children are more fragile and less resilient as a result. Things that are tolerated in our school because teachers are tired of the fights with parents and therefore admins:

Kids can eat snacks at any time of the day in the classroom. They often just get up and go get them out of their locker. It could be right after lunch, right after arrival, in the middle of a lesson, etc. Even with a built-in snack time for an upper elementary grade, we are discouraged from disallowing this at any time of the day.

Kids frequently get up and pop out of the classroom without asking to go to the bathroom, get something out of their locker etc...

Kids have "fidgets," aka toys at their desk all day (rubics cubes, therapy putty, pop-its, stuffed toys). You risk parent anger and admin admonishment if you require the children to put their "comfort objects," in their locker. Or even limit it to just one during class. Yes, some children have this as an accommodation. But this does not mean every child has a stuffed toy, keychain, pop-it, and putty all on one desk.

Kids often bring huge pencil bags of multiple pencils/pens/colored pencils into class and spend instruction time drawing. Sometimes it is okay, but many kids are doing it all day long.

Kids are impulsive and compulsive with the Chrome book. Unless you have GoGuardian on constantly, the children will be off task on Nearpod (to look at You Tube), and many many other sites. Even with many different tech limits placed on sites they can go to they will open Google slides/docs/etc and compulsively insert images and pictures. It's endless.

We are not allowed to ask children to take down their hoods (comfort object).

Don't even get into the misery involved in trying to give a kid a grade lower than a B, or ask/guide a child to apologize to another child, reward anyone for doing homework lest it upset those that don't do their homework, etc...

Students talk over their teachers, call out answers, and expect to have all their thoughts listened to whenever they are ready to share them.

I am not a full-time classroom teacher, but rather a teacher that frequently pushes into many different classrooms and I see this all over the school with many different teachers. It isn't just a classroom management issue. To those parents out there who are teaching their kids they should be able to eat/drink/take a break outside the classroom at any time, use the Chromebook as they please, never apologize or make amends for bad choices, never be required or even encouraged to complete homework, and basically never be told no or be made to feel uncomfortable or unhappy ever for any reason....you may be making life easier for yourself right now, but we will ALL regret it someday including your kids.

Well, sounds like you seem to care what parents think which is nice, but most teachers I know could care less. In fact, they disregard emails, etc and there's really not much they can do about it. At my kid's school there are a few problem kids but nothing like what you're describing here.