Sad after subbing in the middle school.

[Anonymous]

NP- I’ve subbed for a few years in a different state. I’ve found that there is always a subset of the students who won’t cooperate for a sub. So, I move forward with whatever lesson the teacher assigned and ask those who don’t want to participate to stay quiet. They don’t have to read, write, or participate but they have to stay quiet for those who do.

There is always some grumbling but most do stay quiet (honestly, yes, they are on their phones) and those who want to do the lesson, do it.

I’ve only had to call for support twice. Once was when I thought my physical safety was in danger because I accidentally brushed a student’s arm with my own while reaching for someone else’s assignment. He went nuts, jumped up and threatened to hurt me. In immediately left the room to ask the neighboring teacher to call the VP. The second time, I called the office myself to let them know that Johnny couldn’t stay quiet and he was asked to report down there.

Other than those incidents, it’s been ok. I realize my role. I’m not their teacher. If they choose to look at their phones during class that day, there’s not much I can do to change it. But I do my best to accommodate those who want to do the lesson.

[Anonymous]

In class, no kid should be in their phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In class, no kid should be in their phone.

We decided to not let our 8th grader take his iphone to school anymore. If he needs to reach us, he can call from the Office.

The kids are getting in way too much trouble on them as of late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for being a sub, OP! Seriously.

+1000000

Can you tell us where you subbed? I have an 8th grader, and so many kids misbehave. I blame the schools though! They allow it, and they haven’t educated the kids so when they hit 8th grade, they are behind and filled with attitude & defense mechanisms.

What does this mean? I've subbed for all grade levels, public and private schools. What I notice is that most of the public schools don't seem to enforce rules. In public school, I tell students to put their phones away and they refuse. I tell them again and they refuse. I asked the admin what to do when this happens and they said they aren't allowed to take their phones when they won't comply with rules. I ask them what they do instead and they said nothing. Same situation in private school but when I see a phone out, I'm supposed to write down the name of the student and confiscate the phone. Most kids don't even have them out and if they do, they hand it over. They get detention for it.

Seriously? The public schools do not make the kids put their phones away? I had no idea as it seems like a basic requirement to being in a classroom.

My kids did not attend public school (and I am not making this a public vs. private debate -- their private had many other kinds of issues) but not putting their phones away when asked would not be tolerated for a moment at their school.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. We aren’t allowed to touch students or their personal property and students know that. If they won’t voluntarily put their phones away, there is nothing we can do about it. My kid goes up a private school and if teachers see phones out, they get a week of detention after school.

[Anonymous]

Schools have their hands tied. Parents complain so much about how their little babies got treated meanly by teachers for enforcing rules, so teachers an admin are afraid to enforce. It's been a bad cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They may need someone to believe in them. Someone who will not determined after a glimpse at one day of their, that they are doomed to failure. Someone who understands life has been extra challenging the past few years. Someone to encourage and guide them to keep trying.

They need high standards, uniforms, discipline, accountability, and a sense of community.

Exactly what parochial schools and seton schools are able to do with inner city children.

I don’t think large county public school districts can get any less academic or below grade level than they are. The admin really caters to the bottom half and the bottom half keeps dragging the curriculum and teaching and classroom behavior down.

Bring back honors track in 4th grade onward.

+1
Parochial and Catholic schools get bashed a lot on here but the truth is that they get the job done. They educate their students in the classroom but also expect their students to behave in a respectful way and to value their peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In class, no kid should be in their phone.

We decided to not let our 8th grader take his iphone to school anymore. If he needs to reach us, he can call from the Office.

The kids are getting in way too much trouble on them as of late.

This is the right answer. Schools shouldn’t allow them al all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In class, no kid should be in their phone.

We decided to not let our 8th grader take his iphone to school anymore. If he needs to reach us, he can call from the Office.

The kids are getting in way too much trouble on them as of late.

This is the right answer. Schools shouldn’t allow them al all.

It used to be this way in our public school, but the pandemic changed it all. Now, they are allowed.

Thanks for subbing, OP. My MS DC tells me that there are some kids who are just complete jerks, pre and post covid. They cause so much trouble; never pay attention in class, and don't think having bad grades or bad attitude about learning is an issue.

IMO, these kids are part of the reason why now MCPS has a 50% rule, an achievement gap, and restorative justice that does nothing to address the underlying issue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools have their hands tied. Parents complain so much about how their little babies got treated meanly by teachers for enforcing rules, so teachers an admin are afraid to enforce. It's been a bad cycle.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In class, no kid should be in their phone.

We decided to not let our 8th grader take his iphone to school anymore. If he needs to reach us, he can call from the Office.

The kids are getting in way too much trouble on them as of late.

This is the right answer. Schools shouldn’t allow them al all.

I work in a school, and problem is, the staff are often just as hooked to their phones as the kids are. I swear every time I see a teacher or staff member, they’re distracting the kids with something so they can pull out their phone.

They all claim they’re doing work because they don’t have time to do it elsewhere in the day, but given how much the kids are in front of computers learning by themselves while the teacher “works”, I question that.

And they all hate the one teacher who actually interacts with his kids and doesn’t sit them in front of a screen all day. Somehow he manages to get everything done without playing on a phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. We aren’t allowed to touch students or their personal property and students know that. If they won’t voluntarily put their phones away, there is nothing we can do about it. My kid goes up a private school and if teachers see phones out, they get a week of detention after school.

The private school my DS attends has no qualms about confiscating electronics. They cannot have their phones out/visible inside school buildings. I do not understand why phone use at school is tolerated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In class, no kid should be in their phone.

We decided to not let our 8th grader take his iphone to school anymore. If he needs to reach us, he can call from the Office.

The kids are getting in way too much trouble on them as of late.

This is the right answer. Schools shouldn’t allow them al all.

It used to be this way in our public school, but the pandemic changed it all. Now, they are allowed.

Thanks for subbing, OP. My MS DC tells me that there are some kids who are just complete jerks, pre and post covid. They cause so much trouble; never pay attention in class, and don't think having bad grades or bad attitude about learning is an issue.

IMO, these kids are part of the reason why now MCPS has a 50% rule, an achievement gap, and restorative justice that does nothing to address the underlying issue

It seems like putting phones away would be a good initiative for the BoE to champion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm a parent trying to help with the sub shortage. I actually have an 8th grader at the school and thought I had a general sense of what was going on there. Nope! I realize these are kids and it's not their fault. My observation is that some of these kids did were not willing to do any work or put in any effort. I'm not going to sugar coat what I observed.

Victim culture helps no one. You are dealing in reality which is that a lot of these kids have lazy parents with crappy values and that cycle is being perpetrated, aided by our society saying “no need to try, you are a victim”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They may need someone to believe in them. Someone who will not determined after a glimpse at one day of their, that they are doomed to failure. Someone who understands life has been extra challenging the past few years. Someone to encourage and guide them to keep trying.

They need high standards, uniforms, discipline, accountability, and a sense of community.

Exactly what parochial schools and seton schools are able to do with inner city children.

I don’t think large county public school districts can get any less academic or below grade level than they are. The admin really caters to the bottom half and the bottom half keeps dragging the curriculum and teaching and classroom behavior down.

Bring back honors track in 4th grade onward.

This is so true ☹️

“honors track” ??

That equals “tracking,” and the democrats have decided tracking is racist. Now, stop suggesting it, you racists!

Data--not democrats--demonstrated that the way tracking was instantiated was racist. That is, lower IQ white kids were in higher levels while higher IQ black kids were not.