Let’s update gradebook

[Anonymous]

I absolutely hated teaching online and all that came with Covid. BUT. The one day week to plan, grade, attend meetings, and hold office hours for kids was AMAZING!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I apologize for my dumb question, but what exactly does 'planning' entail? I've taught in colleges (about 250 kids a semester), and there weren't a whole lot of lesson plans to develop, once the first year or two are done. Then, it's refinement and updates, which I would do over the summer.

I understand that teachers have more hand holding and paperwork requirements than college instructors, but what exactly goes into planning that it takes up all of your time?

I’ve been teaching for 20 years. Most of the classes I teach come with a set of standards to meet and some suggested texts. It’s up to me to put those together, create lessons, create effective assessments, etc. The first year of a new course is always the hardest, and this usually takes the bulk of my summer to prepare. Yes, it gets easier when all I need to do is revise old material, but that needs to happen each year for each lesson. My audience is different each year, so I need to prepare lessons accordingly. What worked for last year’s juniors may or may not work for the personalities sitting before me. Also, I have 28 students with IEPs and 504s. Each lesson has to take into account the 7-8 different modifications needed to meet the requirements of the students’ learning plans. Perhaps one needs additional scaffolding, and another needs a bulleted list of my notes.

Honestly, it isn’t just the planning. It’s getting this done in addition to everything else when the vast majority of your work hours aren’t available for personal work.

I think this may be one main difference between my teachers of the past who gave great comments and feedback on assignments to help me improve and what I see from my kids’ teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about not putting the grades into SIS than not grading the work at all. When teachers don’t grade and return assignments, how are kids supposed to learn and do better the next time?

This is my main concern. I know how overworked teachers are (I teach ES). Actually, I can't even imagine MS teachers that have to grade assignments from 4-5 sections of 25+ students each. BUT, I do think my kid needs more than a grade in a computer system, particularly for non-math subjects. In all of 7th grade and so far in 8th my kid has not receive a single word of feedback on any writing assignment, be it for History, Science, or English. Only the number/letter grade and sometimes circled items on a rubric. No redline markups, not even form comments like "needs more evidence, watch your grammar, source?", etc. Even for assignments that hit the mark, some positive words would go a long way to boost confidence and enthusiasm for the topics.

I don't know what the answer is, because truly a dedicated MS teacher is already doing more (unpaid!) overtime than we can probably imagine. But I do know that this inadequate level of feedback is a disservice to my kid who could be using that feedback to improve.

Yes, it is a disservice. It absolutely is. Is the solution 15 hours of middle school and high school grading each weekend? That’s how comments on papers happen. That’s what I’ll be doing again this weekend. That’s what I did for 3 hours last night.

I have to sacrifice my own family for those comments. I grade before dinner. I grade after dinner. I grade at my kids’ sporting events. I grade in the car if someone else is driving. I miss family events. I missed a family outing to PA last weekend so I could stay home and work.

Is this acceptable to you? I hear that kids need comments. What I don’t hear is an acknowledgment that those comments take major sacrifice.

Listen, I have no issue with respecting family time, in theory. But, if you're not giving the comments and feedback, you are NOT doing your job and teaching the kids. You're not. So, maybe teaching isn't for you. Leave it to the ones who are able to do both. And by our gradebooks over the years, there are those that seem to be able to do that, and those that cannot.

And, BTW, do you think you're the only profession or person who has work eat into their personal time? You're not.

It seems you don’t need a teacher. You need a martyr. You have no problem when a teacher says they are in front of students 35 hours a week and still have 30 hours of work to do. “Get it done.”

Hence… a teacher shortage. People aren’t willing to work 65 hour weeks for $75K and a ton of disrespect.

Are you always this obtuse? Because nothing in my post was "martyr" like. I do what I need to do to get my kid the education needed. The point is, parents are doing the job that some teachers aren't. And using OUR personal time to do so. But you don't seem to care about that. Funny how that works.

I think you were too quick to label me as obtuse. I get it. I’m a parent, too. When I’m not spending 65 hours a week working hard for YOUR child, I am filling in the gaps for my own. I’m aware there are gaps in my own children’s education. The difference between us is I don’t assume it’s because of their teachers.

I know and accept what you clearly refuse to acknowledge. Teachers are burned out and quitting. They are covering for their colleagues who have already left for higher-paying and easier jobs.

I also understand that they, like me, are expected to be directly in front of students for 33-35 hours a week, actively teaching. That leaves them a mere 5 hours (if they are lucky and not covering other classes) to do all the planning, all the grading, all the email responses, all the report writing, etc. I know that those teachers, like me, give up Saturday and Sunday to try their best to catch up. I appreciate their sacrifice. I know they are being asked to do the work of 2-3 (quite literally). I understand that my kid’s essay is just one of 150, and while it may only take 15 minutes to comment on his essay, the teacher won’t finish the pile for another 25-27 hours… which is done in the evening and on weekends since there’s no time at school. Under these conditions, I can respect the teacher and be patient.

Your other argument seems to be that you have to help your children at home on your personal time. So? Shouldn’t you be? You are a partner in your child’s education.

Where did I say teachers aren't burned out and quitting? If htey cannot do the job, they should quit. That would at least let me know where things stand and I can make other choices. Instead, they're not doing what they're fully responsible for and expect people to be ok with it. No, sorry. Finding out what my all A kid DIDN't know by the end of MS was a real eye opener. I appreciate that teaching sucks these days. What I don't appreciate that what seems to be the "give" in this is my child not actually being taught by some teachers. That is not the answer.

And your last point is just silly. I will always help my child. I put in the extra time on my personal time to uphold my responsibilities and I and others always have. And so should teachers. That's the gig. Further, while I am absolutely a partner in their education, so are teachers. It's a 3 person partnership here. But what I -shouldn't- be doing imo is teaching basic things like grammar and writing. And providing the feedback teachers have traditionally done but can't seem to be able to do (at least consistently). Sorry, that's not ok.

People who use “should” when referring to another person’s responsibilities, are destined to be severely disappointed in life. Stop being a blamer, lady. Control what you can control and stop making others miserable. It’s your kid. If you want to help him master the writing skills he didn’t manage to learn in school, you should consider asking for help from *your* kids’ teachers. I suggest you *ask* for help, rather than demand it as your due. If that doesn’t work, pay for tutoring or woman up and help him, yourself.

Teachers are paid the same whether they work 70 hours a week or 40 hours a week. Given how badly teachers are being treated by parents, students, and administrators, you really shouldn’t be surprised that they opt to do less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about not putting the grades into SIS than not grading the work at all. When teachers don’t grade and return assignments, how are kids supposed to learn and do better the next time?

This is my main concern. I know how overworked teachers are (I teach ES). Actually, I can't even imagine MS teachers that have to grade assignments from 4-5 sections of 25+ students each. BUT, I do think my kid needs more than a grade in a computer system, particularly for non-math subjects. In all of 7th grade and so far in 8th my kid has not receive a single word of feedback on any writing assignment, be it for History, Science, or English. Only the number/letter grade and sometimes circled items on a rubric. No redline markups, not even form comments like "needs more evidence, watch your grammar, source?", etc. Even for assignments that hit the mark, some positive words would go a long way to boost confidence and enthusiasm for the topics.

I don't know what the answer is, because truly a dedicated MS teacher is already doing more (unpaid!) overtime than we can probably imagine. But I do know that this inadequate level of feedback is a disservice to my kid who could be using that feedback to improve.

Yes, it is a disservice. It absolutely is. Is the solution 15 hours of middle school and high school grading each weekend? That’s how comments on papers happen. That’s what I’ll be doing again this weekend. That’s what I did for 3 hours last night.

I have to sacrifice my own family for those comments. I grade before dinner. I grade after dinner. I grade at my kids’ sporting events. I grade in the car if someone else is driving. I miss family events. I missed a family outing to PA last weekend so I could stay home and work.

Is this acceptable to you? I hear that kids need comments. What I don’t hear is an acknowledgment that those comments take major sacrifice.

Listen, I have no issue with respecting family time, in theory. But, if you're not giving the comments and feedback, you are NOT doing your job and teaching the kids. You're not. So, maybe teaching isn't for you. Leave it to the ones who are able to do both. And by our gradebooks over the years, there are those that seem to be able to do that, and those that cannot.

And, BTW, do you think you're the only profession or person who has work eat into their personal time? You're not.

It seems you don’t need a teacher. You need a martyr. You have no problem when a teacher says they are in front of students 35 hours a week and still have 30 hours of work to do. “Get it done.”

Hence… a teacher shortage. People aren’t willing to work 65 hour weeks for $75K and a ton of disrespect.

Are you always this obtuse? Because nothing in my post was "martyr" like. I do what I need to do to get my kid the education needed. The point is, parents are doing the job that some teachers aren't. And using OUR personal time to do so. But you don't seem to care about that. Funny how that works.

I think you were too quick to label me as obtuse. I get it. I’m a parent, too. When I’m not spending 65 hours a week working hard for YOUR child, I am filling in the gaps for my own. I’m aware there are gaps in my own children’s education. The difference between us is I don’t assume it’s because of their teachers.

I know and accept what you clearly refuse to acknowledge. Teachers are burned out and quitting. They are covering for their colleagues who have already left for higher-paying and easier jobs.

I also understand that they, like me, are expected to be directly in front of students for 33-35 hours a week, actively teaching. That leaves them a mere 5 hours (if they are lucky and not covering other classes) to do all the planning, all the grading, all the email responses, all the report writing, etc. I know that those teachers, like me, give up Saturday and Sunday to try their best to catch up. I appreciate their sacrifice. I know they are being asked to do the work of 2-3 (quite literally). I understand that my kid’s essay is just one of 150, and while it may only take 15 minutes to comment on his essay, the teacher won’t finish the pile for another 25-27 hours… which is done in the evening and on weekends since there’s no time at school. Under these conditions, I can respect the teacher and be patient.

Your other argument seems to be that you have to help your children at home on your personal time. So? Shouldn’t you be? You are a partner in your child’s education.

Where did I say teachers aren't burned out and quitting? If htey cannot do the job, they should quit. That would at least let me know where things stand and I can make other choices. Instead, they're not doing what they're fully responsible for and expect people to be ok with it. No, sorry. Finding out what my all A kid DIDN't know by the end of MS was a real eye opener. I appreciate that teaching sucks these days. What I don't appreciate that what seems to be the "give" in this is my child not actually being taught by some teachers. That is not the answer.

And your last point is just silly. I will always help my child. I put in the extra time on my personal time to uphold my responsibilities and I and others always have. And so should teachers. That's the gig. Further, while I am absolutely a partner in their education, so are teachers. It's a 3 person partnership here. But what I -shouldn't- be doing imo is teaching basic things like grammar and writing. And providing the feedback teachers have traditionally done but can't seem to be able to do (at least consistently). Sorry, that's not ok.

I’m the PP.

Then you should appreciate that my students just got 140 4-page papers back, all with tons of comments and an opportunity for rewrites. You should appreciate that I got those back in 10 days, which is a miracle because it took me close to 30 hours in addition to my usual overworked schedule. You should appreciate that I also offered to meet with students after school on 5 separate occasions to offer help on their drafts. I’ll do the same thing again with next month’s paper.

So I’m doing EVERYTHING you say you want in a teacher. I’m telling you that this is burning me out and I will be quitting, too. You are fine with that, as you already suggested it.

When the teachers who bend over backward and give you what you want STILL get this nasty response, what do you expect?

Here’s the only solution: change teacher schedules so it isn’t assumed that they will spend 25+ hours a week grading just to keep afloat. Let us teach LESS so we can work MORE. I shouldn’t be in front of students for all but 4 hours a week, not with the demands of my job.

But please… keep complaining and making me feel miserable. It definitely is doing wonders for this hard-working teacher’s morale.

Yeah, i stopped working extra hours after visiting this forum. It really is a motivation killer to see how entitled some of these parents feel. They have no idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about not putting the grades into SIS than not grading the work at all. When teachers don’t grade and return assignments, how are kids supposed to learn and do better the next time?

This is my main concern. I know how overworked teachers are (I teach ES). Actually, I can't even imagine MS teachers that have to grade assignments from 4-5 sections of 25+ students each. BUT, I do think my kid needs more than a grade in a computer system, particularly for non-math subjects. In all of 7th grade and so far in 8th my kid has not receive a single word of feedback on any writing assignment, be it for History, Science, or English. Only the number/letter grade and sometimes circled items on a rubric. No redline markups, not even form comments like "needs more evidence, watch your grammar, source?", etc. Even for assignments that hit the mark, some positive words would go a long way to boost confidence and enthusiasm for the topics.

I don't know what the answer is, because truly a dedicated MS teacher is already doing more (unpaid!) overtime than we can probably imagine. But I do know that this inadequate level of feedback is a disservice to my kid who could be using that feedback to improve.

Yes, it is a disservice. It absolutely is. Is the solution 15 hours of middle school and high school grading each weekend? That’s how comments on papers happen. That’s what I’ll be doing again this weekend. That’s what I did for 3 hours last night.

I have to sacrifice my own family for those comments. I grade before dinner. I grade after dinner. I grade at my kids’ sporting events. I grade in the car if someone else is driving. I miss family events. I missed a family outing to PA last weekend so I could stay home and work.

Is this acceptable to you? I hear that kids need comments. What I don’t hear is an acknowledgment that those comments take major sacrifice.

Listen, I have no issue with respecting family time, in theory. But, if you're not giving the comments and feedback, you are NOT doing your job and teaching the kids. You're not. So, maybe teaching isn't for you. Leave it to the ones who are able to do both. And by our gradebooks over the years, there are those that seem to be able to do that, and those that cannot.

And, BTW, do you think you're the only profession or person who has work eat into their personal time? You're not.

It seems you don’t need a teacher. You need a martyr. You have no problem when a teacher says they are in front of students 35 hours a week and still have 30 hours of work to do. “Get it done.”

Hence… a teacher shortage. People aren’t willing to work 65 hour weeks for $75K and a ton of disrespect.

Are you always this obtuse? Because nothing in my post was "martyr" like. I do what I need to do to get my kid the education needed. The point is, parents are doing the job that some teachers aren't. And using OUR personal time to do so. But you don't seem to care about that. Funny how that works.

I think you were too quick to label me as obtuse. I get it. I’m a parent, too. When I’m not spending 65 hours a week working hard for YOUR child, I am filling in the gaps for my own. I’m aware there are gaps in my own children’s education. The difference between us is I don’t assume it’s because of their teachers.

I know and accept what you clearly refuse to acknowledge. Teachers are burned out and quitting. They are covering for their colleagues who have already left for higher-paying and easier jobs.

I also understand that they, like me, are expected to be directly in front of students for 33-35 hours a week, actively teaching. That leaves them a mere 5 hours (if they are lucky and not covering other classes) to do all the planning, all the grading, all the email responses, all the report writing, etc. I know that those teachers, like me, give up Saturday and Sunday to try their best to catch up. I appreciate their sacrifice. I know they are being asked to do the work of 2-3 (quite literally). I understand that my kid’s essay is just one of 150, and while it may only take 15 minutes to comment on his essay, the teacher won’t finish the pile for another 25-27 hours… which is done in the evening and on weekends since there’s no time at school. Under these conditions, I can respect the teacher and be patient.

Your other argument seems to be that you have to help your children at home on your personal time. So? Shouldn’t you be? You are a partner in your child’s education.

Where did I say teachers aren't burned out and quitting? If htey cannot do the job, they should quit. That would at least let me know where things stand and I can make other choices. Instead, they're not doing what they're fully responsible for and expect people to be ok with it. No, sorry. Finding out what my all A kid DIDN't know by the end of MS was a real eye opener. I appreciate that teaching sucks these days. What I don't appreciate that what seems to be the "give" in this is my child not actually being taught by some teachers. That is not the answer.

And your last point is just silly. I will always help my child. I put in the extra time on my personal time to uphold my responsibilities and I and others always have. And so should teachers. That's the gig. Further, while I am absolutely a partner in their education, so are teachers. It's a 3 person partnership here. But what I -shouldn't- be doing imo is teaching basic things like grammar and writing. And providing the feedback teachers have traditionally done but can't seem to be able to do (at least consistently). Sorry, that's not ok.

I’m the PP.

Then you should appreciate that my students just got 140 4-page papers back, all with tons of comments and an opportunity for rewrites. You should appreciate that I got those back in 10 days, which is a miracle because it took me close to 30 hours in addition to my usual overworked schedule. You should appreciate that I also offered to meet with students after school on 5 separate occasions to offer help on their drafts. I’ll do the same thing again with next month’s paper.

So I’m doing EVERYTHING you say you want in a teacher. I’m telling you that this is burning me out and I will be quitting, too. You are fine with that, as you already suggested it.

When the teachers who bend over backward and give you what you want STILL get this nasty response, what do you expect?

Here’s the only solution: change teacher schedules so it isn’t assumed that they will spend 25+ hours a week grading just to keep afloat. Let us teach LESS so we can work MORE. I shouldn’t be in front of students for all but 4 hours a week, not with the demands of my job.

But please… keep complaining and making me feel miserable. It definitely is doing wonders for this hard-working teacher’s morale.

Yeah, i stopped working extra hours after visiting this forum. It really is a motivation killer to see how entitled some of these parents feel. They have no idea.

Thank you! Would it be so hard to just acknowledge the challenge teachers face? I don’t need accolades. I would just appreciate not being attacked for trying to explain the demands of teaching these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would honestly settle for decent teaching. YouTube videos and TeachersPayTeachers, is not it. Tests are a joke. DD has a 99.5 for the year, and has learned nothing. Worse, she hates a subject she used to love.

The grades are posted very promptly. There is that.

So she would have gotten a 100 on an extensive comprehensive final at the beginning of the year? If she learned NOTHING after 40 weeks, then she may be a genius who needs private school.

Of course not. There is next to no teaching. She has learned nothing. All tests are open notes, so they don’t have to learn anything to pass tests with high grades. This material will end up on next year’s SOL, so I will be spending the summer teaching her what she should have learned in class.

So because she had open notebook test, you’ve determined that she learned nothing. Amazing

She tells me that she’s learning nothing. Her assignments consist of filling in blanks, and coloring. ALL tests are open book. The only points she has lost this year, are on an assignment where the teacher said coloring was optional (so she didn’t), and it turned out that getting a 100 required coloring. I wish I was making this up, but I’m not.

I’m a biologist by training, so it’s extra frustrating for me that my kid that is also passionate about science now says it’s boring and useless. I will contrast this with her history teacher. She doesn’t like history, doesn’t like memorizing names/dates/places, thought it was pointless to learn it, and has turned around completely about it. She loves her teacher, has come to enjoy the subject, and her teacher has made it relevant to them.

Teachers can change lives. So yeah, I wish they would in fact, teach. My kid will be fine. I have the knowledge and the training to get her caught up. But there are over a hundred other kids that likely don’t have that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely hated teaching online and all that came with Covid. BUT. The one day week to plan, grade, attend meetings, and hold office hours for kids was AMAZING!

+1000000

I'm at the end of a 30 year career in high school. Parents don't get all the "teacher busywork" that we are required to do. If we don't have a dedicated time to do it, it should go.

30 years ago, 1/3 of the students didn't have ADHD or anxiety. Today, every student who has an IEP or 504 gets differentiation, and teachers have to attend their eval, re-eval, or yearly meetings. Imagine an hour meeting for 1/3 of your students -- it is an enormous time suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would honestly settle for decent teaching. YouTube videos and TeachersPayTeachers, is not it. Tests are a joke. DD has a 99.5 for the year, and has learned nothing. Worse, she hates a subject she used to love.

The grades are posted very promptly. There is that.

So she would have gotten a 100 on an extensive comprehensive final at the beginning of the year? If she learned NOTHING after 40 weeks, then she may be a genius who needs private school.

Of course not. There is next to no teaching. She has learned nothing. All tests are open notes, so they don’t have to learn anything to pass tests with high grades. This material will end up on next year’s SOL, so I will be spending the summer teaching her what she should have learned in class.

So because she had open notebook test, you’ve determined that she learned nothing. Amazing

She tells me that she’s learning nothing. Her assignments consist of filling in blanks, and coloring. ALL tests are open book. The only points she has lost this year, are on an assignment where the teacher said coloring was optional (so she didn’t), and it turned out that getting a 100 required coloring. I wish I was making this up, but I’m not.

I’m a biologist by training, so it’s extra frustrating for me that my kid that is also passionate about science now says it’s boring and useless. I will contrast this with her history teacher. She doesn’t like history, doesn’t like memorizing names/dates/places, thought it was pointless to learn it, and has turned around completely about it. She loves her teacher, has come to enjoy the subject, and her teacher has made it relevant to them.

Teachers can change lives. So yeah, I wish they would in fact, teach. My kid will be fine. I have the knowledge and the training to get her caught up. But there are over a hundred other kids that likely don’t have that option.

Admin. wants everyone to pass. Teachers are never rewarded for adhering to higher standards. They just create a lot of grief for themselves when they try to enforce them. I have seen some great teachers felled by their resistance to dumbing down the curriculum. .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely hated teaching online and all that came with Covid. BUT. The one day week to plan, grade, attend meetings, and hold office hours for kids was AMAZING!

and we will never how real it was

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last time my DD teacher updated the grade book was December 9th….

Students have been doing assignments since then, semester end soon and nothing graded. I’m not telling you how to do your job, but you should update your grade book kids need to know if they are missing anything. Please

December 9 isn't the end of the world. That means there were no grades recorded the week before winter break (12/12-12/16) or the week after break (1/3-1/6). Hopefully a grade will be recorded this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about not putting the grades into SIS than not grading the work at all. When teachers don’t grade and return assignments, how are kids supposed to learn and do better the next time?

This is my main concern. I know how overworked teachers are (I teach ES). Actually, I can't even imagine MS teachers that have to grade assignments from 4-5 sections of 25+ students each. BUT, I do think my kid needs more than a grade in a computer system, particularly for non-math subjects. In all of 7th grade and so far in 8th my kid has not receive a single word of feedback on any writing assignment, be it for History, Science, or English. Only the number/letter grade and sometimes circled items on a rubric. No redline markups, not even form comments like "needs more evidence, watch your grammar, source?", etc. Even for assignments that hit the mark, some positive words would go a long way to boost confidence and enthusiasm for the topics.

I don't know what the answer is, because truly a dedicated MS teacher is already doing more (unpaid!) overtime than we can probably imagine. But I do know that this inadequate level of feedback is a disservice to my kid who could be using that feedback to improve.

Yes, it is a disservice. It absolutely is. Is the solution 15 hours of middle school and high school grading each weekend? That’s how comments on papers happen. That’s what I’ll be doing again this weekend. That’s what I did for 3 hours last night.

I have to sacrifice my own family for those comments. I grade before dinner. I grade after dinner. I grade at my kids’ sporting events. I grade in the car if someone else is driving. I miss family events. I missed a family outing to PA last weekend so I could stay home and work.

Is this acceptable to you? I hear that kids need comments. What I don’t hear is an acknowledgment that those comments take major sacrifice.

Listen, I have no issue with respecting family time, in theory. But, if you're not giving the comments and feedback, you are NOT doing your job and teaching the kids. You're not. So, maybe teaching isn't for you. Leave it to the ones who are able to do both. And by our gradebooks over the years, there are those that seem to be able to do that, and those that cannot.

And, BTW, do you think you're the only profession or person who has work eat into their personal time? You're not.

It seems you don’t need a teacher. You need a martyr. You have no problem when a teacher says they are in front of students 35 hours a week and still have 30 hours of work to do. “Get it done.”

Hence… a teacher shortage. People aren’t willing to work 65 hour weeks for $75K and a ton of disrespect.

Are you always this obtuse? Because nothing in my post was "martyr" like. I do what I need to do to get my kid the education needed. The point is, parents are doing the job that some teachers aren't. And using OUR personal time to do so. But you don't seem to care about that. Funny how that works.

I think you were too quick to label me as obtuse. I get it. I’m a parent, too. When I’m not spending 65 hours a week working hard for YOUR child, I am filling in the gaps for my own. I’m aware there are gaps in my own children’s education. The difference between us is I don’t assume it’s because of their teachers.

I know and accept what you clearly refuse to acknowledge. Teachers are burned out and quitting. They are covering for their colleagues who have already left for higher-paying and easier jobs.

I also understand that they, like me, are expected to be directly in front of students for 33-35 hours a week, actively teaching. That leaves them a mere 5 hours (if they are lucky and not covering other classes) to do all the planning, all the grading, all the email responses, all the report writing, etc. I know that those teachers, like me, give up Saturday and Sunday to try their best to catch up. I appreciate their sacrifice. I know they are being asked to do the work of 2-3 (quite literally). I understand that my kid’s essay is just one of 150, and while it may only take 15 minutes to comment on his essay, the teacher won’t finish the pile for another 25-27 hours… which is done in the evening and on weekends since there’s no time at school. Under these conditions, I can respect the teacher and be patient.

Your other argument seems to be that you have to help your children at home on your personal time. So? Shouldn’t you be? You are a partner in your child’s education.

Where did I say teachers aren't burned out and quitting? If htey cannot do the job, they should quit. That would at least let me know where things stand and I can make other choices. Instead, they're not doing what they're fully responsible for and expect people to be ok with it. No, sorry. Finding out what my all A kid DIDN't know by the end of MS was a real eye opener. I appreciate that teaching sucks these days. What I don't appreciate that what seems to be the "give" in this is my child not actually being taught by some teachers. That is not the answer.

And your last point is just silly. I will always help my child. I put in the extra time on my personal time to uphold my responsibilities and I and others always have. And so should teachers. That's the gig. Further, while I am absolutely a partner in their education, so are teachers. It's a 3 person partnership here. But what I -shouldn't- be doing imo is teaching basic things like grammar and writing. And providing the feedback teachers have traditionally done but can't seem to be able to do (at least consistently). Sorry, that's not ok.

I’m the PP.

Then you should appreciate that my students just got 140 4-page papers back, all with tons of comments and an opportunity for rewrites. You should appreciate that I got those back in 10 days, which is a miracle because it took me close to 30 hours in addition to my usual overworked schedule. You should appreciate that I also offered to meet with students after school on 5 separate occasions to offer help on their drafts. I’ll do the same thing again with next month’s paper.

So I’m doing EVERYTHING you say you want in a teacher. I’m telling you that this is burning me out and I will be quitting, too. You are fine with that, as you already suggested it.

When the teachers who bend over backward and give you what you want STILL get this nasty response, what do you expect?

Here’s the only solution: change teacher schedules so it isn’t assumed that they will spend 25+ hours a week grading just to keep afloat. Let us teach LESS so we can work MORE. I shouldn’t be in front of students for all but 4 hours a week, not with the demands of my job.

But please… keep complaining and making me feel miserable. It definitely is doing wonders for this hard-working teacher’s morale.

Yeah, i stopped working extra hours after visiting this forum. It really is a motivation killer to see how entitled some of these parents feel. They have no idea.

Thank you! Would it be so hard to just acknowledge the challenge teachers face? I don’t need accolades. I would just appreciate not being attacked for trying to explain the demands of teaching these days.

It’s a thankless job. Even when we don’t all thank you, know that good teachers are appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would honestly settle for decent teaching. YouTube videos and TeachersPayTeachers, is not it. Tests are a joke. DD has a 99.5 for the year, and has learned nothing. Worse, she hates a subject she used to love.

The grades are posted very promptly. There is that.

So she would have gotten a 100 on an extensive comprehensive final at the beginning of the year? If she learned NOTHING after 40 weeks, then she may be a genius who needs private school.

Of course not. There is next to no teaching. She has learned nothing. All tests are open notes, so they don’t have to learn anything to pass tests with high grades. This material will end up on next year’s SOL, so I will be spending the summer teaching her what she should have learned in class.

So because she had open notebook test, you’ve determined that she learned nothing. Amazing

She tells me that she’s learning nothing. Her assignments consist of filling in blanks, and coloring. ALL tests are open book. The only points she has lost this year, are on an assignment where the teacher said coloring was optional (so she didn’t), and it turned out that getting a 100 required coloring. I wish I was making this up, but I’m not.

I’m a biologist by training, so it’s extra frustrating for me that my kid that is also passionate about science now says it’s boring and useless. I will contrast this with her history teacher. She doesn’t like history, doesn’t like memorizing names/dates/places, thought it was pointless to learn it, and has turned around completely about it. She loves her teacher, has come to enjoy the subject, and her teacher has made it relevant to them.

Teachers can change lives. So yeah, I wish they would in fact, teach. My kid will be fine. I have the knowledge and the training to get her caught up. But there are over a hundred other kids that likely don’t have that option.

You do a discredit to that history teacher (as well as all the other amazing teachers) when you use a blanket “they” above. Those of us who are doing an amazing job, at a huge personal expense, are a little tired of being lumped into one big crappy teacher persona.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier about staying mostly up to date grading but then retakes. Counted the students who signed up for this unit's retake. I teach just under 90 honors students. I have 28 honors students requesting the test retake. The average for this test was an 84. About a third of those requesting a retake scored above an 80% on the original test. I don't know when an 80% became a bad enough grade to have to take a retake.

Isn’t the highest you can get on a retake 80 percent? So if a kid scores higher, why do they have an option to retake?

At my school students can score up to 100% on a retake.

What FCPS school is this?!? At our school (Chsntilly), students can only score up to an 80 on a test retake.

Herndon (depending on teacher) will give 100%.

In our FCPS school, for one or two subjects that I know of, if you get a lower score on retake, that score is entered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier about staying mostly up to date grading but then retakes. Counted the students who signed up for this unit's retake. I teach just under 90 honors students. I have 28 honors students requesting the test retake. The average for this test was an 84. About a third of those requesting a retake scored above an 80% on the original test. I don't know when an 80% became a bad enough grade to have to take a retake.

Isn’t the highest you can get on a retake 80 percent? So if a kid scores higher, why do they have an option to retake?

At my school students can score up to 100% on a retake.

What FCPS school is this?!? At our school (Chsntilly), students can only score up to an 80 on a test retake.

Herndon (depending on teacher) will give 100%.

In our FCPS school, for one or two subjects that I know of, if you get a lower score on retake, that score is entered.

Our school the higher of the two scores is recorded and students can earn up to 100%. This is across all classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would honestly settle for decent teaching. YouTube videos and TeachersPayTeachers, is not it. Tests are a joke. DD has a 99.5 for the year, and has learned nothing. Worse, she hates a subject she used to love.

The grades are posted very promptly. There is that.

So she would have gotten a 100 on an extensive comprehensive final at the beginning of the year? If she learned NOTHING after 40 weeks, then she may be a genius who needs private school.

Of course not. There is next to no teaching. She has learned nothing. All tests are open notes, so they don’t have to learn anything to pass tests with high grades. This material will end up on next year’s SOL, so I will be spending the summer teaching her what she should have learned in class.

So because she had open notebook test, you’ve determined that she learned nothing. Amazing

She tells me that she’s learning nothing. Her assignments consist of filling in blanks, and coloring. ALL tests are open book. The only points she has lost this year, are on an assignment where the teacher said coloring was optional (so she didn’t), and it turned out that getting a 100 required coloring. I wish I was making this up, but I’m not.

I’m a biologist by training, so it’s extra frustrating for me that my kid that is also passionate about science now says it’s boring and useless. I will contrast this with her history teacher. She doesn’t like history, doesn’t like memorizing names/dates/places, thought it was pointless to learn it, and has turned around completely about it. She loves her teacher, has come to enjoy the subject, and her teacher has made it relevant to them.

Teachers can change lives. So yeah, I wish they would in fact, teach. My kid will be fine. I have the knowledge and the training to get her caught up. But there are over a hundred other kids that likely don’t have that option.

Admin. wants everyone to pass. Teachers are never rewarded for adhering to higher standards. They just create a lot of grief for themselves when they try to enforce them. I have seen some great teachers felled by their resistance to dumbing down the curriculum. .

Yeah, I think that will be me this year. I just can't do it. So much of the grading system is a complete travesty.