Teacher not giving class any work at high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is taking an elective at high school. Unfortunately, the teacher seems to have no idea what the class is about and there appears to be no syllabus. DS has contacted his counsellor about the class but has had no response. I've spoken to the teacher directly, and he informed me that they will be doing some "nice things" with some "nice computer packages". Would it be appropriate to contact the principal? In my country, the schooling is left up to the teachers and the parents don't get involved, so I've no idea what I should or shouldn't do.

Thank you.

Troll.

Yep

I'm not a troll. The class is STEM Design at Langley. Most of the class is spent doing nothing. My kid wants to learn something.

So, anyone have a good answer?

I think that this is a new hire? I remember seeing STEM design teacher being one of the vacant positions.

The 9th grade class at Langley is huge this year. There are kids from all over the county that did not get into TJ that transferred in. FCPS needs to step up and either 1) increase the academy offerings to expand coursework or 2) add targeted resources to help the influx of students or 3) make the TJ sophomore application process easier.

My neighborhood is zoned for Westfield, but several kids I know that didn't get in to TJ pupil place to Langley for Russian... ha, as if most of these kids really want to study Russian - it's a way to get into a "better" school.

[Anonymous]

If it’s one of those STEM engineering courses, I’m sure the students will be using high level structural analysis software. Not just basic CAD or BIM software. Those classes are usually both challenging and fun. I hope it all works out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is taking an elective at high school. Unfortunately, the teacher seems to have no idea what the class is about and there appears to be no syllabus. DS has contacted his counsellor about the class but has had no response. I've spoken to the teacher directly, and he informed me that they will be doing some "nice things" with some "nice computer packages". Would it be appropriate to contact the principal? In my country, the schooling is left up to the teachers and the parents don't get involved, so I've no idea what I should or shouldn't do.

Thank you.

Troll.

Yep

I'm not a troll. The class is STEM Design at Langley. Most of the class is spent doing nothing. My kid wants to learn something.

So, anyone have a good answer?

I think that this is a new hire? I remember seeing STEM design teacher being one of the vacant positions.

The 9th grade class at Langley is huge this year. There are kids from all over the county that did not get into TJ that transferred in. FCPS needs to step up and either 1) increase the academy offerings to expand coursework or 2) add targeted resources to help the influx of students or 3) make the TJ sophomore application process easier.

My neighborhood is zoned for Westfield, but several kids I know that didn't get in to TJ pupil place to Langley for Russian... ha, as if most of these kids really want to study Russian - it's a way to get into a "better" school.

Why not offer Russian at more schools if it’s popular?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is taking an elective at high school. Unfortunately, the teacher seems to have no idea what the class is about and there appears to be no syllabus. DS has contacted his counsellor about the class but has had no response. I've spoken to the teacher directly, and he informed me that they will be doing some "nice things" with some "nice computer packages". Would it be appropriate to contact the principal? In my country, the schooling is left up to the teachers and the parents don't get involved, so I've no idea what I should or shouldn't do.

Thank you.

Troll.

Yep

I'm not a troll. The class is STEM Design at Langley. Most of the class is spent doing nothing. My kid wants to learn something.

So, anyone have a good answer?

I think that this is a new hire? I remember seeing STEM design teacher being one of the vacant positions.

The 9th grade class at Langley is huge this year. There are kids from all over the county that did not get into TJ that transferred in. FCPS needs to step up and either 1) increase the academy offerings to expand coursework or 2) add targeted resources to help the influx of students or 3) make the TJ sophomore application process easier.

My neighborhood is zoned for Westfield, but several kids I know that didn't get in to TJ pupil place to Langley for Russian... ha, as if most of these kids really want to study Russian - it's a way to get into a "better" school.

Wonder if they and their parents realize that if they drop Russian after freshman year they can be required to return to their base school? That's how pupil placement for specific programs (languages, IB or AP, etc.) works. If they think they can just take a semester or year of Russian as freshmen then drop it and stay where they are, I hope they get a rude awakening for trying to game the system. You have to re-register every year of HS with a commitment that you will take the course or program for which you pupil placed at the school. Fail to do that, and you're back at your base. As it should be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grader is taking an elective at high school. Unfortunately, the teacher seems to have no idea what the class is about and there appears to be no syllabus. DS has contacted his counsellor about the class but has had no response. I've spoken to the teacher directly, and he informed me that they will be doing some "nice things" with some "nice computer packages". Would it be appropriate to contact the principal? In my country, the schooling is left up to the teachers and the parents don't get involved, so I've no idea what I should or shouldn't do.

Thank you.

Troll.

Yep

I'm not a troll. The class is STEM Design at Langley. Most of the class is spent doing nothing. My kid wants to learn something.

So, anyone have a good answer?

I think that this is a new hire? I remember seeing STEM design teacher being one of the vacant positions.

The 9th grade class at Langley is huge this year. There are kids from all over the county that did not get into TJ that transferred in. FCPS needs to step up and either 1) increase the academy offerings to expand coursework or 2) add targeted resources to help the influx of students or 3) make the TJ sophomore application process easier.

Langley got a big addition when it was renovated four years ago, so you can hardly complain when the empty seats finally get filled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

Oh please. Your DH is never going to become a teacher. He is never going to get certified, take classes, then deal with the bs that comes with teaching. He is never going to deal with differentiation and all the 504s/IEPs. He is going to also have unmotivated students in his class - and guess what? Principals won't allow him to fail them. And it is really, really offensive to us teachers when the privileged class talks about money not being "the motivating factor". Should he become a teacher, see how many teachers respect him. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

That’s great and all but if our plan for staffing classrooms is “wait until people retire from their first careers and hope they decide to get certified to teach” well, that’s not much of a plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

This is a very romanticized idea of teaching. The reality of the job is quite different. It’s stressful, time-consuming, and exhausting. Teaching is about 40% of what you do. The other 60% is planning, grading, contacting parents, attending meetings, attending trainings, performing duty after duty, covering other teachers’ classes, etc.

There’s a reason we have such a tremendous shortage right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

This is a very romanticized idea of teaching. The reality of the job is quite different. It’s stressful, time-consuming, and exhausting. Teaching is about 40% of what you do. The other 60% is planning, grading, contacting parents, attending meetings, attending trainings, performing duty after duty, covering other teachers’ classes, etc.

There’s a reason we have such a tremendous shortage right now.

I agree totally, but some of those elective positions do seem relatively cushy for people that have expertise in those areas. There aren’t a lot of those spots but I suspect teaching stem design and maybe computers in art or something like that at Langley would not be overly crazy.

[Anonymous]

You can email the secondary specialist for your region and ask that they provide the teacher with needed supports. That will get some action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

This is a very romanticized idea of teaching. The reality of the job is quite different. It’s stressful, time-consuming, and exhausting. Teaching is about 40% of what you do. The other 60% is planning, grading, contacting parents, attending meetings, attending trainings, performing duty after duty, covering other teachers’ classes, etc.

There’s a reason we have such a tremendous shortage right now.

I agree totally, but some of those elective positions do seem relatively cushy for people that have expertise in those areas. There aren’t a lot of those spots but I suspect teaching stem design and maybe computers in art or something like that at Langley would not be overly crazy.

You don't get to teach one class usually. Electives teachers are fighting for their FTE and so are often teaching Art 1; Art 2&3 and AP in one class combined; computers in art and darkroom photography. So they have to have skills in all the areas and keep up with all the purchasing supplies for all the classes etc. And run the art clubs and put up all the exhibitions and help kids put their portfolios together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a similar experience in a Marshall STEM design class. I'm not sure FCPS has teachers qualified to teach this type of curriculum.

Agree. DS took an 8th grade class that was similar. These are lucrative fields and it’s hard to find teachers who are interested and can stay on top of changing innovations etc.

If you’re qualified to teach (properly) a STEM Design/Engineering class you’re also qualified to make a lot more money working in actual Engineering, so why take the pay cut to put up with having to be a teacher?

Someone like my DH would probably enjoy teaching a course like that. He's the kind of guy that programs in his spare time "for fun", loves robotics and AI, and having motivated students that are into the same sort of thing would be something he'd really enjoy. I have talked to him about teaching (for both of us), after we retire. The money is no longer a motivating factor, obviously.

This is a very romanticized idea of teaching. The reality of the job is quite different. It’s stressful, time-consuming, and exhausting. Teaching is about 40% of what you do. The other 60% is planning, grading, contacting parents, attending meetings, attending trainings, performing duty after duty, covering other teachers’ classes, etc.

There’s a reason we have such a tremendous shortage right now.

I agree totally, but some of those elective positions do seem relatively cushy for people that have expertise in those areas. There aren’t a lot of those spots but I suspect teaching stem design and maybe computers in art or something like that at Langley would not be overly crazy.

You don't get to teach one class usually. Electives teachers are fighting for their FTE and so are often teaching Art 1; Art 2&3 and AP in one class combined; computers in art and darkroom photography. So they have to have skills in all the areas and keep up with all the purchasing supplies for all the classes etc. And run the art clubs and put up all the exhibitions and help kids put their portfolios together.

Exactly, it seems cushy until you have 4 preps.