Middle school: how much teacher contact do you want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All I want is
a calendar of assignment due dates,
an up to date report of what's been submitted,
and an promptly graded work, because Canvas/Parentvue are useless.

This this this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

+1. My kid needs help staying on top of things as we transition toward high school. This would be very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

Last year, I experimented with this. I sent a Sunday night announcement in Canvas that previewed the week and a Friday afternoon wrap up of what we actually did. Almost no one looked at it the first three weeks. However, I got about 70 emails asking me things that those announcements answered. In weeks 4-9, I stopped the Sunday night preview and just did the Friday wrap up. No one looked at them. Countless emails asking about due dates and deadlines.

I didn’t do these weekly announcements the rest of the year. They were time consuming to write and parents couldn’t be bothered to read them.

I would definitely read this, but I would need it to be over parentvue.

[Anonymous]

I had a 6th grader last year. I think I got maybe 5 emails from his 10 different teachers during the year, and three of them were about chaperoning a field trip. That was enough. He can manage his own schooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

Last year, I experimented with this. I sent a Sunday night announcement in Canvas that previewed the week and a Friday afternoon wrap up of what we actually did. Almost no one looked at it the first three weeks. However, I got about 70 emails asking me things that those announcements answered. In weeks 4-9, I stopped the Sunday night preview and just did the Friday wrap up. No one looked at them. Countless emails asking about due dates and deadlines.

I didn’t do these weekly announcements the rest of the year. They were time consuming to write and parents couldn’t be bothered to read them.

I think people forgot that change takes time, even with adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All I want is
a calendar of assignment due dates,
an up to date report of what's been submitted,
and an promptly graded work, because Canvas/Parentvue are useless.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

Last year, I experimented with this. I sent a Sunday night announcement in Canvas that previewed the week and a Friday afternoon wrap up of what we actually did. Almost no one looked at it the first three weeks. However, I got about 70 emails asking me things that those announcements answered. In weeks 4-9, I stopped the Sunday night preview and just did the Friday wrap up. No one looked at them. Countless emails asking about due dates and deadlines.

I didn’t do these weekly announcements the rest of the year. They were time consuming to write and parents couldn’t be bothered to read them.

Some of us DO read them and appreciate them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

+1. My kid needs help staying on top of things as we transition toward high school. This would be very helpful.

We had to go into our child's account regularly to make sure everything got done and to see it.

[Anonymous]

I read everything I get sent, but for most teachers that’s been nothing. That’s for all three years of middle school. This past year 8th grade) some of my kids teachers occasionally sent texts about big deadlines. Not necessary, my kid manages his own work and deadlines.

[Anonymous]

I’m the parent of an incoming 7th grader. I consider myself a partner in my child’s education and I would be thrilled with a ‘The Week Ahead’ email. Middle schoolers need attentive parents/caregivers who are invested in their education and participate by reading the emails, checking in on work, discussing what they are learning at the dinner table, etc. You are doing your child nor their teachers any favors by letting them handle it all on their own. Thank you teachers for all you are doing.

[Anonymous]

Part of the problem w/MS and HS is there doesn’t seem to be consistent policies that everyone is following when it comes to assignments and grades. Heck most of the time kids and parents don’t really understand what a single teacher’s policy is because it’s ever changing. So when one teacher does something good like Week Ahead emails, it gets lost in all the chaos and confusion of needing to constantly followup w/ multiple other teachers.

Examples: 1)My kid has had multiple teachers who don’t enter grades timely, including leaving homework grades until near the end of the quarter. 2)Teachers allow students to turn in assignments both electronically and on paper but don’t account for the fact that those submit on paper will then show up as late or missing on Canvas which then confuses students and parents.

[Anonymous]

Parent of incoming 9th grader here, we just finished MS. Our first year in MS was virtual and EVERYTHING was in MyMCPS/Canvas which was supremely helpful.
Ideally (ie I am pretty sure it is not possible), I would love for teachers to utilize Canvas more in terms of posting all assignments there (scans of paper assignments included) and updating grades in timely manner (HUGE one!).
DS's Honors Geometry teacher last year (8th) had an interactive calendar with all the lessons, assignments, homework and links to explanation videos as well as test dates. This was so helpful! She was also very good with grading assignments timely. We lucked out with such a fantastic teacher.
I would rather have an interactive calendar like that from every teacher than emails. That way parents can track/follow up on subjects that kids need help with (clearly it was Geometry for us), but do not get overwhelmed with emails from every teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the parent of an incoming 7th grader. I consider myself a partner in my child’s education and I would be thrilled with a ‘The Week Ahead’ email. Middle schoolers need attentive parents/caregivers who are invested in their education and participate by reading the emails, checking in on work, discussing what they are learning at the dinner table, etc. You are doing your child nor their teachers any favors by letting them handle it all on their own. Thank you teachers for all you are doing.

You sound like a kiss ass. Many kids ARE capable of handling the majority of their schoolwork themselves. I only got involved when there was a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the parent of an incoming 7th grader. I consider myself a partner in my child’s education and I would be thrilled with a ‘The Week Ahead’ email. Middle schoolers need attentive parents/caregivers who are invested in their education and participate by reading the emails, checking in on work, discussing what they are learning at the dinner table, etc. You are doing your child nor their teachers any favors by letting them handle it all on their own. Thank you teachers for all you are doing.

I disagree strongly (and so does most research on this topic). Letting your kid handle it shows that you think they are capable and helps them learn skills they will need in HS and beyond. It’s only more important to do so if they have EF challenges, anxiety, and/or ADHD. Your “participation” is not setting your kid up for success but for failure. Please read any parenting book out there - maybe Self Driven Child by Stixrud or Duct Tape Parenting for starters.

[Anonymous]

Please don't add anything to any online portals. I prefer direct emails. Logging into portals to see messages drives me insane.