Movies at school. All day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a HS teacher the reality is that few kids show up. Grades are in and finals have been taken. What kind of instruction do you really expect to take place?

Have some imagination and teach some of the stuff you always wanted to but complain the SOL demands squeeze out.

If you teach a math class, have a couple of days on the stock market or personal finance. If you teach social studies, play the World Trade game. If you are in English, do a little reader's theater. This isn't hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what should students be doing this week? And at what grades?

Like I said, I have no problem with spending the week playing games. There is plenty of learning that goes on in that. But sitting there watching a movie, getting yelled at for talking to each other --that's not appropriate at school.

I think what really gets me is that it seems like the reason for it is so the teacher can complete assessments. Because that's more important than actual learning, apparently.

I'm talking about second grade. (Op)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HS teacher the reality is that few kids show up. Grades are in and finals have been taken. What kind of instruction do you really expect to take place?

Have some imagination and teach some of the stuff you always wanted to but complain the SOL demands squeeze out.

If you teach a math class, have a couple of days on the stock market or personal finance. If you teach social studies, play the World Trade game. If you are in English, do a little reader's theater. This isn't hard.

+1

[Anonymous]

The principals need to take some responsibility for knowing what teachers are doing the last week.

[Anonymous]

Yet another reason we left dcps for a charter! Do your job and teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is not over, the pack up shot should take place after school ends. Why does it seem like they are rushing to pack in the learning all year but then the last week is thrown away? That said, I would have no problem with it if the kids were outside or playing educational board or computer games but movies????

why can't teachers pack up after the students are no longer in the building?

Former HS English teacher here, there is one paid day after students leave for teachers to pack up... Hours of this are take. Up by a staff meeting and we were expected to turn in our keys by 3pm - so not even the option of packing on our own unpaid time. I was always one of the last teachers in the building scrambling to finish the pack up- my RT and administrator were always annoyed because they wanted to leave for their beach weekend getaways ahead of the traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HS teacher the reality is that few kids show up. Grades are in and finals have been taken. What kind of instruction do you really expect to take place?

Have some imagination and teach some of the stuff you always wanted to but complain the SOL demands squeeze out.

If you teach a math class, have a couple of days on the stock market or personal finance. If you teach social studies, play the World Trade game. If you are in English, do a little reader's theater. This isn't hard.

My kids charter (BASIS DC) does a school-wide version of this - called project week for the last week of school (finals are always second to last week).

A month or so before the end of school a project week syllabus comes out. Students rank their top 3 choices and are assigned one. Some are more academic than others, and some are executed better but there's a range of choices -- over our years at the school there have been camping trips, trips to Montreal and New York City, an anime unit, a dissection unit, art in the city, 'game of life' (personal finance/applying for jobs/college/paying taxes), history of video games. It's fun, no homework and most projects involve at least one field trip and a movie or two. It's a nice way for everyone to end the school year and students and teachers seem to really look forward to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what should students be doing this week? And at what grades?

Like I said, I have no problem with spending the week playing games. There is plenty of learning that goes on in that. But sitting there watching a movie, getting yelled at for talking to each other --that's not appropriate at school.

I think what really gets me is that it seems like the reason for it is so the teacher can complete assessments. Because that's more important than actual learning, apparently.

I'm talking about second grade. (Op)

My second grader is doing both. Yesterday was game day (bring a board game in to play) but also a math test. Today is movie day but also a Science test. I can't remember how the rest of the week goes. I hope today is the last test, I feel so done.

[Anonymous]

I feel like the DCPS contract needs to specify that instructional days cannot be used for cleaning/packing up a room and that at least two days should be included for packing up rooms. My K has been boxing up toys and wiping things down; he's supposed to bring in toys for them to play with this week. And last year, my older child also spent the week packing things up.

[Anonymous]

Um, watching movies at the end of the year was an absolute highlight for me. It's some of my fondest memories of school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um, watching movies at the end of the year was an absolute highlight for me. It's some of my fondest memories of school!

me too!

[Anonymous]

My kids at DCPS are doing a combo. Some games, some movies, some outdoor play, some parties & potlucks. I went to a school presentation two weeks ago and it was clear that the kids were just DONE. So wriggly and inattentive, and the teacher struggled for order. Polar opposite of school events midyear.

I think school goes on two weeks too long in DCPS. At this point, I'm just grateful for the free child care. I'm viewing this as extended summer camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a HS teacher the reality is that few kids show up. Grades are in and finals have been taken. What kind of instruction do you really expect to take place?

Have some imagination and teach some of the stuff you always wanted to but complain the SOL demands squeeze out.

If you teach a math class, have a couple of days on the stock market or personal finance. If you teach social studies, play the World Trade game. If you are in English, do a little reader's theater. This isn't hard.

My kids charter (BASIS DC) does a school-wide version of this - called project week for the last week of school (finals are always second to last week).

A month or so before the end of school a project week syllabus comes out. Students rank their top 3 choices and are assigned one. Some are more academic than others, and some are executed better but there's a range of choices -- over our years at the school there have been camping trips, trips to Montreal and New York City, an anime unit, a dissection unit, art in the city, 'game of life' (personal finance/applying for jobs/college/paying taxes), history of video games. It's fun, no homework and most projects involve at least one field trip and a movie or two. It's a nice way for everyone to end the school year and students and teachers seem to really look forward to it.

This is how it should be. My kids were previously in private school and this is how things were handled. I'm kind of baffled by DCPS (high school) apparently using an entire week to allow kids who are failing to do makeup work, while kids who aren't failing either a) come to school and watch movies/play on their phones all day while teachers clean out their classrooms OR b) stay home, with parents dutifully reporting them as sick all week.

I'm all for paying teachers to clean out their classrooms, but let them do it after the kids have finished school, and have them plan and carry out a final week of projects, field trips, and/or community service. What does it say about how we, as a city, value education (and how teachers & DCPS value education) that as soon as finals are over, the learning stops? So crazy.

[Anonymous]

Teachers can't clean up their rooms in one day! It would wreck their organizational capabilities and condition of their stuff for future use.

I am fine with play and screens the last week. It's fun for my child and a cool memory of my own. Teachers would often give out little things (a border piece here and a name tag or almost dried up market there). I loved it.

We also helped clean and dismantle things. That's important in terms of helping and responsibility.

[Anonymous]

As I recall we always helped clean up the class rooms and pack things away the last few days. It always made me so nostalgic and sad about the end of school to see my classroom empty.