FCPS high school question - advisory/Study hall/non academic class period

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yikes. I’m a HS teacher and the kids hate advisory. It’s a waste of time. They would hate losing 25 minutes of study hall to that.

Well, they are going to. Next year it’s required every other day.

Hmm. Who will be teaching it? Or are these self teaching computer module type things?

[Anonymous]

Is this what the SB is blowing all the COVID relief money on? The SEL/Advisory curriculum? Ugghhh. What a waste of time and money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh Madison parent... let it go.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I just say that my senior is both stressed and depressed about this change. They used to have this period every day to get help if they needed it, for club meetings, or to just take a break with their friends if there was nowhere else they needed to be. Now this planned “wellness” time is doing the exact opposite and creating stress. It is taking away time to seek help with academics, participate in clubs they enjoy, an relax.

Same here. This idiotic "wellness" crap is such a waste of time that could be used to seek extra help from teachers or work on assignments, or both. So, so performative and dumb. Glad this is my kid's senior year and we will be DONE with this school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new advisory period is a county wide requirement. Seems there is some leeway in how schools implement it, but it has to be there in some form. Nobody I know likes the change.

An "advisory" period that is a study hall or a time when kids can seek help from teachers is not a problem. A kumbaya moment is...

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yikes. I’m a HS teacher and the kids hate advisory. It’s a waste of time. They would hate losing 25 minutes of study hall to that.

Well, they are going to. Next year it’s required every other day.

Hmm. Who will be teaching it? Or are these self teaching computer module type things?

At my school every teacher has a 4th period where half is advisory and half is study hall. We teach our 5 subject courses and the 6th (4th period) is advisory where we teach the SEL lessons. So...every teacher.

[Anonymous]

This is hilarious. I have friends who have older kids at Madison and they are pissed because they don't get that free time to leave the school anymore. They would head off grounds. Or just dink around. Very few people actually use the entire time for study hall or getting work done. Even fewer to go talk to teachers. The return period could actually be useful. I say give it a chance before crapping all over it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this what the SB is blowing all the COVID relief money on? The SEL/Advisory curriculum? Ugghhh. What a waste of time and money.

It makes me livid. Why don’t they ask community stakeholders what they want? I must have missed that survey or maybe it wasn’t designed so that I could not indicate what I want or didn’t want. Anything involving a computer or pre-packaged curriculum? I don’t want that. In fact I am drowning in that. What I want involves more substance - people to help on every level, things like books, workbooks or supplies like more solid desks and chairs, more dry erase markers, more notebooks I can give to students. Most of all, we need more space - space for everyone to work, talk, walk, read and think. I am pretty sure real estate in my school’s neighborhood is not THAT expensive, so I don’t know why buying it is not a priority. Teachers here are ecstatic if they even part of of a trailer (one classroom) to themselves because many faculty “float.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is hilarious. I have friends who have older kids at Madison and they are pissed because they don't get that free time to leave the school anymore. They would head off grounds. Or just dink around. Very few people actually use the entire time for study hall or getting work done. Even fewer to go talk to teachers. The return period could actually be useful. I say give it a chance before crapping all over it

Oh, you should hear the drama! -- just 3 days into school and certain parents are complaining that their kid can't meet with a teacher in the 25 min. allotted. Like what do you need to talk to a teacher about after three days in school???? My goodness.... just let it play out for a bit. So.much.drama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this what the SB is blowing all the COVID relief money on? The SEL/Advisory curriculum? Ugghhh. What a waste of time and money.

It makes me livid. Why don’t they ask community stakeholders what they want? I must have missed that survey or maybe it wasn’t designed so that I could not indicate what I want or didn’t want. Anything involving a computer or pre-packaged curriculum? I don’t want that. In fact I am drowning in that. What I want involves more substance - people to help on every level, things like books, workbooks or supplies like more solid desks and chairs, more dry erase markers, more notebooks I can give to students. Most of all, we need more space - space for everyone to work, talk, walk, read and think. I am pretty sure real estate in my school’s neighborhood is not THAT expensive, so I don’t know why buying it is not a priority. Teachers here are ecstatic if they even part of of a trailer (one classroom) to themselves because many faculty “float.”

To be fair, this is the ESSER III money, and they did send out surveys and seek community input and have a scruple SB meetings dedicated to the community input…

[Anonymous]

I’m curious who all the parents are who think it’s NBD. Are your kids geniuses who never need any help? My kid already has projects assigned, upcoming tests, and pages of HW. In the past, stopping by to ask a quick question was easy during Warhawk time, now it’s a lot more difficult. Teachers don’t want to hang out after school to answer questions. It’s going to be an even bigger pain when kids need to make up tests, which they used to do during Warhawk time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is hilarious. I have friends who have older kids at Madison and they are pissed because they don't get that free time to leave the school anymore. They would head off grounds. Or just dink around. Very few people actually use the entire time for study hall or getting work done. Even fewer to go talk to teachers. The return period could actually be useful. I say give it a chance before crapping all over it

Oh, you should hear the drama! -- just 3 days into school and certain parents are complaining that their kid can't meet with a teacher in the 25 min. allotted. Like what do you need to talk to a teacher about after three days in school???? My goodness.... just let it play out for a bit. So.much.drama.

I mean, if your kid is in an advanced class, 25 minutes is next to nothing especially since HS teachers have about 150-170 students per year.

So this is going to happen to all high schools? I will probably just schedule appointments with students during that time. My advisory would probably appreciate the break and I could spend quality time with a student who needs assistance. Someone may rat me out eventually but we’ll see. I just think my interactions with the kids needs to be as real and as meaningful as possible. That is what will help their social and emotional wellness, not slideshows with bright colors and tired cliches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious who all the parents are who think it’s NBD. Are your kids geniuses who never need any help? My kid already has projects assigned, upcoming tests, and pages of HW. In the past, stopping by to ask a quick question was easy during Warhawk time, now it’s a lot more difficult. Teachers don’t want to hang out after school to answer questions. It’s going to be an even bigger pain when kids need to make up tests, which they used to do during Warhawk time.

As a teacher, I agree. It is a big deal. I often stay until 5 or 6 pm but i am trying to change that because it wreaks havoc on my own life and well being. I hate wasting time during school hours on stuff like this. It’s bad pedagogy and everyone hates it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a disaster. This used to be the period to go get help in whatever class they needed it or do make-up tests. Now it's all structured and confusing and an absolute waste of time. Marshall HS, btw.

I also have a very frustrated Marshall kid. He used to be able to get help from teachers every day, now he has to play games instead? He works after school to pay for college. How is he supposed to get help now? Who exactly is this benefiting?

I’m a Marshall teacher. We’re also somewhat frustrated, but trying to deal with it. We do have a lot of advisory at the beginning, but there will be more LEARN and return periods starting next week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is hilarious. I have friends who have older kids at Madison and they are pissed because they don't get that free time to leave the school anymore. They would head off grounds. Or just dink around. Very few people actually use the entire time for study hall or getting work done. Even fewer to go talk to teachers. The return period could actually be useful. I say give it a chance before crapping all over it

Oh, you should hear the drama! -- just 3 days into school and certain parents are complaining that their kid can't meet with a teacher in the 25 min. allotted. Like what do you need to talk to a teacher about after three days in school???? My goodness.... just let it play out for a bit. So.much.drama.

I mean, if your kid is in an advanced class, 25 minutes is next to nothing especially since HS teachers have about 150-170 students per year.

So this is going to happen to all high schools? I will probably just schedule appointments with students during that time. My advisory would probably appreciate the break and I could spend quality time with a student who needs assistance. Someone may rat me out eventually but we’ll see. I just think my interactions with the kids needs to be as real and as meaningful as possible. That is what will help their social and emotional wellness, not slideshows with bright colors and tired cliches.

FCPS is already back so I’m guessing you’re not there. As for your idea, at my HS those students you want appointments with will be in Advisory and won’t be able to leave to meet with you. So that won’t work.