Cooper Middle School Math - horrible teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

Hah. Very, very false. I have kids in my classes who are working their butts off to understand my content. They come every help block, stay after school when I allow it, have a tutor, ask questions...they still struggle.

I have other kids who literally do the entire notes page independently and if I accidentally give out the classwork assignment with their notes they'll have that done before I'm done with my 30 minute lecture/examples/scaffolds.

Some kids don't need but a gentle introduction if topics are scaffolded and practice is carefully chosen to introduce unique cases. HS math isn't rocket science. Other kids need 25 examples of every problem type before they are able to do one independently. That's why we all teach to the middle, because 5-7 examples seems reasonable for most topics. The "quick" kids don't have to stare at walls longer than 20 minutes, and the "slower" kids get enough practice that they can ask informed questions when they come for extra help vs just saying, "I don't get it".

Well since you are a teacher do you know if the kids that "get it" are doing extra like: Kumon or RSM? Almost all advanced kids have already done the math before the year begins. I do not buy into "born gifted", if the kid has interest they will learn.

I don't know the ECs of all my students, but no, those are not common in my experience. We live far away from AOPS and RSM. Kumon isn't popular that I'm aware of (I taught at a former school where easily 10% of the class did kumon, but I've never heard anyone talk about it here). Private tutors are popular, but they tend to just work with struggling students on current topics; I haven't heard of advanced kids getting tutoring to get a year ahead.

I do not teach at Cooper, the culture may be very different there, but I assure you some kids on my roster latch onto math concepts faster than others, no matter how much effort is put in. It's not impossible for the slower ones to grasp them eventually, and usually they do, but it takes a lot more work and time. Other kids truly do just "get it" the first time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

Hah. Very, very false. I have kids in my classes who are working their butts off to understand my content. They come every help block, stay after school when I allow it, have a tutor, ask questions...they still struggle.

I have other kids who literally do the entire notes page independently and if I accidentally give out the classwork assignment with their notes they'll have that done before I'm done with my 30 minute lecture/examples/scaffolds.

Some kids don't need but a gentle introduction if topics are scaffolded and practice is carefully chosen to introduce unique cases. HS math isn't rocket science. Other kids need 25 examples of every problem type before they are able to do one independently. That's why we all teach to the middle, because 5-7 examples seems reasonable for most topics. The "quick" kids don't have to stare at walls longer than 20 minutes, and the "slower" kids get enough practice that they can ask informed questions when they come for extra help vs just saying, "I don't get it".

Well since you are a teacher do you know if the kids that "get it" are doing extra like: Kumon or RSM? Almost all advanced kids have already done the math before the year begins. I do not buy into "born gifted", if the kid has interest they will learn.

I don't know the ECs of all my students, but no, those are not common in my experience. We live far away from AOPS and RSM. Kumon isn't popular that I'm aware of (I taught at a former school where easily 10% of the class did kumon, but I've never heard anyone talk about it here). Private tutors are popular, but they tend to just work with struggling students on current topics; I haven't heard of advanced kids getting tutoring to get a year ahead.

I do not teach at Cooper, the culture may be very different there, but I assure you some kids on my roster latch onto math concepts faster than others, no matter how much effort is put in. It's not impossible for the slower ones to grasp them eventually, and usually they do, but it takes a lot more work and time. Other kids truly do just "get it" the first time.

+1, I have worked with a few students who don’t have tutors or extra support and “just get it”. Why is it hard to believe there are some kids like that? It’s not the norm, but it definitely exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

There is a reason that some teachers only read the notes from slides. They themselves don't understand the content very well. They can't explain the concept, logic reasoning to the students. I know a student who corrected his Algebra 1 teacher at class. The teacher then treated that student badly at his class. And yes, the teacher is still teaching at Cooper. Perhaps, the OP's child is now in his class.

Spot on

You do realize that there are requirements to become a math teacher, correct? Even if there were knowledge gaps, they would be closed that first year. So, not spot on….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

So, when I went to the MS parent orientation, they literally told us that the difference between honors and general math was that honors kids were expected to get the concepts quicker — there would be fewer examples as they expected the kids to have a stronger base understanding of math and problem-solving. They told us this because they wanted to discourage kids who did not have a strong math base from taking the honors classes since a lot of parents wanted their kids in honors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

No, I’m a teacher and this is not true. Effort is a big part of it but for math and English, if a kid is consistently testing well below grade level in the content on assessments and/or has never gotten above a C in an academic level course, they are not a good candidate for honors. Typically we will catch that and within the first month, their schoolwork will show they will not be able to keep up with the pace and they will be moved to academic where they will be more appropriately served.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

So, when I went to the MS parent orientation, they literally told us that the difference between honors and general math was that honors kids were expected to get the concepts quicker — there would be fewer examples as they expected the kids to have a stronger base understanding of math and problem-solving. They told us this because they wanted to discourage kids who did not have a strong math base from taking the honors classes since a lot of parents wanted their kids in honors.

+1 They told our group the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

So, when I went to the MS parent orientation, they literally told us that the difference between honors and general math was that honors kids were expected to get the concepts quicker — there would be fewer examples as they expected the kids to have a stronger base understanding of math and problem-solving. They told us this because they wanted to discourage kids who did not have a strong math base from taking the honors classes since a lot of parents wanted their kids in honors.

+1 They told our group the same thing.

Our middle school is pushing more kids into honors math. Literally any kid who had a solid pace on SOL in 6th grade math is being pushed into 7H as they feel it better prepares kids for Algebra 1 in 8th. IMO, as a 6th Grade AAP teacher, I think 6th should be compacted 7th/8th grade math. The 7th grade math curriculum has been dumbed down. In fact, they moved several standards to 8th grade math this past year, which were previously taught in 7th grade. I am already teaching many of the 8th grade standards to my kids taking 7th grade math. They could handle it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

So, when I went to the MS parent orientation, they literally told us that the difference between honors and general math was that honors kids were expected to get the concepts quicker — there would be fewer examples as they expected the kids to have a stronger base understanding of math and problem-solving. They told us this because they wanted to discourage kids who did not have a strong math base from taking the honors classes since a lot of parents wanted their kids in honors.

+1 They told our group the same thing.

Our middle school is pushing more kids into honors math. Literally any kid who had a solid pace on SOL in 6th grade math is being pushed into 7H as they feel it better prepares kids for Algebra 1 in 8th. IMO, as a 6th Grade AAP teacher, I think 6th should be compacted 7th/8th grade math. The 7th grade math curriculum has been dumbed down. In fact, they moved several standards to 8th grade math this past year, which were previously taught in 7th grade. I am already teaching many of the 8th grade standards to my kids taking 7th grade math. They could handle it.

7H is different from Honors Algebra — I agree, 7H will probably prepare the student better for Algebra, but at least at our school, they found that students pushed into HN Algebra who are not fully prepared will struggle. At Cooper, you have SO MANY parents pushing their kids into math they are not prepared for.

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Anonymous wrote:Ask to be switched. Every schools know who the problematic teachers are and what they teach. No school is going to pro-actively move your kid so ask to have the kid moved and give examples of why.

why is your kid special that s/he should be moved -- can all the kids in that class be moved?

Every parent wants their child to be removed from this class, it is the same year after year and parents try to get their kids switched and complain a lot. Nothing has been done by admin to change the situation. I’m not saying that this teacher needs to be fired, I believe that the administration should work with this teacher to be a more effective teacher and actually “teach” the students. There are some really great math teachers at Cooper that this teacher could learn from. Even sharing the other teachers notes would be helpful.

You said that “every parent” wants to move their child from this class, but what, specifically, has this teacher done right now that has adversely affected YOUR child? Expecting the administration to “do something” about a teacher is not helpful unless you can explain what exactly this teacher has done wrong.

This teacher doesn’t spend enough time “actually teaching” the subject. There are notes online (not detailed enough), not enough examples, the teacher reads the notes once and then has the students spend the rest of their time working in their own.

In math you can’t expect students to learn something by hearing it one time. It isn’t the same as History where students can read on their own and memorize facts. Math takes understanding and repetition. This isn’t just a problem for my child, it is an overall problem. Even the best math students are having problems with this teacher because they are confused and don’t understand what he is teaching.

I never said that I want other teachers to solve the problem this teacher creates. I asked specifically about Cooper MS because I know some students in the past have been able to switch to a different advisory teacher for QST or could have recommendations for local tutors near Cooper.

I really don’t understand why people are going off on the good teachers and saying it is their problem. This is 100% on the admin or head of the math department to figure out. The method that this teacher has been using for years is not successful and it’s time for someone to step in and work with this teacher to change their method of teaching.

Parents should not be expected to spend thousands of dollars a year, teach their child the subject, or expect 12 year olds to learn the subject on their own through Khan Academy. I personally have already begun to do those things with my child because I have the ability and desire to do so, but it shouldn’t be expected that parents have the time/finances/or mathematical abilities to educate their children outside of school. The teacher of the class should be expected to ensure that their students are receiving an appropriate level of instruction in order to master the subject.

This isn’t a one year problem and I don’t only care about my child. This is a problem every year. Algebra I is not a one and done class, it is a very important foundational class that is built upon year after year.

This is the difference between honors and regular algebra. In honors, students are expected to “get” the concepts quickly. Also, the students are just a few weeks in and it takes time to hit one’s stride.

Exactly, many kids don't want or need multiple examples.

Nope. that is the mythical genius. the only difference between honors and not is the effort the kid wants to put in. The difference between a math major and a social science major is the effort the kid wants to put into math. You think one example is enough for a 12 year old? A good teacher presents examples that challenge naive understandings.

Nope. Don't think math is easy to get it in one read.

So, when I went to the MS parent orientation, they literally told us that the difference between honors and general math was that honors kids were expected to get the concepts quicker — there would be fewer examples as they expected the kids to have a stronger base understanding of math and problem-solving. They told us this because they wanted to discourage kids who did not have a strong math base from taking the honors classes since a lot of parents wanted their kids in honors.

+1 They told our group the same thing.

Our middle school is pushing more kids into honors math. Literally any kid who had a solid pace on SOL in 6th grade math is being pushed into 7H as they feel it better prepares kids for Algebra 1 in 8th. IMO, as a 6th Grade AAP teacher, I think 6th should be compacted 7th/8th grade math. The 7th grade math curriculum has been dumbed down. In fact, they moved several standards to 8th grade math this past year, which were previously taught in 7th grade. I am already teaching many of the 8th grade standards to my kids taking 7th grade math. They could handle it.

7H is different from Honors Algebra — I agree, 7H will probably prepare the student better for Algebra, but at least at our school, they found that students pushed into HN Algebra who are not fully prepared will struggle. At Cooper, you have SO MANY parents pushing their kids into math they are not prepared for.

Further to this, parents will put their kid into Algebra HN in 7th or 8th grade and if they don’t do well, then they will purge the grade and retake it over the summer.