Parents, step it up already!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put a fork in this thread. It’s been hijacked by defensive teacher trolls.

You mean truthful ones?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess some of you are shocked that some parents complain more than helping, or claim they are too busy. This is the current generation of parents to a T. Constant complainers, constant finger pointing, constant passive aggressive, constant selfishness and naiveness about their own children’s behavior and work ethic.

This. I suspect that the parents complaining that they get no response are the parents that make an absolute pest of themselves. There is only so much nonsense an institution will put up with before you are just noise.

As a PTA parent, I can tell you this has more than a grain of truth. There's a generational shift between young Gex X and older Millennials that makes it really challenging to get folks involved. People complain on the listserves and in closed FB groups about the absolute dumbest things, but no one volunteers to get involved. There's only so many times I can type "Actually, no one stepped up to lead that activity this year, but if you want it for next year, I'm happy to set you up with the person whose child graduated who handled it before."

So true. There were so many more volunteers in school and PTA when my oldest kids (in college and high school) were in ES. Now my youngest in ES (4th) it is like pulling teeth to get volunteers and many teachers request no volunteers and one told me (a friend) it was because they would only work or worry about their own kid and their kid would be stressed. The differences are very obvious.

Our school does not allow volunteering except a rare occasion. We are happy to volunteer and donate anything requested and send stuff regularly our kids report is needed.

[Anonymous]

Just a side note to all those who think that music teachers are not working enough.
The county pushes out objectives that teachers need to fill out by activities/recorded lessons/songs that best meet the needs of the school's population. Before publishing, we need to check "student view" as things can look fine from our side but not accessible by students.
Even though not required by the county, numerous music teachers are doing weekly online instruction for each grade level.
I never answered work emails on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Now I spend about 3-5 hours every weekend reading and replying to student/parent emails received late Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.
I am not complaining. However, please stop saying that we are being paid for doing minimal work. It's more work now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a side note to all those who think that music teachers are not working enough.
The county pushes out objectives that teachers need to fill out by activities/recorded lessons/songs that best meet the needs of the school's population. Before publishing, we need to check "student view" as things can look fine from our side but not accessible by students.
Even though not required by the county, numerous music teachers are doing weekly online instruction for each grade level.
I never answered work emails on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Now I spend about 3-5 hours every weekend reading and replying to student/parent emails received late Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.
I am not complaining. However, please stop saying that we are being paid for doing minimal work. It's more work now.

We aren't getting anything from our music teacher. No lessons. That would be nice. Realize you may be working hard, but at other schools nothing is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put a fork in this thread. It’s been hijacked by defensive teacher trolls.

You mean truthful ones?

+1

No, troll, no.

There’s so much BS from the angry and defensive sock puppeting teachers. Pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a side note to all those who think that music teachers are not working enough.
The county pushes out objectives that teachers need to fill out by activities/recorded lessons/songs that best meet the needs of the school's population. Before publishing, we need to check "student view" as things can look fine from our side but not accessible by students.
Even though not required by the county, numerous music teachers are doing weekly online instruction for each grade level.
I never answered work emails on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Now I spend about 3-5 hours every weekend reading and replying to student/parent emails received late Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.
I am not complaining. However, please stop saying that we are being paid for doing minimal work. It's more work now.

We aren't getting anything from our music teacher. No lessons. That would be nice. Realize you may be working hard, but at other schools nothing is happening.

We are receiving stuff from the specials, but sorry - no one is spending 3-5hours a weekend replying to emails, ESPECIALLY music teachers. Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a side note to all those who think that music teachers are not working enough.
The county pushes out objectives that teachers need to fill out by activities/recorded lessons/songs that best meet the needs of the school's population. Before publishing, we need to check "student view" as things can look fine from our side but not accessible by students.
Even though not required by the county, numerous music teachers are doing weekly online instruction for each grade level.
I never answered work emails on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Now I spend about 3-5 hours every weekend reading and replying to student/parent emails received late Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.
I am not complaining. However, please stop saying that we are being paid for doing minimal work. It's more work now.

We aren't getting anything from our music teacher. No lessons. That would be nice. Realize you may be working hard, but at other schools nothing is happening.

We are receiving stuff from the specials, but sorry - no one is spending 3-5hours a weekend replying to emails, ESPECIALLY music teachers. Give me a break.

This. Kids’ music teacher posted an activity literally 3 minutes before the class opened - a scavenger hunt - and then was befuddled when the kids responded they hadn’t already completed the scavenger hunt .... because it had just been sent out. Teacher then tells the kids to go do the scavenger hunt and to talk about it on the next class. Class was then dismissed. Total time in Zoom was about four minutes.

Some quality instruction right there.

[Anonymous]

Music teacher here with over 500 students.
For about 20% of my student, emailing is the preferred way of communication. I have taken over the students of the part time music person who teaches in several schools. I get about 75 emails per week, spend 3-5 minute on each reading and responding. You do the math. This is my reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Music teacher here with over 500 students.
For about 20% of my student, emailing is the preferred way of communication. I have taken over the students of the part time music person who teaches in several schools. I get about 75 emails per week, spend 3-5 minute on each reading and responding. You do the math. This is my reality.

What on earth are people emailing that much about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a side note to all those who think that music teachers are not working enough.
The county pushes out objectives that teachers need to fill out by activities/recorded lessons/songs that best meet the needs of the school's population. Before publishing, we need to check "student view" as things can look fine from our side but not accessible by students.
Even though not required by the county, numerous music teachers are doing weekly online instruction for each grade level.
I never answered work emails on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Now I spend about 3-5 hours every weekend reading and replying to student/parent emails received late Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.
I am not complaining. However, please stop saying that we are being paid for doing minimal work. It's more work now.

We aren't getting anything from our music teacher. No lessons. That would be nice. Realize you may be working hard, but at other schools nothing is happening.

We are receiving stuff from the specials, but sorry - no one is spending 3-5hours a weekend replying to emails, ESPECIALLY music teachers. Give me a break.

This. Kids’ music teacher posted an activity literally 3 minutes before the class opened - a scavenger hunt - and then was befuddled when the kids responded they hadn’t already completed the scavenger hunt .... because it had just been sent out. Teacher then tells the kids to go do the scavenger hunt and to talk about it on the next class. Class was then dismissed. Total time in Zoom was about four minutes.

Some quality instruction right there.

Yes, that scavenger hunt activity was provided and uploaded to Canvas by the county. All the music teacher had to do was click a button once a week to publish it to Canvas. The art teacher at my kids’ school is having similar issues learning how and when to click that button. Someone must have told her how to click that button once a week once parents started asking where the art assignments were, but she can’t get the schedule right and posts the one lesson in the wrong week (one lesson per week for K-2 and then one the next week for 3-5), so assignments show up as overdue because she can’t keep the provided schedule straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Music teacher here with over 500 students.
For about 20% of my student, emailing is the preferred way of communication. I have taken over the students of the part time music person who teaches in several schools. I get about 75 emails per week, spend 3-5 minute on each reading and responding. You do the math. This is my reality.

You do realize ever most working professionals in some type of knowledge-based job get dozens of emails per day. I get an average of 100 per day - most days more. I’m not so unusual.

What I’m learning about teachers through this crisis is how ill-equipped many are to be professionals in a modern world, to adapt, to apply new technology, to communicate, to operate outside of their comfort zone.

And the disdain that so many teachers on this forum have for a full day’s work at a time when parents are putting in 12-15 hour days just to keep their jobs.

I’ve always held teachers in high regard, but perhaps the adage is true: those who cannot do, teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a side note to all those who think that music teachers are not working enough.
The county pushes out objectives that teachers need to fill out by activities/recorded lessons/songs that best meet the needs of the school's population. Before publishing, we need to check "student view" as things can look fine from our side but not accessible by students.
Even though not required by the county, numerous music teachers are doing weekly online instruction for each grade level.
I never answered work emails on weekends unless absolutely necessary. Now I spend about 3-5 hours every weekend reading and replying to student/parent emails received late Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday.
I am not complaining. However, please stop saying that we are being paid for doing minimal work. It's more work now.

We aren't getting anything from our music teacher. No lessons. That would be nice. Realize you may be working hard, but at other schools nothing is happening.

We are receiving stuff from the specials, but sorry - no one is spending 3-5hours a weekend replying to emails, ESPECIALLY music teachers. Give me a break.

This. Kids’ music teacher posted an activity literally 3 minutes before the class opened - a scavenger hunt - and then was befuddled when the kids responded they hadn’t already completed the scavenger hunt .... because it had just been sent out. Teacher then tells the kids to go do the scavenger hunt and to talk about it on the next class. Class was then dismissed. Total time in Zoom was about four minutes.

Some quality instruction right there.

Yes, that scavenger hunt activity was provided and uploaded to Canvas by the county. All the music teacher had to do was click a button once a week to publish it to Canvas. The art teacher at my kids’ school is having similar issues learning how and when to click that button. Someone must havele told her how to click that button once a week once parents started asking where the art assignments were, but she can’t get the schedule right and posts the oneck lesson in the wrong week (one lesson per week for K-2 and then one the next week for 3-5), so assignments show up as overdue because she can’t keep the provided schedule straight.

Click a button????? I room with a teacher who receives lessons like "The student should able to ..." with a sample video which has to be replaced as it has nothing to do with music whatsoever. Roommate has to record lots of mini-lessons using several platforms, then play them back to see if everything works well. This screencastify thing has been a pain as it records but sometimes plays back well and other times plays for a few seconds and then stops. She needs these recordings to post online and to and for live teaching one hour per week for every grade level. Apparently most schools are only doing office hours and not live teachings and there is no homogeneity within the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Music teacher here with over 500 students.
For about 20% of my student, emailing is the preferred way of communication. I have taken over the students of the part time music person who teaches in several schools. I get about 75 emails per week, spend 3-5 minute on each reading and responding. You do the math. This is my reality.

You do realize ever most working professionals in some type of knowledge-based job get dozens of emails per day. I get an average of 100 per day - most days more. I’m not so unusual.

What I’m learning about teachers through this crisis is how ill-equipped many are to be professionals in a modern world, to adapt, to apply new technology, to communicate, to operate outside of their comfort zone.

And the disdain that so many teachers on this forum have for a full day’s work at a time when parents are putting in 12-15 hour days just to keep their jobs.

I’ve always held teachers in high regard, but perhaps the adage is true: those who cannot do, teach.

Think about what teaching has become -- a job with little autonomy, teaching to the test, and oversight by bureaucrats. What do you expect?