AMA former DCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

The question was about whehter there were mandates from your JKLM school admin, not about your opinion.

Honestly based on your inability to respond to questions here South Carolina's gain is not DC's loss.

Seriously. Holy moly reading comprehension.

+2

I’m now pretty confident that this is a troll. It was so obvious what the question was but the OP isn’t here to answer questions about how schools actually work, she’s here to spread her own opinions about how schools “should” work and do it under the guise of having insider knowledge. I mean, look at her suggested topics - the lottery? School unions? These are hot button political topics, not areas with distinct insider knowledge. Heck, in my experience parents know way more about the lottery than teachers, which makes sense - teachers teach the kids they get!

Plus going from DCPS to a non-union school in the Carolinas is going to be a roughly 2/3 pay cut. This story doesn’t pass the sniff test. I’d suggest we not give this thread any more attention.

Sorry, but I may have main character syndrome. Also please don’t “misgender” me in terms of DCPS rhetoric.

[Anonymous]

not necessarily. lower cost of living. that said, one teacher is not going to be an expert on anything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now?

I am still teaching however, it is in a district without unions in South Carolina. I’m extraordinarily happy!! However, don’t let that be a misunderstanding for my politics. I believe in efficiency, accuracy, and success.

Your South Carolina students are so fortunate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

Our DCPS does those things (even in PK4 somewhat) and I'm pretty sure they also watch kidz bop occasionally for dance breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

As a fellow educator, thank you for your opinion. I couldn't disagree more. There are so many powerful ways to leverage tech in school and minimizing it as screen time doesn't really help acknowledge the fact that tech is prevalent in children's lives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

As a fellow educator, thank you for your opinion. I couldn't disagree more. There are so many powerful ways to leverage tech in school and minimizing it as screen time doesn't really help acknowledge the fact that tech is prevalent in children's lives

Not OP but this is just wrong. Kids can start to use tech in MS and HS. They will get it at home inevitably. The use of technology in elementary class rooms is a net negative. Reliance on EdTech teaches shallow understanding of core concepts that are easily lost between grades because the children have only learned it well enough to perform within gamified tablet games. Meanwhile, the experience of planting a bunch of young kids on 1:1 screens reduces how much children practice being bored, forcing themselves to engage with coursework that might seem too easy OR too difficult, and working with peers to problem solve when needed.

A PP also mentioned how some educators use screens simply pacify kids in transitions or in place of lessons -- the Kidz Bop video as a transitional break or watching musical on a screen in music. This used to drive me insane at our last school (which we left in part for this reason). The music/performance teacher regularly just showed the kids Disney movies during class, even though there are a million wonderful things you can do with young kids in that subject that will be engaging and exciting for kids. Imagine teaching music and performing arts to first graders and instead of planning a lesson where the kids practice being wild animals or learn how to do a vocal cannon, you just put on Frozen and call it a day. It's lazy and disrespectful. I see this sort of screen time in DCPS all the time and it just telegraphs "I am checked out and don't care." It's unacceptable.

Screen use should be as minimal as possible in elementary. There is no rush. So much is lost in overreliance on screens in early grade classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

As a fellow educator, thank you for your opinion. I couldn't disagree more. There are so many powerful ways to leverage tech in school and minimizing it as screen time doesn't really help acknowledge the fact that tech is prevalent in children's lives

Also not OP, but an educator and parent, and screen time in school for elementary (and unlimited screen time beyond that) is not something I want for my own kids, so it’s not something I would want for other kids. They learn how to use technology just fine outside of school and don’t need the additional damage to their developing brains at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

As a fellow educator, thank you for your opinion. I couldn't disagree more. There are so many powerful ways to leverage tech in school and minimizing it as screen time doesn't really help acknowledge the fact that tech is prevalent in children's lives

What about the effect of screens on developing brains and the kids' attention span?

What about parents who try to limit screen time--consistent with recommendations of the vast majority of health experts--only to have their efforts undermined by a few teachers that decided kids screen-time works well for them and their limited, short-term purposes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now?

I am still teaching however, it is in a district without unions in South Carolina. I’m extraordinarily happy!! However, don’t let that be a misunderstanding for my politics. I believe in efficiency, accuracy, and success.

Do you believe that it's perfectly fine for a district to fire you for no reason, or for made-up reasons, with zero recourse? Are you prepared for that eventuality?

Yes, because I’m somewhat decent teacher.

You do realize that doesn't matter to them, right? If they want to get rid of you, they will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not necessarily. lower cost of living. that said, one teacher is not going to be an expert on anything

The handful of high performing school districts in SC are expensive to live in. Yes, overall South Carolina (and North Carolina) have a much lower cost of living than the DC area, but there is widespread rural poverty in both states that drives those numbers down. While the cost of living in a high performing schools district will be lower than DC, it's not so much lower to compensate for the huge paycut one has to take to teach in the Carolinas.

Pay in North Carolina is among the worst in the country. Even South Carolina pays more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now?

I am still teaching however, it is in a district without unions in South Carolina. I’m extraordinarily happy!! However, don’t let that be a misunderstanding for my politics. I believe in efficiency, accuracy, and success.

Do you believe that it's perfectly fine for a district to fire you for no reason, or for made-up reasons, with zero recourse? Are you prepared for that eventuality?

Yes, because I’m somewhat decent teacher.

You do realize that doesn't matter to them, right? If they want to get rid of you, they will.

NP here. This feels like fearmongering. Isn't there a teacher shortage? I highly doubt administrators are interested in firing decent teachers and creating more work for themselves. Teachers have more protections than most American workers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing now?

I am still teaching however, it is in a district without unions in South Carolina. I’m extraordinarily happy!! However, don’t let that be a misunderstanding for my politics. I believe in efficiency, accuracy, and success.

Do you believe that it's perfectly fine for a district to fire you for no reason, or for made-up reasons, with zero recourse? Are you prepared for that eventuality?

Yes, because I’m somewhat decent teacher.

You do realize that doesn't matter to them, right? If they want to get rid of you, they will.

NP here. This feels like fearmongering. Isn't there a teacher shortage? I highly doubt administrators are interested in firing decent teachers and creating more work for themselves. Teachers have more protections than most American workers.

Unless you are terrible they won’t go through the trouble of getting rid of a teacher. I am a teacher and we have at least 3 that need to go but they show up every day so no one bothers with them. Plus, there isn’t a huge pool of replacements. It’s so sad.

[Anonymous]

LSAT: I have been on several versions of LSAT east of Rock Creek.

I'm no accountant, genius, or school administrator. I have trouble figuring out how a parent on an LSAT can add real value. Of course I can listen to the principal explain their choices and that requirement means something, but beyond that - in "high functioning" schools, what do LSATs do that really add value?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LSAT: I have been on several versions of LSAT east of Rock Creek.

I'm no accountant, genius, or school administrator. I have trouble figuring out how a parent on an LSAT can add real value. Of course I can listen to the principal explain their choices and that requirement means something, but beyond that - in "high functioning" schools, what do LSATs do that really add value?

They make parents feel like they have a say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, here is my official screen time response. This is from the OP. I think screens should be banned for kids from K to five. I think we should return to work books with handwriting, phonics, awareness, phonemic awareness, and everything else that goes along with the research that supports our kids in learning how to read and write.

As a fellow educator, thank you for your opinion. I couldn't disagree more. There are so many powerful ways to leverage tech in school and minimizing it as screen time doesn't really help acknowledge the fact that tech is prevalent in children's lives

What about the effect of screens on developing brains and the kids' attention span?

What about parents who try to limit screen time--consistent with recommendations of the vast majority of health experts--only to have their efforts undermined by a few teachers that decided kids screen-time works well for them and their limited, short-term purposes?

Exactly. 7:07 remains silent. Screens are an absolute negative for young children.