Students that are wanting to go back to school

Anonymous
DS is 8 and wants to go back to school. He enjoys having time to play with his toys during breaks, having his favorite foods for lunch, and the general laxness of the school day at home. He misses his friends; playing with them at recess, working on projects together, having lunch together, and after school activities. Overall, he is longing for the social element of school and is willing to give up the extra time with hexbugs, race tracks, and whatever other games he is playing in favor of time with his friends.

I do wonder if there are some families who have discovered that online school might server their kids better and look for more structured online programs. I am sure that there is a small but sizeable number of kids who are thriving in the DL environment and have found it beneficial.
Anonymous
70% of my students want to keep DL as long as possible. lol
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are they going to miss the freedom they have now?
They can wake up minutes before class start, they can use the bathroom with out permission, they don’t have to hide their phones or they talk to their fiends withtout getting in trouble ... feel free to add to the list



I teach Upper ES and they absolutely will. They will also hate that they are not with their friends. I can see some of my very small group staying home on e they see how much freedom they lost.


??? They aren't with friends at home.


Umm, yes some are. Learning pods, informal friend groups. Kids are absolutely getting together for school.


Very few kids are in learning pods.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:At my school we had many students in before in person was paused. By the end only about 40 were still attending routinely according to what admin told us. They realized doing this at home as more comfortable and they had way more freedom. If they’re not in classes on days their friends are or all their friends stay distance, they quickly lose motivation to attend it seems. So who knows. We will see once we all return hybrid.


If even one or two attend in person, it’s worth opening everything up. Especially to pave the way for open summer school and normal school this fall.
Anonymous
Students "who" not students "that." Sigh.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At my school we had many students in before in person was paused. By the end only about 40 were still attending routinely according to what admin told us. They realized doing this at home as more comfortable and they had way more freedom. If they’re not in classes on days their friends are or all their friends stay distance, they quickly lose motivation to attend it seems. So who knows. We will see once we all return hybrid.


If even one or two attend in person, it’s worth opening everything up. Especially to pave the way for open summer school and normal school this fall.


I agree. It also allows those to go in person who really need or want it.

My 7th grader can’t wait. She understands the limitations (and already attends a DL day at our church with youth group, so she is used to masking and distancing for the whole school day.)
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At my school we had many students in before in person was paused. By the end only about 40 were still attending routinely according to what admin told us. They realized doing this at home as more comfortable and they had way more freedom. If they’re not in classes on days their friends are or all their friends stay distance, they quickly lose motivation to attend it seems. So who knows. We will see once we all return hybrid.


If even one or two attend in person, it’s worth opening everything up. Especially to pave the way for open summer school and normal school this fall.


I didn’t say it wasn’t . I was responding to the OP’s question.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At my school we had many students in before in person was paused. By the end only about 40 were still attending routinely according to what admin told us. They realized doing this at home as more comfortable and they had way more freedom. If they’re not in classes on days their friends are or all their friends stay distance, they quickly lose motivation to attend it seems. So who knows. We will see once we all return hybrid.


If even one or two attend in person, it’s worth opening everything up. Especially to pave the way for open summer school and normal school this fall.


I agree this is an important step in ripping off the band aid. We shouldn’t need a ramp to get back to 5 day school, but the way the district has behaved, I think it is necessary.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are they going to miss the freedom they have now?
They can wake up minutes before class start, they can use the bathroom with out permission, they don’t have to hide their phones or they talk to their fiends withtout getting in trouble ... feel free to add to the list



I teach Upper ES and they absolutely will. They will also hate that they are not with their friends. I can see some of my very small group staying home on e they see how much freedom they lost.


??? They aren't with friends at home.


Umm, yes some are. Learning pods, informal friend groups. Kids are absolutely getting together for school.


Very few kids are in learning pods.


There are lots of informal get togethers for school at the HS level.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are they going to miss the freedom they have now?
They can wake up minutes before class start, they can use the bathroom with out permission, they don’t have to hide their phones or they talk to their fiends withtout getting in trouble ... feel free to add to the list


Kids need structure. Remote learning combined with most parents who are working, maintaining a level of structure has been a disaster. They shouldn't have phones during class time. Nonstop eating will be an adjustment.


Then I hope you will tell them to leave their phones at home. I agree this is a huge issue in person school. Yet parents let them bring them every day and we can’t take them.


The principal can make a rule. Ours did.


And some don’t. Even when they do the rules aren’t enforceable because we cannot take their property. So if parents think phones are an issue (at home and at school) they’re the owner of the property and hold the solution.


Parents can limit the times their kids can use their phones. Block the phones from being used during the school day. You don't have to worry about if the phone is left in the locker or not. You can even set it up so that kids can contact certain numbers set by their parents so that kids can call or text Mom and Dad or emergency adult. I have friends who do this. Their only complaint is that there are times that the Teachers ask the kids to use their phones for a class project because the school WiFi can't handle the demand and the kids phones can use the cell signal to do the work. Their kids text them asking for their parents to relax the rule.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Oh they will for sure. And same for me. But they would not seriously choose distance learning just because they can run to the fridge whenever they want at home.


This. My kids may miss some things but not nearly as much as they miss being in school. My kids aren't snacking all day, one does not sleep in at all and one does a bit but at least for this year, she will be able to sleep just as late when we move to the later bell schedule and have school, they don't have their own devices and they aren't chatting with friends during school, they get dressed every morning, etc.
Anonymous
My ES kids get up at 6:30. School normally starts at 9:20, and this year it will start at 9:45.

In a prior year my ES kid was given permission to eat part of her snack whenever she needed to, because her teacher recognized that it would help her do her best work. My kids have always had free reign with their water bottles in class. So that's no different.

My kids don't have phones. My older kid does leave her email up during class, but from my spot checks she's not having email and chat conversations during school.

My first grader will appreciate that she gets to talk to kids on the playground for 30 minutes instead of conversations in the five minutes before class starts on Google Meet.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Are they going to miss the freedom they have now?
They can wake up minutes before class start, they can use the bathroom with out permission, they don’t have to hide their phones or they talk to their fiends withtout getting in trouble ... feel free to add to the list


Mine can’t have their phones in their rooms during class. HS & MS. They stay in the kitchen.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I finally looked at all my sections today to see how many kids I have each period on T/W and Th/F. For one period I have 2 kids in person, and 27 online. That's going to be...awkward. If those kids experience that in their other classes too, I predict they'll go back to virtual because that's just uncomfortable and has none of the socialization they crave.


Yes, my HS senior has already announced that concurrent is not what he was hoping for - not the hybrid he signed up for- the teachers at his HS have already been discussing how the kids will likely want to return to DL once they experience the awkwardness of being logged on in a classroom. And yes, older kids for sure have become used to sleeping in, no cameras (no shower, pajamas) and texting during class. He really just wanted to interact with teachers face to face and see his friends. Not looking like that will happen. And the suggestion of classroom monitors - who DS predicts will be "a bunch of helicopter moms and karens" - definitely not going to encourage kids to come to HS.

what a tough year for all - teachers and students alike -
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At my school we had many students in before in person was paused. By the end only about 40 were still attending routinely according to what admin told us. They realized doing this at home as more comfortable and they had way more freedom. If they’re not in classes on days their friends are or all their friends stay distance, they quickly lose motivation to attend it seems. So who knows. We will see once we all return hybrid.


If even one or two attend in person, it’s worth opening everything up. Especially to pave the way for open summer school and normal school this fall.


I agree this is an important step in ripping off the band aid.We shouldn’t need a ramp to get back to 5 day school, but the way the district has behaved, I think it is necessary.


Unfortunately, I agree. And if this helps get kids with ESY and kids who need summer school back in school this summer, its worth it. We need to start setting the expectation that only plan acceptable for fall is five days of school a week. No concurrent nonsense. No hybrid nonsense. Real, regular school.
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