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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is the problem with school organizations structured too much like top-down business management models. All of us who are in the *actual* business of learning are subject to the uninformed whims of executives with average intelligence propped up by overinflated credentials (EdDs).

[Anonymous]

Langley HS used the advisory period yesterday to have every single student test their laptop and make sure they can get onto Zoom. This was a great use of time as many students could not use Zoom on their devices and had to work with the staff to get it reconfigured.

I’m glad that that used this time productively. And I’m hearing from some teachers that they will livestream classes for quarantined students. I don’t know why this isn’t a county-wide policy at this point for HS classes. Many teachers are offering it on their own already.

[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.

+100 This stupid thing is actively conflicting with students’ ability to use their time well and independently get help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So if the teachers don’t like it, and the kids hate it, and it has zero educational value and is in fact preventing learning and wellness, why are they doing it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So if the teachers don’t like it, and the kids hate it, and it has zero educational value and is in fact preventing learning and wellness, why are they doing it?

Because the county has mandated it. And I don’t hate it, I just find it somewhat awkward to do name games with kids I don’t have in class. And really, it’s only been a week, so we need to give it some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

So if the teachers don’t like it, and the kids hate it, and it has zero educational value and is in fact preventing learning and wellness, why are they doing it?

Because the county has mandated it. And I don’t hate it, I just find it somewhat awkward to do name games with kids I don’t have in class. And really, it’s only been a week, so we need to give it some time.

Well, as a teacher, I hate it. It means I am teaching a 6th class with crap for content. I would rather they just give everyone a longer lunch and maybe encourage people to walk around and socialize during that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+100 This stupid thing is actively conflicting with students’ ability to use their time well and independently get help.

+200
They need a full study hall period where they can get the help they need from teachers or meet with clubs, etc. This “wellness” crap is such a huge waste of time, but I suppose the powers that be in FCPS are patting themselves in the back for being so “woke” and “in tune with the needs of students.”

[Anonymous]

My son is a senior at West Potomac. We have had 3rd period split between homeroom and a remediation period for atleast the last 4 years. Remediation or Seriod (for silver day) has students return to a designated period each silver day. Attendance is taken but no new material is taught. Its solely for completing work, working with the teacher or test corrections. In Homeroom they do do some of the mental health stuff. As a group of parents we cant complain that our students are suffering with mental health concerns as a reason to reopen schools and then be pissed when the district attempts to address it.

[Anonymous]

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'm the parent of a freshmen at Marshall so I don't have an opinion on what it was like before, but they rotate daily between Advisory, Return, and LEARN, and the last two are exactly what you are talking about - so 2/3 of the time can be used for academics.

[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

The FCPS haters can't do that.

PP that's the parent of a freshmen. The above description is exactly the impression I got of the period being entirely free/left to their own devices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is a senior at West Potomac. We have had 3rd period split between homeroom and a remediation period for atleast the last 4 years. Remediation or Seriod (for silver day) has students return to a designated period each silver day. Attendance is taken but no new material is taught. Its solely for completing work, working with the teacher or test corrections. In Homeroom they do do some of the mental health stuff. As a group of parents we cant complain that our students are suffering with mental health concerns as a reason to reopen schools and then be pissed when the district attempts to address it.

I’m still so bewildered by parents who support this change. Do they honestly think that this will help kids mental health? Access to teachers is hugely valuable and something that was in short supply last year. I’m not a fan of a change that reduces teacher availability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is a senior at West Potomac. We have had 3rd period split between homeroom and a remediation period for atleast the last 4 years. Remediation or Seriod (for silver day) has students return to a designated period each silver day. Attendance is taken but no new material is taught. Its solely for completing work, working with the teacher or test corrections. In Homeroom they do do some of the mental health stuff. As a group of parents we cant complain that our students are suffering with mental health concerns as a reason to reopen schools and then be pissed when the district attempts to address it.

I’m still so bewildered by parents who support this change. Do they honestly think that this will help kids mental health? Access to teachers is hugely valuable and something that was in short supply last year. I’m not a fan of a change that reduces teacher availability.

This. How likely is it that the one teacher you’re preassigned to for four years will be the one you want to confide in? A lot of things would need to align for that to happen.

[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'm the parent of a freshmen at Marshall so I don't have an opinion on what it was like before, but they rotate daily between Advisory, Return, and LEARN, and the last two are exactly what you are talking about - so 2/3 of the time can be used for academics.

It used to be an open period EVERY day for them to go to whatever class they needed to (and they had the choice of class) for catch-up, make-up tests and remediation. It was a wonderful gift of time and flexibility, particularly for upperclassmen with heavy course loads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Thanks for your candor. Please keep pressing the best you can for as many LEARN periods per week as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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'm the parent of a freshmen at Marshall so I don't have an opinion on what it was like before, but they rotate daily between Advisory, Return, and LEARN, and the last two are exactly what you are talking about - so 2/3 of the time can be used for academics.

It used to be an open period EVERY day for them to go to whatever class they needed to (and they had the choice of class) for catch-up, make-up tests and remediation. It was a wonderful gift of time and flexibility, particularly for upperclassmen with heavy course loads.

+1