Middle school teachers?

[Anonymous]

Can you give us any info on what the plan is for MS students? I have not been making my child care provider come in but if my middle schoolers are going to have a lot of lessons remotely, I might need her to be able to assist with and monitor that. Due to my own work schedule I can’t really watch them to make sure that they are attending classes etc. Are they likely to have daily classes with each of their teachers? Thanks for any insight!

[Anonymous]

*blinks*

Your....middle schooler....can't be trusted to log on at a certain time? Assuming no special needs (and I think you would have mentioned them), your expectations are shockingly low.

/single parent of an early elementary schooler who will need to be at his desk at a certain time

[Anonymous]

You need to prepare for your children to have to be at their computers at a certain time for classes. There's some degree of leniency for kids in special circumstances, but unless your middle schoolers are babysitting a toddler all day, you should get them ready for scheduled live sessions, beginning Thursday.

-MS teacher

[Anonymous]

Does your middle schooler have special needs that they need a sitter to monitor his lessons? If so, that’s understandable. Otherwise, he needs to step up.

[Anonymous]

All he has to do is sit in front of a computer... he is not capable of that? I’m sure he sits in front of a video game all day, so he can do it

[Anonymous]

Enough with scolding the OP. You don't know their circumstances, and I had the same question. Thank you, teacher, for letting us know. We're all just trying to figure out what our schedule will look like going forward, and this is helpful.

[Anonymous]

Here’s what I do. We set timers for when he has to be online. I text him to make sure he is online. Sometimes I’ll walk upstairs with my laptop while I’m in a meeting and snap my fingers at him to get his attention to check his alarms. When he is done his work, I check he has submitted him online and then he can do whatever he wants.

[Anonymous]

We don't really know yet. But it doesn't sound like we will be having daily "classes" where students will need to be online at a certain time every day. There may be a live session here or there, but not daily for each period. We will be posting assignments in Google Classroom/MyMCPSClassroom in which students will be expected to complete each week.

There really is no new instruction next week. It is more to get used to the online platform and online learning. Then next week, we will be finishing up marking period 3.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP, for making this very simple. After all the emails & watching the unannounced YouTube of Turner, Navarro and cast. This is exactly what I needed. What time and how long? KISSis such a great philosophy!

[Anonymous]

Thank you teacher for posting. Yes, my kids do actually have SN and 504s. My work circumstances likely would not permit me to do the timer, check-in system suggested by PP. At least not on a reliable basis. Thanks for any information that can be provided. Its really hard to plan and try to set up supportive structures when I don’t know what is happening at all. I understand we’re all playing it by ear.
Thanks again to those who were not nasty in their responses.

[Anonymous]

As many have said, no one really knows what it will look like but there shouldn’t be too many live sessions because many other families will have challenges with getting there kids online at a certain time. I know some school systems won’t allow live sessions for equity reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to prepare for your children to have to be at their computers at a certain time for classes. There's some degree of leniency for kids in special circumstances, but unless your middle schoolers are babysitting a toddler all day, you should get them ready for scheduled live sessions, beginning Thursday.

-MS teacher

They need to give families a clear plan. Saying put your kids on at this time when kids may need help is hard, especially with parents busy with other kids and work. They have had two weeks to get their act together and its still another week before things are really getting started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s what I do. We set timers for when he has to be online. I text him to make sure he is online. Sometimes I’ll walk upstairs with my laptop while I’m in a meeting and snap my fingers at him to get his attention to check his alarms. When he is done his work, I check he has submitted him online and then he can do whatever he wants.

Ahhh, the old snap of the fingers... when words cannot be spoken, nothing gets their attention faster.

I use that when we're out in public too, works like a charm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you teacher for posting. Yes, my kids do actually have SN and 504s. My work circumstances likely would not permit me to do the timer, check-in system suggested by PP. At least not on a reliable basis. Thanks for any information that can be provided. Its really hard to plan and try to set up supportive structures when I don’t know what is happening at all. I understand we’re all playing it by ear.
Thanks again to those who were not nasty in their responses.

Then, I think you do need a nanny.

This is a case where 1) more supervision is warranted and 2) you would have gotten more helpful (and less nasty) replies straight off the bat, by posting in Special Needs or simply not burying the lede.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP, for making this very simple. After all the emails & watching the unannounced YouTube of Turner, Navarro and cast. This is exactly what I needed. What time and how long? KISSis such a great philosophy!

LOL

MCPS’ strategy is to make things as unnecessarily complicated as possible.