Question for Teachers re: DL

[Anonymous]

Hopefully this won't turn into a huge debate. Our DL experience with our sophomore last spring was frustrating at best. Some teachers did an OK job, but many kind of phoned it in. Two hit it out of the park, but they were teaching non-core classes. It was clear after this experience that some teachers may need guidance and training to be successful at DL this fall.

We chose DL for our daughter this spring because we have a high risk family member who we are caring for (my dad is undergoing chemo). I am really, really nervous about DL in the spring and was hoping some teachers might share what school districts are doing to prepare teachers for DL in the fall. Are they helping at all? Preparing guidelines/training videos/issuing guidance? I know my son's college professors transitioned fairly seamlessly to online learning, and I was always impressed when I heard him listening to his lectures online. I am not sure if that is because they were allowed to teach new content/continue to lecture in the same manner as they did in class, or if most of them already have some experience with online teaching.

Anyway, any insight you are willing to share about the resources schools provided to make DL more successful this fall would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

You really should ask about what your school district is doing to help teachers, or you will get a host of irrelevant answers. Which state and county do you live in?

[Anonymous]

Most DCUMs turn up their noses at lecturing. Most districts have a week of PDs before school starts so I imagine we will get some training then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most DCUMs turn up their noses at lecturing. Most districts have a week of PDs before school starts so I imagine we will get some training then.

Oh and also the grading in the spring was very lax. Do a tiny bit of work and pass. Some districts didn’t teach new content. If the grading expectations don’t change, it might be more of the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully this won't turn into a huge debate. Our DL experience with our sophomore last spring was frustrating at best. Some teachers did an OK job, but many kind of phoned it in. Two hit it out of the park, but they were teaching non-core classes. It was clear after this experience that some teachers may need guidance and training to be successful at DL this fall.

We chose DL for our daughter this spring because we have a high risk family member who we are caring for (my dad is undergoing chemo). I am really, really nervous about DL in the spring and was hoping some teachers might share what school districts are doing to prepare teachers for DL in the fall. Are they helping at all? Preparing guidelines/training videos/issuing guidance? I know my son's college professors transitioned fairly seamlessly to online learning, and I was always impressed when I heard him listening to his lectures online. I am not sure if that is because they were allowed to teach new content/continue to lecture in the same manner as they did in class, or if most of them already have some experience with online teaching.

Anyway, any insight you are willing to share about the resources schools provided to make DL more successful this fall would be appreciated.

Agree that if my younger kid's HS had DL resembling my older kid's online college classes, I'd be over the moon. Unfortunately spring saw all 4 of his teachers phoning it in and the band director was MIA, nothing was graded. No communication so far from the school about what to expect in August. I hope there is a better plan, but the teachers on here don't sound like they have been given any guidance and truthfully, if they have waited this late to plan anything, I don't have a lot of hope.

[Anonymous]

I hope that teachers phoning it in are fired.
How many teachers are needed to create lecture content for grade level DL?
The college lectures your older son was watching probably had 500+ students.

[Anonymous]

Teachers don’t know much more than you. We aren’t back yet. If a teacher is phoning it in, you need to let admin know. I think this time that expectations will be clearer and more consistent from school to school, and work will be graded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers don’t know much more than you. We aren’t back yet. If a teacher is phoning it in, you need to let admin know. I think this time that expectations will be clearer and more consistent from school to school, and work will be graded.

+1

The plane was being built while in the air in the spring. Admin was just as in the dark as teachers. I think the fall will have much higher expectations for teachers.

[Anonymous]

I’m in MCPS.

I taught online six years ago, but it was a) adults and b) asynchronous. I was not prepared to teach 160 middle schoolers online synchronously. I had never done Zoom before late March. I have a teaching style that didn’t easily translate to posting two assignments on Monday and then trying to instruct. I wish my school had the independent work day on Friday.

I took a few webinars on my own during the two week emergency period and then I took the MCPS trainings, but they mainly focused on MyMCPS. My dept decided we would not use MyMCPS because our students were already used to Google Classroom. It didn’t matter too much because the main course I teach didn’t get push outs from central office.

Parents and students who came seemed happy with what we’re able to do. I did have one deranged mom, but she was deranged all year with everyone. I feel confident that I can do an even better job via Zoom this year, though I would prefer to be five days face to face if it was safe.

Since school ended, I’ve completed about 2/3 of the MyMCPS trainings. I also took a one week course on at a university and am taking a second one that last four weeks. Both are about blended learning. I don’t feel very confident yet about blended learning because I don’t see how anyone can teach simultaneously in person and online. I need a lot more info about how that can be done effectively and equitably. No one in MCPS wants to answer that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in MCPS.

I taught online six years ago, but it was a) adults and b) asynchronous. I was not prepared to teach 160 middle schoolers online synchronously. I had never done Zoom before late March. I have a teaching style that didn’t easily translate to posting two assignments on Monday and then trying to instruct. I wish my school had the independent work day on Friday.

I took a few webinars on my own during the two week emergency period and then I took the MCPS trainings, but they mainly focused on MyMCPS. My dept decided we would not use MyMCPS because our students were already used to Google Classroom. It didn’t matter too much because the main course I teach didn’t get push outs from central office.

Parents and students who came seemed happy with what we’re able to do. I did have one deranged mom, but she was deranged all year with everyone. I feel confident that I can do an even better job via Zoom this year, though I would prefer to be five days face to face if it was safe.

Since school ended, I’ve completed about 2/3 of the MyMCPS trainings. I also took a one week course on at a university and am taking a second one that last four weeks. Both are about blended learning. I don’t feel very confident yet about blended learning because I don’t see how anyone can teach simultaneously in person and online. I need a lot more info about how that can be done effectively and equitably. No one in MCPS wants to answer that.

But under the blended option, would you have to teach both online and in person? I thought some teachers would be teaching online, and others in person, but no one would do both. Am I wrong? -Parent

[Anonymous]

Rather than training (I'm a professor, I had to pivot too, and this is not rocket science), all districts need to hold teachers accountable: x hours synchronous each day, mandatory individual check-ins with students x times per week, less busywork, more content and rigor, one app.

Stop posting Instagram shots of your garden projects during work hours, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than training (I'm a professor, I had to pivot too, and this is not rocket science), all districts need to hold teachers accountable: x hours synchronous each day, mandatory individual check-ins with students x times per week, less busywork, more content and rigor, one app.

Stop posting Instagram shots of your garden projects during work hours, etc.

Many at my school were working 18 hour days to deliver a few decent hours of synchronous learning and more asynchronous content. As the spring went on, we could scale it back some. The grading/feedback loop was a challenge because we were asked not to penalize kids in case they didn't have access. I'll see my garden when I retire. Looking at the risk factor, animosity directed at us and family worry about my returning to the classroom, that retirement may be sooner than I'd planned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in MCPS.

I taught online six years ago, but it was a) adults and b) asynchronous. I was not prepared to teach 160 middle schoolers online synchronously. I had never done Zoom before late March. I have a teaching style that didn’t easily translate to posting two assignments on Monday and then trying to instruct. I wish my school had the independent work day on Friday.

I took a few webinars on my own during the two week emergency period and then I took the MCPS trainings, but they mainly focused on MyMCPS. My dept decided we would not use MyMCPS because our students were already used to Google Classroom. It didn’t matter too much because the main course I teach didn’t get push outs from central office.

Parents and students who came seemed happy with what we’re able to do. I did have one deranged mom, but she was deranged all year with everyone. I feel confident that I can do an even better job via Zoom this year, though I would prefer to be five days face to face if it was safe.

Since school ended, I’ve completed about 2/3 of the MyMCPS trainings. I also took a one week course on at a university and am taking a second one that last four weeks. Both are about blended learning. I don’t feel very confident yet about blended learning because I don’t see how anyone can teach simultaneously in person and online. I need a lot more info about how that can be done effectively and equitably. No one in MCPS wants to answer that.

But under the blended option, would you have to teach both online and in person? I thought some teachers would be teaching online, and others in person, but no one would do both. Am I wrong? -Parent

This was already answers in the meeting last night. Same teacher does indeed do both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather than training (I'm a professor, I had to pivot too, and this is not rocket science), all districts need to hold teachers accountable: x hours synchronous each day, mandatory individual check-ins with students x times per week, less busywork, more content and rigor, one app.

Stop posting Instagram shots of your garden projects during work hours, etc.

Many at my school were working 18 hour days to deliver a few decent hours of synchronous learning and more asynchronous content. As the spring went on, we could scale it back some. The grading/feedback loop was a challenge because we were asked not to penalize kids in case they didn't have access. I'll see my garden when I retire. Looking at the risk factor, animosity directed at us and family worry about my returning to the classroom, that retirement may be sooner than I'd planned.

This 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in MCPS.

I taught online six years ago, but it was a) adults and b) asynchronous. I was not prepared to teach 160 middle schoolers online synchronously. I had never done Zoom before late March. I have a teaching style that didn’t easily translate to posting two assignments on Monday and then trying to instruct. I wish my school had the independent work day on Friday.

I took a few webinars on my own during the two week emergency period and then I took the MCPS trainings, but they mainly focused on MyMCPS. My dept decided we would not use MyMCPS because our students were already used to Google Classroom. It didn’t matter too much because the main course I teach didn’t get push outs from central office.

Parents and students who came seemed happy with what we’re able to do. I did have one deranged mom, but she was deranged all year with everyone. I feel confident that I can do an even better job via Zoom this year, though I would prefer to be five days face to face if it was safe.

Since school ended, I’ve completed about 2/3 of the MyMCPS trainings. I also took a one week course on at a university and am taking a second one that last four weeks. Both are about blended learning. I don’t feel very confident yet about blended learning because I don’t see how anyone can teach simultaneously in person and online. I need a lot more info about how that can be done effectively and equitably. No one in MCPS wants to answer that.

But under the blended option, would you have to teach both online and in person? I thought some teachers would be teaching online, and others in person, but no one would do both. Am I wrong? -Parent

This was already answers in the meeting last night. Same teacher does indeed do both.

Can you explain more? How can the teacher both teach in person AND teach synchronously for the kids at home? Are they live-streaming? Thanks.