DC Teachers: what advice/requests do you have for FT DL parents?

[Anonymous]

For those of us looking to go full distance learning in September, what do you want us to do to prepare our kids, homes, technology for your virtual classroom? Any pet peeves? Worst things you've seeing the Spring you'd like us to avoid? Best things you've seen that you'd like to be endorsed more broadly?
Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Have a spot for your kids to sit and work, especially if they will use a phone for video. Notebooks to write, any printed packets we send, and writing materials. Nothing crazy! Have your kid wear a shirt, even if pajamas.

I plan to do some kind of weekly checklist of assignments and classes to help kids and parents keep track of what to do. If you help your child create a plan for doing the work it’d be great, but I also understand you can’t force a kid to do anything! I think most parents from my class did great considering the circumstances in the spring. Also, if you have trouble please reach out. So many parents of mine (not a popular DCUM school) waited until I called to check in to ask. I’m here, I don’t mind! (Ok, but maybe don’t call at 10 pm or text at 2 am to ask about login info!)

[Anonymous]

Please don't let your kids eat or serve them lunch during live videos.

Please have them in a quiet space - even though they are wearing headphones we can hear everything going on around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't let your kids eat or serve them lunch during live videos.

Please have them in a quiet space - even though they are wearing headphones we can hear everything going on around them

Enforce and discipline kids not doing their work. No phones or games until after work is done. I know it is not easy.

[Anonymous]

Have them sit in a quiet work space they help put together (desk, notebook, pencil, computer/tablet with power source, headphones). Do not have them eating on the calls. Make sure they are ready on time. If you’re late or can’t find the link, don’t email/text the teacher over and over making it impossible for her to lead the rest of the group. Thank you for asking.

[Anonymous]

Upgrade your Internet weather that be the total bandwidth you are signed up for or making sure the WiFi repeats properly throughout the house. Make sure your kids have good headphones and microphones. Try to encourage them to get out of bed, get dressed and sit someplace like a desk or table for actual class time. And for the love of all that is good and holy - make them turn their video on if the teacher allows it. If you want the teacher paying attention to your child - they need to be able to see them!

[Anonymous]

1. Please do not let your child eat during a lesson, believe me they are distracted.

2. No tv or iPad ON. (If they have siblings have the tv on low facing away from the student doing a lesson so they cannot see)

3. Please don’t interrupt the lesson or give your child the answer, even though you’re being super wonderful and facilitating you have no idea what you’re doing. Trust that I am a professional and I will move your child forward, getting answers wrong is not a sin, don’t be embarrassed.

4. If you’re having internet trouble tell me ahead of time, we can reschedule but I can’t help you if you’re scheduled at 10:30 and you tell me at...10:30.

5. Communicate with me, you’re child is not the only child in my class. I love you guys but I cannot read minds, don’t always wait for me to ask you.

[Anonymous]

*your, sorry. From my phone

[Anonymous]

Good communication in both directions will go a long way to making this successful. DL showed me exactly how much information I gathered just from seeing the student, and how much that assessment of mood and motivation drove my teaching. If you child is having a rough day, didn’t sleep well, whatever, send me a quick text so I know. This will be especially important if we start off with DL and I’m teaching students I never met before.

[Anonymous]

Parent here: On communication, I tend to err on the side of only communicating when necessary. I do not want to bother teachers or cause them more concerns when I know there are so many other kids who probably need attention more. Anyway, I would never communicate when my kid didn't sleep well or was just in an ornery mood. On the other hand, I did communicate when a grandparents passed away. Generally reluctant to learn- not going to communicate. Trouble understanding concepts I cannot explain- communicating.

Would teachers expect or want more parent communication with DL? I am assuming you don't want to be bombarded with texts/emails on a daily basis for all your students. So what is a normal DL level of communication...

[Anonymous]

It’s important to understand that your kid will complete their work in about 1/3 of the time it takes during the school day. During distance-learning the first time a lot of parents are confused about the lack of time. Your kid is probably doing more work at home then they were ever able to accomplish in a school building. It’s like with homeschooling parents. Without the distractions in the bathroom breaks & fire drills & looking for the lost pencils. An hour and a half of math really does take 30 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent here: On communication, I tend to err on the side of only communicating when necessary. I do not want to bother teachers or cause them more concerns when I know there are so many other kids who probably need attention more. Anyway, I would never communicate when my kid didn't sleep well or was just in an ornery mood. On the other hand, I did communicate when a grandparents passed away. Generally reluctant to learn- not going to communicate. Trouble understanding concepts I cannot explain- communicating.

Would teachers expect or want more parent communication with DL? I am assuming you don't want to be bombarded with texts/emails on a daily basis for all your students. So what is a normal DL level of communication...

I think this is teacher specific. I teach children with special needs and their parents do tell me if they didn’t sleep well, I keep that in mind and make a few tweaks to the lesson to help them stay engaged and not well grumpy!

Some teachers might find that annoying, really depends on the teacher.

As for things that have to do with personality and confidence level, yes please! Please tell me that, especially if your kiddo is new to my class. I’ll be having all my new parents fill out a questionnaire about their child as well as having a meeting with them.
I think it’s crucial to know bits about a child’s personality, likes and dislikes, learning style (if you know, if not we’ll find out together) in order to really teach them and differentiate their learning.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your answers so far!
- For Zoom meetings, which should we pick if we have to choose a quiet unsupervised space (their own desk in their bedroom) and a supervised but more likely to have distractions (the open floor dining room table)?
- If a parent has time, do you mind if we go over our kid's homework with them and make them fix grammar, spelling, and oversights before they submit it, or does it get in the way of your assessment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your answers so far!
- For Zoom meetings, which should we pick if we have to choose a quiet unsupervised space (their own desk in their bedroom) and a supervised but more likely to have distractions (the open floor dining room table)?
- If a parent has time, do you mind if we go over our kid's homework with them and make them fix grammar, spelling, and oversights before they submit it, or does it get in the way of your assessment?

First grade teacher here. No please do not fix your kids assignments. We want to see where they really are. This spring so many of my first graders magically turned into great spellers with perfect penmanship..... not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent here: On communication, I tend to err on the side of only communicating when necessary. I do not want to bother teachers or cause them more concerns when I know there are so many other kids who probably need attention more. Anyway, I would never communicate when my kid didn't sleep well or was just in an ornery mood. On the other hand, I did communicate when a grandparents passed away. Generally reluctant to learn- not going to communicate. Trouble understanding concepts I cannot explain- communicating.

Would teachers expect or want more parent communication with DL? I am assuming you don't want to be bombarded with texts/emails on a daily basis for all your students. So what is a normal DL level of communication...

I think this is teacher specific. I teach children with special needs and their parents do tell me if they didn’t sleep well, I keep that in mind and make a few tweaks to the lesson to help them stay engaged and not well grumpy!

Some teachers might find that annoying, really depends on the teacher.

As for things that have to do with personality and confidence level, yes please! Please tell me that, especially if your kiddo is new to my class. I’ll be having all my new parents fill out a questionnaire about their child as well as having a meeting with them.
I think it’s crucial to know bits about a child’s personality, likes and dislikes, learning style (if you know, if not we’ll find out together) in order to really teach them and differentiate their learning.

I think it may also depend a little bit on how many students the teacher works with. If it is a small self-contained class, definitely share a lot! If your child is one of 200 students the teacher will see that day, likely only share the really important things.