Anonymous wrote:Rather than receiving an email, I'd prefer that all assignments be described clearly in Canvas, so that parents can log in and check on progress. In my experience, there is a wide range of teachers' practices with assignments on Canvas.

You can’t log in and check progress any better even if step by step directions are provided. You can only see if the assignment was submitted, missing, or graded.

Only if there is a problem, when i initiate (which is when there is a problem) and when the IEP requires it. I will meet you at BTSN and be sure you have my contact information. I will learn then what your class expectations are. And that’s enough for me.

I appreciate teachers who go through my kids to get me information - like having my kid call me from school when I forgot a permission slip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

Last year, I experimented with this. I sent a Sunday night announcement in Canvas that previewed the week and a Friday afternoon wrap up of what we actually did. Almost no one looked at it the first three weeks. However, I got about 70 emails asking me things that those announcements answered. In weeks 4-9, I stopped the Sunday night preview and just did the Friday wrap up. No one looked at them. Countless emails asking about due dates and deadlines.

I didn’t do these weekly announcements the rest of the year. They were time consuming to write and parents couldn’t be bothered to read them.

Canvas is not the best way to distribute. I have twins and no matter how much I tweak the notifications, I got dozens of messages from Canvas. Any time a teacher touched one of my children's records, got a notification email from Canvas. And the messages don't say which student, so when you have twins, unless your children have completely different teachers and you know which teacher each one has, you can't tell which child it is. I got notices when they assigned a project, when they changed some element of the assignment, when they graded the assignment. I would get at least a dozen messages every time a teacher worked in Canvas. I started pushing notifications to a folder and only checked once a week or so. But many messages got drowned out by the terrible notification system.

So, emails are helpful, but Canvas is not.

Sorry, everyone is different so do what you find more effective. I prefer emails to anything on canvas. I hate all things Canvas but a syllabus with important dates would be great.

Don't do what MCPS does: sending 5-10 new and old items per email, and slowly rotate new items in and old items out..

Send one email per item, and link to a website with a full calendar of news.

All I want is
a calendar of assignment due dates,
an up to date report of what's been submitted,
and an promptly graded work, because Canvas/Parentvue are useless.

Anonymous wrote:Rather than receiving an email, I'd prefer that all assignments be described clearly in Canvas, so that parents can log in and check on progress. In my experience, there is a wide range of teachers' practices with assignments on Canvas.

Agree with this. I find it especially frustrating with math. It’s difficult to support your child at home if there is no textbook, no homework, and no class notes posted on canvas. Having some guidance on what the students are learning and a way to reinforce it at home is so helpful.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t need regular updates just telling me what’s being taught that week, but advance notice of due dates, longer term assignments, etc. is super helpful and appreciated. There is such a huge range of executive function at this age, and many kids (including mine) are scaffolded at home chunking work.

This.

I don’t need regular updates just telling me what’s being taught that week, but advance notice of due dates, longer term assignments, etc. is super helpful and appreciated. There is such a huge range of executive function at this age, and many kids (including mine) are scaffolded at home chunking work.

Rather than receiving an email, I'd prefer that all assignments be described clearly in Canvas, so that parents can log in and check on progress. In my experience, there is a wide range of teachers' practices with assignments on Canvas.

I would definitely read them no matter how many. If a teacher took the time to compose an email to parents/students then I believe it deserves to be read. If you are a parent and you don't want to be both with emails and information from your kids teachers then keep them home with you. Why have kids if you are not going to do what it takes to support their education. Teachers are not there to raise your kids.

Anonymous wrote:I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

Last year, I experimented with this. I sent a Sunday night announcement in Canvas that previewed the week and a Friday afternoon wrap up of what we actually did. Almost no one looked at it the first three weeks. However, I got about 70 emails asking me things that those announcements answered. In weeks 4-9, I stopped the Sunday night preview and just did the Friday wrap up. No one looked at them. Countless emails asking about due dates and deadlines.

I didn’t do these weekly announcements the rest of the year. They were time consuming to write and parents couldn’t be bothered to read them.

I'd love a weekly or twice weekly email with all the assignments and due dates so we can keep on tope of it. The more the better.

No more than one a week, max. I am not in school - I don't want to be sent crap from school. If I want to know what my kid is doing, they can tell me when I ask them.

Middle school teachers here trying to settle a debate amongst friends in different school districts:

How much teacher-initiated email (or handouts sent home) communication do you want from your kids teachers, and how much do you actually get? Grade level would be helpful context but not necessary if you don’t want to give it.