Anonymous
11/04/2023 10:26
Subject: No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:It’s shocking how bad the writing instruction is throughout MCPS, at all grade levels if you are not in CES/magnets.
My kid went to a regional CES and barely got any feedback there either.
MCPS chooses not to focus on grammar and spelling in elementary school. It’s definitely an issue.
Anonymous
11/04/2023 07:48
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
Teachers weren't bogged down with the mindless BS they have to do now. I had one planning period this week to myself. One. I called a parent and graded a few things. I didn't have time to write any lesson plans so I will spend hours on it this weekend. My mom used to teach and she never wrote a lesson plan. That's what the teacher's manual was for. She'd flip the page and teach the next lesson. She did this for every subject. One spelling test per week and an occasional math/science/social studies test. She wasn't chasing down student assignments and calling parents all of the time. If the kid didn't hand it in, they got a zero. She didn't need to document evert attempt to contact the parent. She didn't need to create retakes and grade them. My mom walked into school 15 minutes before the kids and left 15 minutes after the kids. Nothing was done at home.
My mom was a teacher too from the mid 70s until about 2010, and sure didn't have this schedule. She had to do bus duty in the morning, stay for tutoring after school, and take turns coaching a sport or ferrying kids (in her own car) to community service events. She taught modern languages in a private high school. She graded papers all evening in front of the TV. Her most common complaint (after bus service duty) was having to type mid-semester comments into the computer - she wanted to handwrite them on little postcards like the school did until the late 90s.
She taught in a private school. My mom taught in public schools for twenty five years. I tell her what I do now and what goes on and she doesn’t recognize any of it.
Anonymous
11/04/2023 05:45
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
Yes, but shouldn't it still be done?
When? And no, it is not necessary.
How would a child learn how to write without any feedback? It's like taking a math test but ne er knowing if you got the right answer.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 23:35
Subject: No feedback on writing in elementary school
It’s shocking how bad the writing instruction is throughout MCPS, at all grade levels if you are not in CES/magnets.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 23:30
Subject: No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:You won’t get it in middle school or high school either.
yup. welcome to mcps writing instruction or lack thereof
Anonymous
11/03/2023 23:15
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
We now know it’s no longer advised as a best practice. Teachers hold writing conferences to review but any corrections will be from the students.
So the taxpayer is paying to send students to school who cannot write a sentence or a paragraph upon graduation?
It’s basically a babysitting service. But I also sympathize the teachers, it’s not what they envisioned teaching is anymore
Anonymous
11/03/2023 22:44
Subject: No feedback on writing in elementary school
Another reason we chose private. Yes, they may end up at the same college as their public school peer, but at least they’ll learn how to write before getting there.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 22:42
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
We now know it’s no longer advised as a best practice. Teachers hold writing conferences to review but any corrections will be from the students.
So the taxpayer is paying to send students to school who cannot write a sentence or a paragraph upon graduation?
Anonymous
11/03/2023 22:27
Subject: No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:You won’t get it in middle school or high school either.
+2. Not even in AP Lang and Lit.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 21:53
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
Teachers weren't bogged down with the mindless BS they have to do now. I had one planning period this week to myself. One. I called a parent and graded a few things. I didn't have time to write any lesson plans so I will spend hours on it this weekend. My mom used to teach and she never wrote a lesson plan. That's what the teacher's manual was for. She'd flip the page and teach the next lesson. She did this for every subject. One spelling test per week and an occasional math/science/social studies test. She wasn't chasing down student assignments and calling parents all of the time. If the kid didn't hand it in, they got a zero. She didn't need to document evert attempt to contact the parent. She didn't need to create retakes and grade them. My mom walked into school 15 minutes before the kids and left 15 minutes after the kids. Nothing was done at home.
Teaching as it should be.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 21:53
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
We now know it’s no longer advised as a best practice. Teachers hold writing conferences to review but any corrections will be from the students.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 21:51
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
Yes, but shouldn't it still be done?
When? And no, it is not necessary.
I have two employees who graduated from Maryland high schools who are illiterate.
One was a supervisor. I wanted her to write a reference letter for an employee. It was pathetic what she wrote considering whe had graduated from a Maryland high school. She did not know how to write a sentence. She was probably writing at a 3rd or 4th grade level.
I went through Maryland schools: PG County, Frederick County and Wicomico County. All of my writing was corrected and graded.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 21:46
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
Teachers weren't bogged down with the mindless BS they have to do now. I had one planning period this week to myself. One. I called a parent and graded a few things. I didn't have time to write any lesson plans so I will spend hours on it this weekend. My mom used to teach and she never wrote a lesson plan. That's what the teacher's manual was for. She'd flip the page and teach the next lesson. She did this for every subject. One spelling test per week and an occasional math/science/social studies test. She wasn't chasing down student assignments and calling parents all of the time. If the kid didn't hand it in, they got a zero. She didn't need to document evert attempt to contact the parent. She didn't need to create retakes and grade them. My mom walked into school 15 minutes before the kids and left 15 minutes after the kids. Nothing was done at home.
My mom was a teacher too from the mid 70s until about 2010, and sure didn't have this schedule. She had to do bus duty in the morning, stay for tutoring after school, and take turns coaching a sport or ferrying kids (in her own car) to community service events. She taught modern languages in a private high school. She graded papers all evening in front of the TV. Her most common complaint (after bus service duty) was having to type mid-semester comments into the computer - she wanted to handwrite them on little postcards like the school did until the late 90s.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 21:22
Subject: No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:McLean Summer Edge Writing Intensive Camps
https://www.summeredge.org/program/intensive-programs-lower-school-writing/
We did a summer writing camp through Art if Problem Solving in Gaithersburg. I’m sure there are others.
Or hire a writing tutor. MCPS is simply not going to teach your kid to be a good writer.
Anonymous
11/03/2023 21:20
Subject: Re:No feedback on writing in elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do you know how long it would take to give written detailed on every essay for every student?
And yet somehow in the past it was done. Homework was also graded and corrected. Boggles the mind. Guess time was slower then.
Teachers weren't bogged down with the mindless BS they have to do now. I had one planning period this week to myself. One. I called a parent and graded a few things. I didn't have time to write any lesson plans so I will spend hours on it this weekend. My mom used to teach and she never wrote a lesson plan. That's what the teacher's manual was for. She'd flip the page and teach the next lesson. She did this for every subject. One spelling test per week and an occasional math/science/social studies test. She wasn't chasing down student assignments and calling parents all of the time. If the kid didn't hand it in, they got a zero. She didn't need to document evert attempt to contact the parent. She didn't need to create retakes and grade them. My mom walked into school 15 minutes before the kids and left 15 minutes after the kids. Nothing was done at home.
Yep. This is the difference. The poor teachers have to waste so much time on other nonsense. They can’t focus on just actually teaching.