Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 21:19     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:My child is in this class and I am not freaking out. First, whoever said "lazy ass teachers" has no idea what they're talking about. The two teachers involved here are two of the absolute best teachers in the entire school. I am withholding judgment on how it will be until after BTS night (which I am looking forward to for entertainment value if nothing else). While it seems like a lot of kids in one large room, they still will do things separately. Also, one of the teachers is pregnant and will take leave in December, I think this gives the kids a sense of continuity that they would not have had when the teacher leaves for 2 months. I don't always love everything at Lafayette, but I am hopeful that these teachers (both very experienced) would not have wanted to do this if they did not absolutely believe it was a good thing. As for class size, I definitely think teachers make the difference as does the composition of the class.


Maternity leave in DC is 4 months. She is entitled to take leave for 4 full months.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 21:16     Subject: Re:50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:I am the OP. I wasn't complaining, just asking if anyone had heard of this sort of thing before. One of the teachers will be going on maternity leave in a few months so perhaps this is a way of making sure the kids have at least one good teacher if the substitute is a dud.


And if the supposed "dud" of a substitute can't handle 25 kids, what makes anyone think she or he can handle 50? As a former teacher who team taught 24 6th grade students with one other teacher, it certainly isn't any less work. It requires delicate communication, collaboration, coordination, and patience and hard work to make this setup a success. Team teaching with a like-minded colleague is one thing, but for 50 kids? If I were a Lafayette parent, I'd be in that school tomorrow raising hell.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 21:10     Subject: 50 kids in a class
My child is in this class and I am not freaking out. First, whoever said "lazy ass teachers" has no idea what they're talking about. The two teachers involved here are two of the absolute best teachers in the entire school. I am withholding judgment on how it will be until after BTS night (which I am looking forward to for entertainment value if nothing else). While it seems like a lot of kids in one large room, they still will do things separately. Also, one of the teachers is pregnant and will take leave in December, I think this gives the kids a sense of continuity that they would not have had when the teacher leaves for 2 months. I don't always love everything at Lafayette, but I am hopeful that these teachers (both very experienced) would not have wanted to do this if they did not absolutely believe it was a good thing. As for class size, I definitely think teachers make the difference as does the composition of the class.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 21:05     Subject: Re:50 kids in a class
I am the OP. I wasn't complaining, just asking if anyone had heard of this sort of thing before. One of the teachers will be going on maternity leave in a few months so perhaps this is a way of making sure the kids have at least one good teacher if the substitute is a dud.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 20:51     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?


Each teacher now has to learn 50 students names, learning styles and needs and has to interface with 50 parents when needed. I don't think it's less work or that the teachers are lazy. I find this setup really odd but perhaps one teacher has great skills in one area and the other teacher has great skills in other areas. The thinking could be that the students get the best of both. In my school, they are "departmentalizing" down to the third grade so that students go to a different teacher for English and another for math rather than staying with the same teacher all day.



Yeah right. The teacher's are not going to learn all the teaching styles. Either the kids get it or they're left in the dust.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 20:32     Subject: 50 kids in a class
That is crazy. 50 kids to keep track of at one time?!?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 20:27     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?


Each teacher now has to learn 50 students names, learning styles and needs and has to interface with 50 parents when needed. I don't think it's less work or that the teachers are lazy. I find this setup really odd but perhaps one teacher has great skills in one area and the other teacher has great skills in other areas. The thinking could be that the students get the best of both. In my school, they are "departmentalizing" down to the third grade so that students go to a different teacher for English and another for math rather than staying with the same teacher all day.



Yeah, our elem school does this too, but that is much different than lumping them all together and doing it all at the same time with all the kids.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 20:02     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?


Each teacher now has to learn 50 students names, learning styles and needs and has to interface with 50 parents when needed. I don't think it's less work or that the teachers are lazy. I find this setup really odd but perhaps one teacher has great skills in one area and the other teacher has great skills in other areas. The thinking could be that the students get the best of both. In my school, they are "departmentalizing" down to the third grade so that students go to a different teacher for English and another for math rather than staying with the same teacher all day.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 19:46     Subject: 50 kids in a class
How is this even allowed by DCPS? Also, isn't third grade the year the curriculum/homework is supposed to ramp up?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 19:34     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: 11:08 here. I don't beleive this was a higher up decision though. It was driven by the teachers. Beyond that I don't know the details of how the class will be run and neither does OP so there is no point debating this without the facts.


Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?


This is a bit harsh, don't you think? I highly doubt teachers would have that much power in the public system (i.e "teacher driven?")
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 19:32     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: 11:08 here. I don't beleive this was a higher up decision though. It was driven by the teachers. Beyond that I don't know the details of how the class will be run and neither does OP so there is no point debating this without the facts.


Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 19:27     Subject: 50 kids in a class
My DC just started Lafayette this year. So far so good BUT this sounds crazy!! Is it for the entire day or part of the day? Sounds like it would be awful for any kid w/ ADHD tendencies. Please, more information. If I have to move moco b/c of this I might loose it.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 18:14     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: 11:08 here. I don't beleive this was a higher up decision though. It was driven by the teachers. Beyond that I don't know the details of how the class will be run and neither does OP so there is no point debating this without the facts.


Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?


This is a perfectly good forum for this kind of discussion. Why wouldn't it be? This is pure chaos. I would be out of there with a quickness, good teachers/school or not.
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 17:45     Subject: 50 kids in a class
Anonymous wrote: 11:08 here. I don't beleive this was a higher up decision though. It was driven by the teachers. Beyond that I don't know the details of how the class will be run and neither does OP so there is no point debating this without the facts.


Lazy-ass teachers!! This means that they are doing only half the work they are being paid to do. Otherwise, what's the point?
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2011 17:23     Subject: Re:50 kids in a class
pp, as much as you want to be the thought police and the discussion board police, you aren't.