Anonymous wrote:OP. I teach kindergarten. My school is going on week 3 next week. Uve already met virtually with every family 1:1 for 20 minutes, and have done 2 follow up calls. All our beginning of the year testing is done. Im using puppets, costumes, and lots of silliness to engage kids. We've started writers workshop and 2 families have sent emails saying how happy they are. This weekend I'll write individual postcards to each kid. It does help that my Suburban district split classes in half so my class is only 10 kids. In 2 weeks we start small groups to meet more specific needs. I'm really proud of my students and my school.

It's only successful because parents are at home providing support.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in MS and HS and it's going really well for us, too. I do feel sorry for families with younger kids, but I don't understand why they're not able to make it work for them. Try plugging the computer into the tv set with an HDMI cord. Maybe that will make it easier for them.

Anyway, our first week was a success, too, OP.

You don't understand how the families with younger kids can't make it work? I don't have young kids but it doesn't take much imagination to see the challenges the families would have, especially if they can't afford a tutor or learning center.

My 2nd grader has an amazing teacher and is happy and engaged. My 4th grader has two teachers who did not embrace distance learning last spring and are trying to catch up but clearly aren't into it as much so my verdict is out on how it will go. My 7th grader is happy and doing well with 5 of his 6 classes and unhappy with his Civics teacher who seems to be having a hard time with distance learning in general.

Anonymous wrote:OP. I teach kindergarten. My school is going on week 3 next week. Uve already met virtually with every family 1:1 for 20 minutes, and have done 2 follow up calls. All our beginning of the year testing is done. Im using puppets, costumes, and lots of silliness to engage kids. We've started writers workshop and 2 families have sent emails saying how happy they are. This weekend I'll write individual postcards to each kid. It does help that my Suburban district split classes in half so my class is only 10 kids. In 2 weeks we start small groups to meet more specific needs. I'm really proud of my students and my school.

Congrats, PP. You sound awesome. Our teachers are similarly engaged and doing a good job of it.

My kids are in MS and HS and it's going really well for us, too. I do feel sorry for families with younger kids, but I don't understand why they're not able to make it work for them. Try plugging the computer into the tv set with an HDMI cord. Maybe that will make it easier for them.

Anyway, our first week was a success, too, OP.

I took 3 days off work this week to supervise my Kindergartener and 2nd grader. It’s on me to find a sustainable solution thru at least January.

Certain criteria were met. Kids were logged on. Login and connectivity issues were minimal. Roll was taken.

Actual knowledge gained: zero

It will be like this for a while. We have to supplement.

Anonymous wrote:OP. I teach kindergarten. My school is going on week 3 next week. Uve already met virtually with every family 1:1 for 20 minutes, and have done 2 follow up calls. All our beginning of the year testing is done. Im using puppets, costumes, and lots of silliness to engage kids. We've started writers workshop and 2 families have sent emails saying how happy they are. This weekend I'll write individual postcards to each kid. It does help that my Suburban district split classes in half so my class is only 10 kids. In 2 weeks we start small groups to meet more specific needs. I'm really proud of my students and my school.

Who is teaching the other half of the class?

OP. I teach kindergarten. My school is going on week 3 next week. Uve already met virtually with every family 1:1 for 20 minutes, and have done 2 follow up calls. All our beginning of the year testing is done. Im using puppets, costumes, and lots of silliness to engage kids. We've started writers workshop and 2 families have sent emails saying how happy they are. This weekend I'll write individual postcards to each kid. It does help that my Suburban district split classes in half so my class is only 10 kids. In 2 weeks we start small groups to meet more specific needs. I'm really proud of my students and my school.

You mean the first week of introductions went well? Because there is no way you could have assessed that they actually learnt something. Wait until you actually start introducing some content and can have a way to assessed that they actually learnt something.

Anonymous wrote:OP what grade do you teach?

I am wondering the same thing.

To everyone else, it might be helpful if with your experience you state the age group or grade level. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:I suspect my kid's teacher thinks it's going fine too. I mean, how would she know if it's not? Unless the kids can type super fast into chat (they are in 5th grade, they can't) then they can't possibly communicate anything to her. Cameras are off, mics are muted, she's sitting there in her tranquil home office without a care in the world, just going through her slides and droning on in a monotone voice, and she has no way to know that her students are falling asleep or have long since gotten up from the computer. To her no doubt this seems like a wonderfully organized and streamlined lesson, all very smooth....but she fails to realize it's just her and two or three overachievers in the class.

Fifth graders can't type in chat? I find that hard to believe.

I'm the ESOL teacher. It's not going well for my little ones (grades K-1) but from grade 2+ they can all use the chat just fine.

My 4th and 5th graders are also able to interact with me on Zoom by using the non verbal responses in real time. It is taking a lot of time for me to figure out how best to make use of these responses and make it fun. It takes a lot of energy too which is sounds like your child's teacher doesn't have. I'm sorry for that. But I know my kids are enjoying class because they cheer when I come to get them for their breakout rooms and they want to stay later when class is over. It's probably because it is a smaller group and I let them talk though. If they were muted all the time they would be bored.

OP what grade do you teach?

I imagine my K teacher thinks it’s going well but from my end it’s not. And if my child seems like they’re learning things fast, it’s because I’ve been teaching him all summer. I was hopefull DL and this week has been much worse than I anticipated.

Anonymous wrote:This is like when Amazon sellers pay people to give them good reviews.

I disagree. I'm 21:48. I think attitude makes a big difference. If you go into it with a chip on your shoulder while pushing and shoving, you are going to get the same back. What is behind the success at our kids 2 schools: our kids teachers are doing a good job, the kids themselves are in class eager to participate and learn, and I am seeing classmates' parents being supportive. You reap what you sow PP.