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Post by freecharlie on Apr 13, 2020 5:12:53 GMT
What happens with school if we can't go back in the fall?
I mean, it is one thing to have a month left to try to go online with the rest of the year. I have a connection to the students and I have taught them skills throughout the year. They know my expectations and what I am looking for. We can communicate because we know each other.
I won't have that connection with the incoming 9th graders. They won't know that I am "obnoxious, but in a good way," "like your mom at school," that I will "nag them because I care," and don't try to hide from her "she will find you." Or that "Mrs. Freecharlie loves us all." (All quotes from my students)
It takes time to develop that connection and I don't think I can do it over a computer.
I'm always one to work on the present, but also start looking at and thinking about the future.
What happens in August...?
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luckyjune
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Post by luckyjune on Apr 13, 2020 5:57:38 GMT
This is like a cloud hanging over my head. Those first few months in 7th grade are big on management and establishing routine. This is the first year of middle school, so the change is huge. We spend a lot of time getting everyone on the same page, teaching kids how to use secondary technology tools...and the list goes on and on.
My sincere hope is that we are able to go back in September. If we have to quarantine later, so be it. But at least by that time, kids will understand expectations and know how to respond to their work.
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cycworker
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Jun 26, 2014 0:42:38 GMT
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Post by cycworker on Apr 13, 2020 5:59:01 GMT
I can't imagine it being allowed to go on that long.
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Post by Legacy Girl on Apr 13, 2020 6:00:58 GMT
I wish I knew. I hate to think about it because it will be DD's senior year. And it already seems to have "chaos" written all over it. But you sound like a totally fun teacher. I'll bet it will go more smoothly than you expect.
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Post by PEAcan pie on Apr 13, 2020 6:05:05 GMT
I have extreme concerns about the Fall School year. I think it may not happen.
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moodyblue
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Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Apr 13, 2020 6:07:54 GMT
My concern is that we get a resurgence of Covid and things have to be restricted again. It won’t affect me as I retire at the end of this school year, but I have wondered if school will start on time or if the calendar will be changed - my district starts in early August, which seems soon if things maybe only get opened up in June. Or, I could see early starting districts getting going and then having to go to distance learning if/when cases ramp up again.
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Post by jlynnbarth on Apr 13, 2020 6:12:53 GMT
My ds’s SO is worried about this too. She got an email from the district she works for saying Fall might be a no go if there are still people sick with covid19. This breaks her heart because she’s a para-educator in a very poverty ridden part of the city. Some of these kids only have school hours as their safe hours. A lot of abused kids, a lot of hungry kids with drug addicted parents etc... She says with some of these kids it takes 4-6 months to even get their trust and get them to not act out at school, they don’t have internet at home, let alone computers or smart phones. They will just fall in between the cracks. She cares so much even after being hospitalized by a 5th grader this year. I really feel for her and all the other teachers and children.
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ComplicatedLady
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Post by ComplicatedLady on Apr 13, 2020 6:19:35 GMT
My ds should be starting 3rd grade in August. The fact that spring break through the rest of the year was cancelled was surprising. I don’t know that I can keep him on second grade ready to move to third grade level—especially in the next few months. I also have a full time work at home job. Working at home full time plus teaching at home even part time is very challenging. I don’t know what to do.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2020 6:32:07 GMT
Dh's district's board has mentioned looking at a start date in Sept instead of Aug and has also mentioned looking at continued on-line learning until Dec.
If this follows the path of Spanish Flu, we will look at big numbers again in October.
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Apr 13, 2020 6:45:33 GMT
Dh's district's board has mentioned looking at a start date in Sept instead of Aug and has also mentioned looking at continued on-line learning until Dec. If this follows the path of Spanish Flu, we will look at big numbers again in October. This is what I'm guessing is a good option. Our calendar says mid-August, but if we waited until after Labor Day then it'd buy more time.
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Post by cade387 on Apr 13, 2020 6:46:56 GMT
I’ve been saying this for the last month. The only glimmer of hope I have is that without schools open, many cannot go back to work even if they do have a job. I think schools will be a priority, at least for K-12, but I’m not sure about college.
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 21:19:32 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2020 6:47:03 GMT
Dh's district's board has mentioned looking at a start date in Sept instead of Aug and has also mentioned looking at continued on-line learning until Dec. If this follows the path of Spanish Flu, we will look at big numbers again in October. This is what I'm guessing is a good option. Our calendar says mid-August, but if we waited until after Labor Day then it'd buy more time. Dh's district and kids district both start first full week of Aug. So pushing back to 2nd week of Sept is a smart plan
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Apr 13, 2020 6:56:11 GMT
This is what I'm guessing is a good option. Our calendar says mid-August, but if we waited until after Labor Day then it'd buy more time. Dh's district and kids district both start first full week of Aug. So pushing back to 2nd week of Sept is a smart plan I just don't see how they can get the kids back in school without some type of vaccine or treatment. I'm mentally ready to go back, but I prefer my health. Summer breaks are different than this break.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Apr 13, 2020 7:00:48 GMT
From a parent's point of view, i just cannot imagine not going back in September.
Even with e-learning, my kids are not learning enough. There's no way they'll be on grade level. My kid with an iep & speech has been pretty much forgotten.
And what if the economy opens back up, people are expected back at work, but school is closed? Where do the kids go then?
There is so much uncertainty. I hate it.
ETA: Not that i think it should open if it's not safe yet, i just think there will be a ripple effect of repercussions from this pandemic.
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Post by ghislaine on Apr 13, 2020 10:25:33 GMT
On a personal level, my kids will be fine. The eldest is in the first year of a two year rotation with the same teachers so I think distance learning could continue next year if needed. The youngest is already reading a year ahead and enjoys math. They hadn't been all that happy in school so I had been thinking about homeschooling before all this even hit. I might go that route for them next year.
On a society level, there's definitely problems and I'm not sure how to resolve them. The country has spent years consolidating schools and having larger and larger classroom sizes and I can't help but think that smaller schools and classroom sizes would be better in this situation. Until there's a vaccine or herd immunity I think we're going to need to be creative to figure out working solutions.
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Post by christine58 on Apr 13, 2020 10:38:07 GMT
I think that school here will open in September..heck it's not even closed through June yet here in NYS. We HAVE to continue some of the behaviors we have been doing since this started. I hope that grocery stores and other stores continue the distance at check outs, continue the sanitation routines between customers, and we as people continue to wash our hands etc. Maybe wearing masks while out is a behavior that HAS to continue. There's no way things don't start and open. This economy will TANK more than it has. We have to be smart. We have to hope for a proven treatment because there won't be a vaccine for at least a year.
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J u l e e
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Post by J u l e e on Apr 13, 2020 11:57:53 GMT
My daughter just chose her college and is ready to start searching for roommates and is looking forward to signing up for classes at orientation (in June - we already got a notice that orientation may be virtual). Online would be a crappy way to start freshman year of college. But so would dormitories full of sick kids. There is no good answer.
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Post by Basket1lady on Apr 13, 2020 12:21:42 GMT
I worry about my college kids. I worry less about elementary kids and, even to some extent, the high school kids. I think we expect too much from our young kids—to sit at a desk and the testing is worrisome. But I also know that sitting at home in front of a screen won’t help along with money concerns that will explode by fall if we aren’t back to normal. In general, I think education will be ok because most kids will be at the same level. I foresee a lot of state testing falling by the wayside and teaching until the end of the year, whether it’s 2021 or 2022. But in the meantime, there are thousands of students who won’t have that support of structure and learning that school gives those most vulnerable. Yet, in the long run, I think the youngest will have it the easiest, education wise, because they have the longest to recover their knowledge. That was rambling and contradictory... ugh. I worry about it all!
But what do we do with our kids turning 18? Keep them in school another year? Even as legal adults? That’s a hard one.
And I worry about my college students. DS has one year of grad school under his belt, but it’s hard to teach engineering online. He already says he won’t go back next year if it’s online. That won’t be the end of the world, but it’s hard to go back later in life with a family. And even if he does go back in the fall, he won’t have tuition money if his job doesn’t put him on full time status over the summer.
And then DD a will be a senior in college. Will she go back? Ever? She hates online learning and misses her friends. She is working on standing up a new mental health support group on campus. What will happen to that? Will she take a gap year?
Yeah, this is what wakes me up at 4 am. It just sucks for everyone.
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Post by Merge on Apr 13, 2020 12:22:07 GMT
September? LOL I'm supposed to report back the first week in August.
I don't see our Republican governor letting schools or businesses stay closed past May no matter what is happening. He's already making noises about re-opening things at the end of April.
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Post by missfrenchjessica on Apr 13, 2020 12:26:11 GMT
My daughter just chose her college and is ready to start searching for roommates and is looking forward to signing up for classes at orientation (in June - we already got a notice that orientation may be virtual). Online would be a crappy way to start freshman year of college. But so would dormitories full of sick kids. There is no good answer. This is where we are with my daughter as well. She starts college in the fall and her senior year has just sucked with this pandemic. I'm praying we can get this under control enough that school can start safely in the fall. As a teacher, I whole-heartedly agree: the beginning of the year is when you lay the foundation for EVERYTHING. Relationships, classroom management, organization, expectations, etc. My students have transitioned fairly well to online because we've worked with online tools/platforms during the school year as a matter of fact, so needing to move to it now hasn't been such a tough transition. I just can't imagine trying to do that next year. Not to mention the kids who fall through the cracks in good situations: spec. ed; kids living in poverty, with abuse, with mental health issues, etc. What will happen with those kids? How will we ensure equity for them? I wish I had the answers.
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luckyexwife
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Post by luckyexwife on Apr 13, 2020 12:38:10 GMT
My ds should be starting 3rd grade in August. The fact that spring break through the rest of the year was cancelled was surprising. I don’t know that I can keep him on second grade ready to move to third grade level—especially in the next few months. I also have a full time work at home job. Working at home full time plus teaching at home even part time is very challenging. I don’t know what to do. Is the school providing any online curriculum or direction? I work at home full time as well, and it's challenging to keep my 3 motivated and on task to get their assignments done.
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Post by nlwilkins on Apr 13, 2020 13:19:01 GMT
Before I retired from teaching, I taught an alternative school where the students were bused in and sat at computers for four hours a day. The computer taught them their academics and I handled the rest. This was for students who were deemed behavior problems and needed to be removed from the regular classroom. It was not ideal, and advancement depended upon the student motivation.
I worked also as an Instructional Designer for graduate online courses. I worked with the professors to set up their courses and do the work to ensure each course was designed to do what it was supposed to do. For most courses it took a few months to get done and a team consisting of a web designer, a graphic artist, myself and the professor. Students who took these classes were able to work a full time job and continue their graduate work without having to meet in person with other classmates and professors.
I can see how online schooling for younger students could work if there were programs set up for it. Students would progress at their own pace and be expected to spend a specific number of hours each day online. Any day that does not have the required hours would be considered an absence. Working parents would have to find babysitters and supervisors for their younger children, but the older ones would have to take responsibility for their work. Schooling could happen in the evenings or weekends as well so parents could still work. In essence, school would no longer where children go while parents work.
The big thing that would have to happen is to cut back the times that students would have to be online together at the same time. Forums and discussion boards would be their main focus of communication and several of these could be set up for each class for group work. This way, families with only one computer could take turns doing their online work. Assignments could be set up for students to do off line and then turn in via computer when done.
Its do-able but would take planning and work. Personal connections between teacher and students would be minimal if any and there should be substitutes put in place to take up that slack. I can see where many of the extras would suffer such as band, choir, sports and the like.
Families with little or no technology in the home could possibly be funneled into small groups of neighborhood centers with minimal contact between groups of families. That way you could lessen any spread of the virus. The small local elementary schools could be used for this perhaps. (Just a thought and maybe not realistic at that.)
It would take a lot of thinking outside the box and a lot of thought put into it. I really could not see it being put into place though without a month or two advance prep if not more.
Basically, the focus and responsibility would be on the family which might not work in a lot of situations though.
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Post by Linda on Apr 13, 2020 13:23:16 GMT
Since our governor is already talking about reopening schools since kids aren't the ones getting sick - I think it is unlikely ours will stay closed into the fall (August 10th is the first day of next year). I also think our governor is an idiot so there's that.
It WOULD be hard on everyone if schools stay closed into the fall. But I also think until we have herd immunity (either naturally or through a vaccine) that we'll continue to have outbreaks and need to continue or stop/start isolating
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peppermintpatty
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Post by peppermintpatty on Apr 13, 2020 13:32:19 GMT
We will go back. I'm not worried about it.
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luckyexwife
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Post by luckyexwife on Apr 13, 2020 13:36:18 GMT
We will go back. I'm not worried about it. Not worried about school reopening, or not worried about CV-19?
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Apr 13, 2020 13:47:47 GMT
I’m not worried about it here. Our gov’t is talking about cautiously relaxing restrictions next month. We don’t go back until 2nd week of September after labour day and I’m sure we’ll be back, even if the kids are in a mask to start. Before spring break school had adjusted lunch time to reduce numbers in the lunchroom and cancelled assemblies so I think if there is a resurgence then they’ll be mandated to do things like that, perhaps even temp checks, but i do believe our gov’t is learning from this time and from other countries to see how they’re living with it - like Korea and Hong Kong - their kids are in school.
The eastern part of our country is in a different situation. I’ve heard some talk of universities possibly starting on line in September as a last resort. Here in the west universities are planning on going back in September. When our PM said we’ll be living with this for a year until we have a vaccine he means small outbreaks, gov’t watching for outbreaks, continued precautions - I don’t think he means full lockdown for a year.
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Post by silverlining on Apr 13, 2020 14:52:10 GMT
My hope is that if schools can start in September, districts will be preparing for the possibility of another closure, and will be able to do it much better the second time around.
The dream is that districts will provide Chromebooks to any student who needs it and internet to all, and in the beginning of the school year while students are learning in the classroom, teachers can build the class community and establish expectations and teach students how to use the online tools. I'd love to see hybrid instruction in the fall, so if there's a need for a second shut-down, students are prepared.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 13, 2020 14:59:24 GMT
I’m so worried about our Republican governor trying to reopen schools in May that I haven’t started to think about next year yet.
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Just T
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Jun 26, 2014 1:20:09 GMT
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Post by Just T on Apr 13, 2020 15:05:29 GMT
My 21 year old daughter is really worried about this. She is supposed to student teach in the fall, and I don't know how that will work if school is still being done virtually. I just tell her to try not to worry too far ahead, to focus on finishing her coursework that she is doing online now. But it is hard. I can't imagine life still being like this in the fall, but I am trying to prepare for that possibility.
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Just T
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Post by Just T on Apr 13, 2020 15:07:25 GMT
I’m so worried about our Republican governor trying to reopen schools in May that I haven’t started to think about next year yet. Shockingly, our Republican governor, who was one of the last to order statewide stay at home orders already said last week that all public schools in Missouri are closed for the rest of the year. There is hope! LOL
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