OT: Severe Weather Discussion III

[eoin92]

Anectodical, but my wife is a teacher and virtual learning is such a farce so I understand why they don't want to do it.

As a teacher as well it is a complete waste of time. Feel bad for any teachers/kids that have to do virtual learning for a damn snow day as well..

Well, is being able To listen to the lesson, for the kids that are forced to be out, better than nothing at all?

 

[Tres Peleches]

Oh I’m 100% for snow days. I just know a lot of administrators/parents like to try to push the limits and squeeze out as many days as they can

If there is a day for a snow day, tomorrow would probably be a good day given the timing and the snow intensity in the early morning

 

[PK Cronin]

Well, is being able To listen to the lesson, for the kids that are forced to be out, better than nothing at all?

I completely understand your thought process, and yes it would be, but it doesn't work that way, at least where my wife works (which isn't in NY I should add).

If there are students in the classroom and virtually, the classroom isn't really set up to teach both at the same time. Teachers can't monitor the stream/virtual lesson at the same time as they are teaching the class to the in person students.

When they're all virtual it's a disaster because the kids don't turn their webcams on and the teachers have no way to force them to do it. They're is near zero participation and a lot of students don't even bother showing up. Administrations also don't want to do anything like failing students and force teachers to pass the students who don't do work.

If you're talking about a recording of the class, that'd probably be a more reasonable expectation but most classrooms don't have cameras set up for that. I'm sure there's a whole host of issues with kids who have IEPs and special accomodations too that make the whole thing even more of a nightmare. It's likely not worth it to even attempt.

 

[Nosebleed40]

Schools are already closed in Garden City.

 

[YearlyLottery]

I completely understand your thought process, and yes it would be, but it doesn't work that way, at least where my wife works (which isn't in NY I should add).

If there are students in the classroom and virtually, the classroom isn't really set up to teach both at the same time. Teachers can't monitor the stream/virtual lesson at the same time as they are teaching the class to the in person students.

When they're all virtual it's a disaster because the kids don't turn their webcams on and the teachers have no way to force them to do it. They're is near zero participation and a lot of students don't even bother showing up. Administrations also don't want to do anything like failing students and force teachers to pass the students who don't do work.

If you're talking about a recording of the class, that'd probably be a more reasonable expectation but most classrooms don't have cameras set up for that. I'm sure there's a whole host of issues with kids who have IEPs and special accomodations too that make the whole thing even more of a nightmare. It's likely not worth it to even attempt.

PK I am f***ing impressed that you are out here using fancy terminology such as IEP's and special accommodations. Next thing you know PK is going to start talking about differentiating for the needs of all learners.

Let your wife know that YearlyLottery a fellow teacher believes you actually listen to what she is saying when she talks.

 

[PK Cronin]

PK I am f***ing impressed that you are out here using fancy terminology such as IEP's and special accommodations. Next thing you know PK is going to start talking about differentiating for the needs of all learners.

Let your wife know that YearlyLottery a fellow teacher believes you actually listen to what she is saying when she talks.

My wife once had one of those mandatory trainings with her PLC group or whatever, the dude came in and used the term "pedagogy" but pronounced it "peda-go-gee"...what a quick way to lose any attention you might have had from the teachers.

 

[The Lighthouse]

I completely understand your thought process, and yes it would be, but it doesn't work that way, at least where my wife works (which isn't in NY I should add).

If there are students in the classroom and virtually, the classroom isn't really set up to teach both at the same time. Teachers can't monitor the stream/virtual lesson at the same time as they are teaching the class to the in person students.

When they're all virtual it's a disaster because the kids don't turn their webcams on and the teachers have no way to force them to do it. They're is near zero participation and a lot of students don't even bother showing up. Administrations also don't want to do anything like failing students and force teachers to pass the students who don't do work.

If you're talking about a recording of the class, that'd probably be a more reasonable expectation but most classrooms don't have cameras set up for that. I'm sure there's a whole host of issues with kids who have IEPs and special accomodations too that make the whole thing even more of a nightmare. It's likely not worth it to even attempt.

I would say at the very least, when you're talking "ideal," it makes sense to record the audio of the class. That's not going to account for accommodations as you mentioned but it gives the students who give enough of a shit an option to get the class material without requiring extra time sessions after school or some "makeup class." Because isn't that the only alternative? As Eoin mentioned, if you end up with kids on forced quarantine for a while, that's a huge hole to fill.

And you know you'll have the kid coming in after 15 days out, no greeting, says to you "did I miss anything?"

 

[PK Cronin]

I would say at the very least, when you're talking "ideal," it makes sense to record the audio of the class. That's not going to account for accommodations as you mentioned but it gives the students who give enough of a shit an option to get the class material without requiring extra time sessions after school or some "makeup class." Because isn't that the only alternative? As Eoin mentioned, if you end up with kids on forced quarantine for a while, that's a huge hole to fill.

And you know you'll have the kid coming in after 15 days out, no greeting, says to you "did I miss anything?"

It's a multifaceted monster that defies all common sense and seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen so I really think they just avoid it at all costs. You get into the whole "access" aspect too, where some kids don't have computers or reliable internet, etc. so it becomes unfair that some students are able to get the material while out of the classroom and others don't, furthering the divide between different groups of students, etc. I couldn't imagine having to navigate those waters. It is a real shame that a lot of the education systems care more about not getting sued or getting as few complaints from parents as possible than almost anything else.

I'm by no means saying it can't be done, or that some places aren't doing it, but I do know ever district is different so it's really hard to apply a singular solution. Didn't mean to derail the thread too much, but the two topics were kind of related.

 

[TeamKidd]

1. A snow day is a snow day and should always stay for kids to play in the snow a few times a year imo.

2. I'm a teacher too...(or 3 or 4 lol)...and here's my opinion on remote learning - for the kids that wanted to learn in the first place, it's fine because theyre self actualized, but for everyone else who needed help, encouragement, "special accomodations" etc, its a total failure. you cant force a kid to turn on their camera or to even pay attention. I taught virtually last year to "my classroom filled with dots" because thats all they were to me last year, not faces, just dots.

3. This year is different- i'm hopeful that this will pass pretty quickly, although we've had to do some remote days, it's far different this year.

4. As for the kids quarantining and their access to education, it's a hard issue - it doesnt work at all for the little kids IMO, and for those 75% of kids who turn the camera off and zone out during virtual learning, it's a waste too...but for the 25% of kids who want to learn and dont have access, it's a shame. As a teacher, doing the dual lessons of virtual and in person is maddening and I know why unions have resisted forcing teachers to do both, as it's a major undertaking and one that rarely bares much fruit.

5. LET IT SNOW! - moderate to heavy bands already setting up in PA, comin this way!

 

[PK Cronin]

1. A snow day is a snow day and should always stay for kids to play in the snow a few times a year imo.

2. I'm a teacher too...(or 3 or 4 lol)...and here's my opinion on remote learning - for the kids that wanted to learn in the first place, it's fine because theyre self actualized, but for everyone else who needed help, encouragement, "special accomodations" etc, its a total failure. you cant force a kid to turn on their camera or to even pay attention. I taught virtually last year to "my classroom filled with dots" because thats all they were to me last year, not faces, just dots.

3. This year is different- i'm hopeful that this will pass pretty quickly, although we've had to do some remote days, it's far different this year.

4. As for the kids quarantining and their access to education, it's a hard issue - it doesnt work at all for the little kids IMO, and for those 75% of kids who turn the camera off and zone out during virtual learning, it's a waste too...but for the 25% of kids who want to learn and dont have access, it's a shame. As a teacher, doing the dual lessons of virtual and in person is maddening and I know why unions have resisted forcing teachers to do both, as it's a major undertaking and one that rarely bares much fruit.

5. LET IT SNOW! - moderate to heavy bands already setting up in PA, comin this way!

So my wife did the first half virtual and the second half in person. Students would come up to her and just start talking to her in the second half of the year and she had no idea who they were because they never turned their camera on. That's f***ing wild to me, just teaching into the abyss with little to no feedback.

I assume you're all teachers in different areas too and it seems like you're all experiencing similar things.

Hope you guys get a legitimate snow day with no caveats!

 

[TeamKidd]

So my wife did the first half virtual and the second half in person. Students would come up to her and just start talking to her in the second half of the year and she had no idea who they were because they never turned their camera on. That's f***ing wild to me, just teaching into the abyss with little to no feedback.

I assume you're all teachers in different areas too and it seems like you're all experiencing similar things.

Hope you guys get a legitimate snow day with no caveats!

 

[YearlyLottery]

Got my snow day

 

[Tres Peleches]

Snow days FTW. If you don’t absolutely have to travel tomorrow morning, don’t. Gonna be a mess. Enjoy the snow all!

 

[macleod50]

So my wife did the first half virtual and the second half in person. Students would come up to her and just start talking to her in the second half of the year and she had no idea who they were because they never turned their camera on. That's f***ing wild to me, just teaching into the abyss with little to no feedback.

I assume you're all teachers in different areas too and it seems like you're all experiencing similar things.

Hope you guys get a legitimate snow day with no caveats!

PK, my wife is an NYCDOE middle school teacher. So I got to hear a lot of similar stories about the camera thing. I also hate that I know all of the lingo (IEPs, SEL, etc). Virtual learning in NYC as you can imagine is a whole different animal compared to other areas. It is not the way to go long term, but I think it is reasonable for the politicos here asking for 2 weeks of it due to the abysmal attendance. My wife had 2 entire empty classes for the past 2 days.

As a lot of teachers and some politicians have stated, NYC schools are a glorified babysitting service. So I was out there at 4:45am digging my wife's car out so she can drive in to teach 3/4 empty classrooms.

 

[TeamKidd]

Precisely 7 inches here, fell quick, just about over in the next few hours. Enjoy all!

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Who are the assholes trying to take snow days away from children? One of the ultimate rushes of life was waking up and trying to hear your school on the radio or see it fly by on the scroll at the bottom of News12.

*I understand that if there are too many snow days, they should probably go virtual.

 

[TeamKidd]

Who are the assholes trying to take snow days away from children? One of the ultimate rushes of life was waking up and trying to hear your school on the radio or see it fly by on the scroll at the bottom of News12.

*I understand that if there are too many snow days, they should probably go virtual.

To my districts credit, they agree that snow days should be preserved

 

[YearlyLottery]

PK, my wife is an NYCDOE middle school teacher. So I got to hear a lot of similar stories about the camera thing. I also hate that I know all of the lingo (IEPs, SEL, etc). Virtual learning in NYC as you can imagine is a whole different animal compared to other areas. It is not the way to go long term, but I think it is reasonable for the politicos here asking for 2 weeks of it due to the abysmal attendance. My wife had 2 entire empty classes for the past 2 days.

As a lot of teachers and some politicians have stated, NYC schools are a glorified babysitting service. So I was out there at 4:45am digging my wife's car out so she can drive in to teach 3/4 empty classrooms.

I teach out on Long Island in a non public school environment and could not imagine teaching in NYC. Since I am moving to South Carolina I had to make a decision to either go non public at home or try to get a NYC teaching job for a couple years. Over the summer I taught summer school virtually to children in NYC schools and had all of these challenges. I teach elementary school.

God bless your wife and anyone else who teaches in low income and environments where the kids barely have a shot out the womb.

 

[Chardo]

Who are the assholes trying to take snow days away from children? One of the ultimate rushes of life was waking up and trying to hear your school on the radio or see it fly by on the scroll at the bottom of News12.

*I understand that if there are too many snow days, they should probably go virtual.

There was no News12 back in my day. It was a phone chain. Someone called our house, then we called the next house on the list.

 

[YearlyLottery]

Precisely 7 inches here, fell quick, just about over in the next few hours. Enjoy all!

Just so you know my entire life on Long Island I go HERE for my weather news rather than News 12.

 

[Chardo]

I teach out on Long Island in a non public school environment and could not imagine teaching in NYC. Since I am moving to South Carolina I had to make a decision to either go non public at home or try to get a NYC teaching job for a couple years. Over the summer I taught summer school virtually to children in NYC schools and had all of these challenges. I teach elementary school.

God bless your wife and anyone else who teaches in low income and environments where the kids barely have a shot out the womb.

My wife's parents taught in Hempstead and East New York. First thing we did was buy a house with decent schools.

 

[Beacon Isles]

PK I am f***ing impressed that you are out here using fancy terminology such as IEP's and special accommodations. Next thing you know PK is going to start talking about differentiating for the needs of all learners.

Let your wife know that YearlyLottery a fellow teacher believes you actually listen to what she is saying when she talks.

My wife is an elementary special ed teacher in the Hudson Valley (so I too have heard IEPs all the time lol) and she would agree with you both - virtual learning in her situation is incredibly difficult bordering on a waste of time.

 

[The Lighthouse]

This is now the "positive snow day" thread. Anyone against snow days should head over to a new "negative snow day" thread.

 

[MJF]

Precisely 7 inches here, fell quick, just about over in the next few hours. Enjoy all!

Between 3-4 inches in northeast Queens. The sun was out as of 9:30.

 

[Tres Peleches]

Yup, got in and left about 1-2 hours earlier than I had thought… but the totals seemed to be good.

I hope Bunk got back alright, he was in Nassau IIRC