Community Chat

[millieshops]

One of the fragments of knowledge I have gotten from my virtual school observation is how very stressed some of our families are, but most of the time all we get to see is one childper home not doing well.  

We don't nearly as often see how many other children in the same home are doing virtual schooling, we don't often get to see who it is in that home that is free to be the in-home support, and so many more circumstances that make virtual school, especially imo inadequate for our very youngest students.

I did see some of the issues of virtual schooling up close during the first year of the pandemic.  That was a learning year for everyone I think, and it was highly stressful for all the families with children involved and with everyone I knew in the schools.  I know as I watched what was going on, I was convinced the classroom procedures and skills I had learned during my 3+decades in a secondary classroom had little application to a virtual class let alone a virtual class meeting only a few times per week as was happening around the schools in my community.

[Mom2Dogs]

I think the parents should be turned in.

[Still Raining]

At home learning revealed many fragile family structures.  School is a blessing for the kids and parents.

Our district decided to deliver hot meals to those who needed lunch on weekdays.

My grandkid's had a SAH mom and two grandmas on their cases.  

[Goodie2shoes]

@Still Raining  wrote:

At home learning revealed many fragile family structures.  School is a blessing for the kids and parents.

Our district decided to deliver hot meals to those who needed lunch on weekdays.

My grandkid's had a SAH mom and two grandmas on their cases.  

In school learning is absolutely the best thing for our little ones and the most respect for the teachers because they have to be devoted to handle these busy little ones. I get a first hand look at the classroom  on zoom and keeping the class on track takes a special kind of person. My grandson is included because I have to keep him focused.  This teacher has her hands full, I see children busy  playing with toys while in class, some are smart enough to turn off their zoom video screen, some lying in bed with covers over their heads while in class. The teacher has to teach along with telling children to put toys away, turn on their zoom video screen and get out of bed !!  My daughter has been working from home for the past 2 yrs and she would not be able to handle her job and virtual school so I am so glad I can be their for her. I really hope that very soon we can all get back to our normal life.

[Duckncover]

Am so happy to hear you are in the mend and are feeling better! You have had a rough time, for sure. Shingles is an awful disease. You are a trooper! 

In many states, the student must log on and remain logged on for a specific amount of instructional time in order to be counted present. Important for Funding that is usually based on average daily attendance (ada). Some parents just log on for their kid and then go to work or go watch tv, etc. It is sad, but true. Students need to be back in the classroom and districts should not be giving parents an option of staying home, unless the child has a serious medical issue so chronic he cannot attend. In that case, he can be provided a homebound teacher. OP's concern is valid...so many children have been denied an education since the pandemic began, it's a crime! How they will ever catch up, no one knows.

[shoekitty]

unless I am mistaken @Goodie2shoes  was venting about no guidance.   Not about virtual school.  People have their opinions about that, and if your school district is still doing this, it's not like many have a choice.  That said, I hear you about the guidance.  For many years I went into homes with children to deliver food.  Some children just don't have the guidance or care they should.  Sadly, not much is done unless it is crisis, or falls under certain guidelines.   They do this in class as well.  Some kids stay up on games half the night.  Some are hungry, unwell or have severe family problems.  I have known kids under so much worry about family situations they literally don't sleep well at all.  The parents might be concerned about their always dozing, but haven't a clue why.  Some parents aren't even at home, or are working  at home when their kid is on virtual school.  Many parents have said virtual school was more work than they can handle, especially with multiple kids.  

The only thing I might suggest is your grandson might know the kids name .  Do a general check and see if they are home alone. Most likely it is just something kids do, and the teacher should have more control for sake of other kids.  If I was a teacher I if it happened regularly or a couple times with one child I might send parents a note and gently let them know. I am sure if they are falling asleep often their grades can't be good, and that in itself would be something most parents would want to know before they get a report card with failing grades, lol.  Most parents do like a red flag.  But other than that all kinds of occurrences can cause kids to nod off, and it just happens. But it is a pain when the rest of class might like to learn and get on with it.  JMHO