Post by BunnyMacDougal on Aug 27, 2014 21:13:47 GMT -5
pare down my lesson plan for Friday because about 30 of 100 kids will be leaving early to go see One Direction in Chicago?
The email notices are flooding in. Kids "will be leaving around 1 for *unidentified* trip". The kids have been spilling. And I knew about it when a fellow teacher bought her own daughter tickets to the show for Christmas (conspiring with her besties' moms so they could all go together).
It was a phone frenzy Christmas day y'all.
In all seriousness, I don't want the hassle of catching up 30 kids on the end of a science week-long lesson. If i stretch out tomorrow, the end of the lesson falls on Monday and no paperwork has to be "sent home/to Chicago".
If they miss it, then they miss it. Why would you catch them up if they missed school because of a concert that they "had" to go to?
That's the way the wind is blowing at our school. Grades reflect ability and comprehension, with little to no account for promptness etc. We can give lateness grades, but we are expected to catch students up.
If they miss it, then they miss it. Why would you catch them up if they missed school because of a concert that they "had" to go to?
That's the way the wind is blowing at our school. Grades reflect ability and comprehension, with little to no account for promptness etc. We can give lateness grades, but we are expected to catch students up.
Are you not? How do you use your formatives?
Yes, I would always stretch material, so to speak, so that nothing new was covered when a large portion of my classes were going to be gone. It isn't worth having to catch everyone up and basically reteach the entire lesson a second time.
If they miss it, then they miss it. Why would you catch them up if they missed school because of a concert that they "had" to go to?
That's the way the wind is blowing at our school. Grades reflect ability and comprehension, with little to no account for promptness etc. We can give lateness grades, but we are expected to catch students up.
Are you not? How do you use your formatives?
If a family leaves for vacation, we are not required to catch them up.its considered an unexcused absence.If the child is sick, that is completely different.
That's the way the wind is blowing at our school. Grades reflect ability and comprehension, with little to no account for promptness etc. We can give lateness grades, but we are expected to catch students up.
Are you not? How do you use your formatives?
If a family leaves for vacation, we are not required to catch them up.its considered an unexcused absence.If the child is sick, that is completely different.
I wish I had your administration. This is not the way it worked where I was!
That's a lot of kids to have to catch up, so I'd probably do scale back if only so it's easier on you.
But I'm confused why they have to leave so early? Aren't concerts fairly late? The One Direction show in St Louis tonight didn't start till like 7 or 8 or something (from what I saw online from people I know taking their kids). Is it not that close to you?
That's the way the wind is blowing at our school. Grades reflect ability and comprehension, with little to no account for promptness etc. We can give lateness grades, but we are expected to catch students up.
Are you not? How do you use your formatives?
If a family leaves for vacation, we are not required to catch them up.its considered an unexcused absence.If the child is sick, that is completely different.
That is SO INTERESTING. Please know I have no sarcasm in my voice here. I kinda feel like this was the policy when I was coming through school - and there is something in the way of "life lesson" that is gained in this. But, but, but. The precious angel's permanent record should reflect how well they learned the material - that's all the talk I hear. Both in my licensure program and from admin. I get that too. Nothing outrageous for catch up ..... But during study hall, or in class during work times, make sure they have access to the material. They liken it to providing scaffolding and reinforcement in those formatives to give the kid a chance to absorb. If they don't ever get exposed, it's against this philosophy to just put "F". Regardless of reason for absence.
I will say my principal was on board penalizing heavily for a student who missed excessive days last year. The parents just gave over to everything. Every sniffle and whole weeks because she was "in a play" at the civic theater.
That's a lot of kids to have to catch up, so I'd probably do scale back if only so it's easier on you.
But I'm confused why they have to leave so early? Aren't concerts fairly late? The One Direction show in St Louis tonight didn't start till like 7 or 8 or something (from what I saw online from people I know taking their kids). Is it not that close to you?
If a family leaves for vacation, we are not required to catch them up.its considered an unexcused absence.If the child is sick, that is completely different.
That is SO INTERESTING. Please know I have no sarcasm in my voice here. I kinda feel like this was the policy when I was coming through school - and there is something in the way of "life lesson" that is gained in this. But, but, but. The precious angel's permanent record should reflect how well they learned the material - that's all the talk I hear. Both in my licensure program and from admin. I get that too. Nothing outrageous for catch up ..... But during study hall, or in class during work times, make sure they have access to the material. They liken it to providing scaffolding and reinforcement in those formatives to give the kid a chance to absorb. If they don't ever get exposed, it's against this philosophy to just put "F". Regardless of reason for absence.
I will say my principal was on board penalizing heavily for a student who missed excessive days last year. The parents just gave over to everything. Every sniffle and whole weeks because she was "in a play" at the civic theater.
Aren't you at a private school? And your admin. needs to grow some balls.
Parents still go on vacation, I get that. But they know when they sign the form that it's unexcused, and we are also not required to give work for those vacationing (thank god).
That's a lot of kids to have to catch up, so I'd probably do scale back if only so it's easier on you.
But I'm confused why they have to leave so early? Aren't concerts fairly late? The One Direction show in St Louis tonight didn't start till like 7 or 8 or something (from what I saw online from people I know taking their kids). Is it not that close to you?
Chicago is far, far away from where I am. Far.
Gotcha. And thinking about it, that's probably the time we'd have to leave from where I live to get to Chicago too, so that makes more sense.
That is SO INTERESTING. Please know I have no sarcasm in my voice here. I kinda feel like this was the policy when I was coming through school - and there is something in the way of "life lesson" that is gained in this. But, but, but. The precious angel's permanent record should reflect how well they learned the material - that's all the talk I hear. Both in my licensure program and from admin. I get that too. Nothing outrageous for catch up ..... But during study hall, or in class during work times, make sure they have access to the material. They liken it to providing scaffolding and reinforcement in those formatives to give the kid a chance to absorb. If they don't ever get exposed, it's against this philosophy to just put "F". Regardless of reason for absence.
I will say my principal was on board penalizing heavily for a student who missed excessive days last year. The parents just gave over to everything. Every sniffle and whole weeks because she was "in a play" at the civic theater.
Aren't you at a private school? And your admin. needs to grow some balls.
Parents still go on vacation, I get that. But they know when they sign the form that it's unexcused, and we are also not required to give work for those vacationing (thank god).
I wish I had your admin too. I haaaaaaaaate guestimating how much we'll get through so kids don't come back from vacation with self-taught (read fucked-up-attempts-at) work. And I hate it even more when they do all the work I give, but I don't get to it all. They have it half-assed learned but feel they've all ready done it. Hate. But we are required to do this.
Option C: do a fun, hands-on extension activity for the kids in class then give the truant kids some alternate paperwork assignment that will be a pita/mildly time-consuming to complete.
Post by imojoebunny on Aug 27, 2014 21:43:45 GMT -5
As a parent, this stuff makes me mad. It waste the time of the responsible teachers/kids/parents, and rewards the parents who are "too hip for school". If parents choose to take their kids out of school for events, they have to understand that their will be consequences in that their child will miss some teaching, and need to find some other way to learn the material.
Bless you for teaching. I would be fired the first week.
Post by prettyinpink on Aug 27, 2014 21:45:19 GMT -5
I am not required to give make up work for unexcused absences. I will provide the student with the work before had oaf they let me know they will be gone. But otherwise sorry Charlie.
As a parent, this stuff makes me mad. It waste the time of the responsible teachers/kids/parents, and rewards the parents who are "too hip for school". If parents choose to take their kids out of school for events, they have to understand that their will be consequences in that their child will miss some teaching, and need to find some other way to learn the material.
Bless you for teaching. I would be fired the first week.
This is the way it was when I was kid! I swear there was no missing school for concerts. One kid went on a sailing trip and it was the travesty of the year. "Those irresponsible parents!" That kid did miss out, his grades reflected it, and there was a conspicuous effort to graduate him from the 8th grade - we all knew he almost didn't get the work made up.
At my school, now, they do this shit with some frequency. I do think the kids are losing out on some responsibility training.
Post by sofamonkey on Aug 27, 2014 22:01:58 GMT -5
Since so many kids are going to be missing, I think it is more of a self preservation thing to lighten the load for that day. However, I would hand out extra credit to the kids that attended class. I would also hit it hard the next day, possibly with a pop quiz.
I don't think this is an entitlement thing. It is annoying as hell though.
Since so many kids are going to be missing, I think it is more of a self preservation thing to lighten the load for that day. However, I would hand out extra credit to the kids that attended class. I would also hit it hard the next day, possibly with a pop quiz.
I don't think this is an entitlement thing. It is annoying as hell though.
In your situation, I think I'd stretch out the lesson and do a fun extension activity on Friday. Something to kind of "reward" the kids for doing the right thing. Some kids won't care that they're missing the concert that so many others get to go to, but some will be pretty bummed. It'd be nice to give them a little extra perk for their Friday. I'd assign some paperwork/worksheet or something for the concert kids to do, but then not grade it, just an exercise for what they missed in class.
In the end, it's parents who make the decisions and hurt their children if they don't get the whole lesson. From an educational perspective, I understand your administrations point of view. It obviously puts a big burden on the teachers, though.
Since so many kids are going to be missing, I think it is more of a self preservation thing to lighten the load for that day. However, I would hand out extra credit to the kids that attended class. I would also hit it hard the next day, possibly with a pop quiz.
I don't think this is an entitlement thing. It is annoying as hell though.
How is this not entitlement?
en·ti·tle·ment noun \-ˈtī-təl-mənt\
: the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something
: the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges)
I don't see how suggesting that the OP do things to make it easier on herself is entitlement. I don't see where in anything presented that any parent or child has asked or expected special treatment. I just see that the parents are informing her of the upcoming absence, as a responsible parent should do.
I mean, she could certainly just teach the lesson as planned & I would have no problem with that, and think that is more than fair.
Post by sofamonkey on Aug 27, 2014 22:18:24 GMT -5
I will add that I agree that this should be an unexcused absence, and they should take their lumps for that. I think joenali & I are talking about 2 different things, kind of. I was speaking specifically to the classwork, and she is addressing the admin shit too, which IS BS.