Post by breezy8407 on Jan 31, 2021 10:27:19 GMT -5
Bringing back so many memories of PE. Another observation I had was it seemed a lot more boys enjoyed or looked forward to gym in middle school, probably because at the time it was more common for boys to play sports outside of school. My parents enrolled me in dance and gymnastics, because that's what girls did. But I didn't really enjoy either because I wasn't really good at them.
As an adult I love working out, but if you told me I had to go play a sport I am not skilled at for an hour to stay in shape, no thanks. Sure sports are fun for some kids, but not all.
Also, did anyone have to do the flex arm hang? We had to take turns hanging from a bar as long as we could, while the whole class watched. The boys had to to pull ups. So dumb.
ETA: I totally agree that you can't expect kids to go out and run a mile when they've never trained for it.
Post by formerlyak on Jan 31, 2021 10:50:07 GMT -5
The fitness test also sucks for asthmatic kids like DS. Or kids who grow a little chubby and then get taller when they have a growth spurt. If you catch that kid on the cubby part of the growth spurt, their BMI is always too high and they fail. That happened to DS every year, so I asked the doctor about it and he said that test was crap and we should ignore it. Unfortunately, if we just ignore that one and he doesn’t pass all the others (including the mile), he fails the whole test. And if you fail it in 9th grade you have to take an extra year of PE in high school, taking the spot of an elective or extra science or foreign language class. We found out Monday that the test has been waived for current freshman because of Covid. DS was thrilled. But really, California, you may get rid of al sorts of academic standardized tests. Let’s get rid of this one, too!
I’m learning that in high school, if you play a sport, you have practice and matches and when those aren’t happening you can do homework or get a pass to miss PE and attend a different period of the class you miss for travel to matches. All sports PE is 6th period, but for DS’ golf matches he will sometimes miss 5th period. So say he has math that period, if the math teacher allows, he can get a pass to attend math during 6th period on a non match day that week to make it up.
We moved our start time to 9am last year for high school. It is SO much better for them.
Did parents freak out? This is what our admin has said in the past for why they don’t want to do it. 🙄
Why do you think parents would freak out? The reasoning I've seen mostly is b/c of after school sports, which, oh well.
Our district is so big that our elementary schools have to run at different times b/c of busses. We're "lucky" that my kids school starts at 8:15, but a lot start at 9:15. Some of those kids naturally wake up before 6! What are you supposed to do with those kids for 2-3 hours! The middle school's bus comes at 6:30, whereas the elementary bus comes at 7:55, so my 5th grader (who is starting to sleep later b/c she's getting older) is in a world of hurt next year.
On a different topic, when we moved out here in 14 years ago it was b/c they had year round. I think it was 9 or 12 weeks on, 3 off or something. But 6 in the summer maybe? I don't remember b/c it was gone by the time my kids entered due to money. Parents were FURIOUS. Everyone loved it. Now, our district is lucky in that we have before/after/during break care at the elementary schools ($) so it worked out that care was available.
When they made the switch, parents fought for at least a fall break, and I'll admit it has been nice to be able to travel in October to warmer places. We got out in mid May and started in early August. It was really nice to also travel before Memorial Day. But then the stupid assed state made some law that schools can't go back before 14 days prior to Labor Day for "tourism money" reasons. And this year they pushed it back a further week to 8/31 b/c of Covid, yet parents STILL demanded a fall break! It's insane how much parents/travel lobbyists can control things that they have no business being involved with.
Post by formerlyak on Jan 31, 2021 11:20:11 GMT -5
jlt19 here the parent opposition to a later start time is that it doesn’t align with a traditional 8:30-5:30 work schedule. Since we don’t have busses, parents are responsible for getting kids to and from school. Many kids in the city live too far to just walk or ride a bike, so that means the kids in the lower income areas of our city who are further from campus would be disproportionately affected by the later start time. After school, kids can go to the library across the street from the high school and do homework until they can get picked up, but the library isn’t open at 7:30 or 8 am, so kids who need to be dropped off early if we had a later start time would literally just be sitting on the steps of the school waiting.
I forgot about PE! I have CP and couldn't do a lot of the stuff required of me (or could only do it really poorly). Also, wtf with expecting kids to be able to run a mile with no training! I remember that unit. It sucked.
I agree with a lot of the ideas posted and I would also like to see students involved in the upkeep of the school. In Japan, students help clean classrooms and help with landscaping. I think this teaches a lot of respect and increases personal responsibility.
jlt19 here the parent opposition to a later start time is that it doesn’t align with a traditional 8:30-5:30 work schedule. Since we don’t have busses, parents are responsible for getting kids to and from school. Many kids in the city live too far to just walk or ride a bike, so that means the kids in the lower income areas of our city who are further from campus would be disproportionately affected by the later start time. After school, kids can go to the library across the street from the high school and do homework until they can get picked up, but the library isn’t open at 7:30 or 8 am, so kids who need to be dropped off early if we had a later start time would literally just be sitting on the steps of the school waiting.
How do they deal with the littler kids who go later? Here, HS starts at 7:36, elementary starts at 8:50, so parents have to pay for before AND aftercare for them. Teenagers could get themselves to school by 8:50 without before care.
My suggestion is that sports should be before and/or after school. Wanna be on the basketball team? Great, practice is from 7:30-8:30 am, games are after school.
I cannot wrap my heads around why anyone would push back on it except for some BS about “how it’s always been.”
I've been advocating that our school offer a "competitive PE" and a "I hate PE" option for middle school. They have two gym teachers so they always have two classes anyway. Let he kids self select whether they want to do SPORTSING or just walk around the track. For some kids the competitive and intense aspect is great and a big source of joy about school. Super! You do you! And then let the other kids be. Win win.
This has been a game changer at my school. So much less complaining from all sides since they instituted competitive and non-competitive options to choice into for everything. If the goal is health, fitness and exercise, who cares how you get it?!
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Working heat No leaking roofs Supplies provided by district not teacher Enough parking spaces for all staff Lower class sizes Tracking More planning time No PD Classrooms cleaned by someone not the teacher Working copiers Additional staff bathrooms Student accountability Technology classes for students Asynchronous pacing/virtual for interested or gifted students Performing arts are part of the school day Lab sections for classes and supplies for each student Admin handles parents and paperwork etc not evals Teachers have a voice in district/building Longer hours, shorter weeks or year No advisory. Replace with in school office hours
Just curious, why no advisory? I think it’s one of our most valuable programs.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
I've been advocating that our school offer a "competitive PE" and a "I hate PE" option for middle school. They have two gym teachers so they always have two classes anyway. Let he kids self select whether they want to do SPORTSING or just walk around the track. For some kids the competitive and intense aspect is great and a big source of joy about school. Super! You do you! And then let the other kids be. Win win.
This has been a game changer at my school. So much less complaining from all sides since they instituted competitive and non-competitive options to choice into for everything. If the goal is health, fitness and exercise, who cares how you get it?!
Am I remembering correctly that you teach private? If so, is it parochial or independent?
I can’t imagine PE teachers letting the competition portion of PE go away. Most of the ones I talk to thrive on this.
Working heat No leaking roofs Supplies provided by district not teacher Enough parking spaces for all staff Lower class sizes Tracking More planning time No PD Classrooms cleaned by someone not the teacher Working copiers Additional staff bathrooms Student accountability Technology classes for students Asynchronous pacing/virtual for interested or gifted students Performing arts are part of the school day Lab sections for classes and supplies for each student Admin handles parents and paperwork etc not evals Teachers have a voice in district/building Longer hours, shorter weeks or year No advisory. Replace with in school office hours
There have been a lot of studies that says tracking students disproportionately leaves Black and Brown students behind, further segregating schools.
This has been a game changer at my school. So much less complaining from all sides since they instituted competitive and non-competitive options to choice into for everything. If the goal is health, fitness and exercise, who cares how you get it?!
Am I remembering correctly that you teach private? If so, is it parochial or independent?
I can’t imagine PE teachers letting the competition portion of PE go away. Most of the ones I talk to thrive on this.
Private, Quaker. But most of my public school teacher friends around here have the same thing going on at their schools. It gets more kids involved, both the athletes who get frustrated when other kids just don’t care, and the non-athletes who hate gym because they aren’t good at it. Win win.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Working heat No leaking roofs Supplies provided by district not teacher Enough parking spaces for all staff Lower class sizes Tracking More planning time No PD Classrooms cleaned by someone not the teacher Working copiers Additional staff bathrooms Student accountability Technology classes for students Asynchronous pacing/virtual for interested or gifted students Performing arts are part of the school day Lab sections for classes and supplies for each student Admin handles parents and paperwork etc not evals Teachers have a voice in district/building Longer hours, shorter weeks or year No advisory. Replace with in school office hours
There have been a lot of studies that says tracking students disproportionately leaves Black and Brown students behind, further segregating schools.
Also this. Ideal school for me would dump tracking all together.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Totally agree, though I wonder what the alternative is, kind of. How do you measure whether kids are proficient, ready to tackle more advanced subjects, need more help, etc.? Just leave it up to teacher/families to determine subjectively? Then how do you ensure that the meaning of 'proficient' isn't wildly different across the country?
You trust teachers as professionals and experts who understand and can identify what proficiency looks like for the grade level. You allow teachers to work in grade level cohorts (and give them time) to collaboratively on assessments that actually accurately measure what's being taught in the classroom.
Standardized tests don't tell us shit except that some kids are left behind and no one does anything to fix it.
ETA: That said, teacher training needs an overhaul. There are some dumbass people in classrooms and the training programs are useless. In my ideal world, every teacher works with a mentor for their first 3 years and learns how to teach, much like a residency program for medicine.
Agree 1000%. I learned the parts of a lesson plan in undergrad. I learned more about teaching in my first 5 years, plus my first masters degree (admin). I think teacher education should be more like apprenticeship learning. Work in schools 3-4 days a week (subbing, IAs, teacher assistants, etc.) and classes/coursework the other days. THAT gives pre-service teachers the skills they need (and can give a staffing boost to schools)--you know, because they are actually actively working in the schools, learning the skills, using the techniques, etc.
Post by klassygoosey on Jan 31, 2021 19:13:31 GMT -5
For tracking it needs to be about meeting kids where they are and what they need. Not what we have now, where everyone gets the same little bit of education.
jlt19 here the parent opposition to a later start time is that it doesn’t align with a traditional 8:30-5:30 work schedule. Since we don’t have busses, parents are responsible for getting kids to and from school. Many kids in the city live too far to just walk or ride a bike, so that means the kids in the lower income areas of our city who are further from campus would be disproportionately affected by the later start time. After school, kids can go to the library across the street from the high school and do homework until they can get picked up, but the library isn’t open at 7:30 or 8 am, so kids who need to be dropped off early if we had a later start time would literally just be sitting on the steps of the school waiting.
How do they deal with the littler kids who go later? Here, HS starts at 7:36, elementary starts at 8:50, so parents have to pay for before AND aftercare for them. Teenagers could get themselves to school by 8:50 without before care.
My suggestion is that sports should be before and/or after school. Wanna be on the basketball team? Great, practice is from 7:30-8:30 am, games are after school.
I cannot wrap my heads around why anyone would push back on it except for some BS about “how it’s always been.”
All of our elementary schools have before school care that starts at 7:00 am that is about $30 more per month than just after care. Also, right now elementary starts at 8:15, but free playground supervision starts at 7:45. And the local proposals I have seen don’t change the start time for elementary. They just make it so middle and high school starts later.
WRT just putting sports before school, many of ours already do that. And what do you do with kids who would have to be dropped off early and don’t play a sport?
And right now, the school day is set up so if you take a zero period you can get out at 1:00 two days a week allowing many kids more flexibility to work more afternoon hours since there are local limits on how late a teen can work or take advantage of the free community college classes offered those afternoon (they can get there by bus).Starting high school an hour later would impact both of those as well. There are a lot of moving parts.
How do they deal with the littler kids who go later? Here, HS starts at 7:36, elementary starts at 8:50, so parents have to pay for before AND aftercare for them. Teenagers could get themselves to school by 8:50 without before care.
My suggestion is that sports should be before and/or after school. Wanna be on the basketball team? Great, practice is from 7:30-8:30 am, games are after school.
I cannot wrap my heads around why anyone would push back on it except for some BS about “how it’s always been.”
All of our elementary schools have before school care that starts at 7:00 am that is about $30 more per month than just after care. Also, right now elementary starts at 8:15, but free playground supervision starts at 7:45. And the local proposals I have seen don’t change the start time for elementary. They just make it so middle and high school starts later.
WRT just putting sports before school, many of ours already do that. And what do you do with kids who would have to be dropped off early and don’t play a sport?
And right now, the school day is set up so if you take a zero period you can get out at 1:00 two days a week allowing many kids more flexibility to work more afternoon hours since there are local limits on how late a teen can work or take advantage of the free community college classes offered those afternoon (they can get there by bus).Starting high school an hour later would impact both of those as well. There are a lot of moving parts.
There are definitely a lot of moving parts. If we moved HS to later than the elementary schools would have to go earlier to accommodate for the buses.
When I worked in the city, the parents regularly asked to move school time because they needed help in the mornings (and our students often missed first period because of this). We tried to move it, but the building we rented wouldn’t accommodate.
As for where I teach now, admin doesn’t want to upset the parents which is why they don’t even try to upset the status quo.
And one thing we have learned in this pandemic is that HS students do better when they don’t have to get up at 7:00 am.
I’m a firm believer that this can be done, and things will adjust just like year round school.
I agree with a lot of the ideas posted and I would also like to see students involved in the upkeep of the school. In Japan, students help clean classrooms and help with landscaping. I think this teaches a lot of respect and increases personal responsibility.
We tried this once with our sixth graders (a community service/day of action type thing in the afternoon after state testing). The parents complained that their children were being used as slave labor. It was completely ridiculous. (I teach in a very white, affluent suburb and the general gist was that landscaping was beneath them).
I agree with a lot of the ideas posted and I would also like to see students involved in the upkeep of the school. In Japan, students help clean classrooms and help with landscaping. I think this teaches a lot of respect and increases personal responsibility.
We tried this once with our sixth graders (a community service/day of action type thing in the afternoon after state testing). The parents complained that their children were being used as slave labor. It was completely ridiculous. (I teach in a very white, affluent suburb and the general gist was that landscaping was beneath them).
Yep. Ditto. A local school had parents go to the media complaining their children weren't "slave labor" just beacuse the school had kids cleaning their own desks in between classes...during a pandemic.
I agree with a lot of the ideas posted and I would also like to see students involved in the upkeep of the school. In Japan, students help clean classrooms and help with landscaping. I think this teaches a lot of respect and increases personal responsibility.
"School Chores" was literally one of the headlines in my 2nd grade son's "Schools Around the World" lesson last week. It talked about several places (Japan, one country in Africa) where kids help with the building upkeep and learn about being responsible. I'm not sure how I feel about that in general. I guess, doing chores is okay, but if you're just trying to come up with a chore for the sake of teaching responsibility, I'm not sure that is on the teacher's plate in the US with all the other things we want kids to learn during the day. I'm thinking about this and if it's more important to do that with chores instead of personal responsibility in interactions with other peers and in completing their work. Makes me think.