Back to School

[kejedo]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/teachers-concerned-over-covid-19-safety-as-schools-reopen-new-cases-are-reported/ar-BB17PTLP?ocid=msedgdhp

At least one school teacher has already resigned rather than return to in-person classes. 

[LoneWanderer]

Yeah, my wife is starting her second year of teaching, and the local school district will be doing everything online for the time being. I think the school district, one of the bigger ones in the country, wanted to do hybrid but the union said no. We are both in a risk group for Covid, I am still unemployed with no extended federal benefits anywhere to be seen (state benefits $159 a week in one of the most expensive states of the country), and she is not tenured so this is pretty much how we'll have to be proceed.

 

I just hate how everything Covid-related in the US is made so political. If you want to protect yourself and others by wearing a mask you're politically X, if you want be free and not a "sheep," you're politically Y. Whatever happened to Jesus' exhortation of wanting to deal with others in the way you would like be to treated in? (mask, social distancing etc.)

Edited August 11, 2020 by LoneWanderer

[kejedo]

3 hours ago, LoneWanderer said:

Yeah, my wife is starting her second year of teaching, and the local school district will be doing everything online for the time being. I think the school district, one of the bigger ones in the country, wanted to do hybrid but the union said no. We are both in a risk group for Covid, I am still unemployed with no extended federal benefits anywhere to be seen (state benefits $159 a week in one of the most expensive states of the country), and she is not tenured so this is pretty much how we'll have to be proceed.

 

I just hate how everything Covid-related in the US is made so political. If you want to protect yourself and others by wearing a mask you're politically X, if you want be free and not a "sheep," you're politically Y. Whatever happened to Jesus' exhortation of wanting to deal with others in the way you would like be to treated in? (mask, social distancing etc.)

Best wishes to your wife for second year teaching. I expect the hybrid choice decisions will create untenable logistics and most every one will be online, home schooled, (or critically ill) within a relatively short trial run. Y(sad to ponder upcoming outcomes in educational settings)S

Edited August 11, 2020 by kejedo

[Mykyl]

In Scotland all kids are now back to school. No social distancing between them in general. Bubble classes mind you. Teachers have to stay 2 metres away from pupils. Hmmmm. Thats going to happen.

 

After almost 5 months of having my kids at home I miss them badly today. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Mykyl

[kejedo]

What are bubble classes?

 

[Mykyl]

1 hour ago, kejedo said:

What are bubble classes?

 

They cannot mix with those from other classrooms. They stay in their own bubble groups.

[kejedo]

Thanks for definition.

[Buttrfly71]

School districts in Eastern NC are doing a mixed approach. Students in person 2 days and online 3. So, if you’re in group A, you attend in person Mon/Tues. Group B attends Thurs/Fri and schools get “deep cleaned” on Weds...no students. Some counties may differ slightly, but that’s the broad aspect of it. Needless to say, they are already having issues getting the materials kids need (internet included)!

 

I am so very grateful we homeschool!

Edited August 15, 2020 by Buttrfly71

[bagwell1987]

I'm grateful my GGirl is too! She's safe.

Edited August 15, 2020 by bagwell1987

[kejedo]

No education is worth the risk of life threatening plague. As a retired educator, I have reiterated that teaching Mathematics and Language Arts along with our literature will result in more highly educated students who are creative problem solvers and critical thinkers.    

[ijsvogel]

Tomorrow the schools are reopening in the part of the country where I live.  There are some rules, like washing your hands when entering school, but I’m afraid those rules aren’t going to be sufficient at all.  No social distancing rules between anyone under 18! So, all pupils/students only have to keep their 1,5 m distance to the teachers. The youngest ones (4 and 5 years old) are even allowed to go to school when they’re having a cold 🤦‍♀️. 

[kejedo]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/i-am-a-teacher-in-person-school-is-not-worth-the-risk-opinion/ar-BB189r5n?ocid=msedgdhp

[kejedo]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/schools-touted-by-desantis-now-in-a-quarantine-nightmare/ar-BB188eUX?ocid=msedgdhp

[kejedo]

When I was switching from Social Worker to School Teacher, I subbed until I got my first annual contract. Substitute teachers know that they are filling in for a teacher who is out, sick, and the students may also be suffering from a variety of contagious illnesses. I caught everything coming down the pike, and remember students hacking their brains out. One student coughed into a tissue, and then threw it into the wastebasket, The soggy tissue soared directly past my face, but the student made a basket. I cannot fathom how educators and students are coping with the anxiety of possibly entering a toxic, potentially lethal contained population. Is this form of in-person learning worth the risks? Y(all students are scholars)S

Edited August 19, 2020 by kejedo

[McKay]

I’m honestly torn on this issue. We have four young kids that do not do well with online learning. They are in completely different grade levels obviously. We don’t have enough room to separate them from each other and keep them on track. In person school might be risky, even if it’s a couple of days a week, but it’s hard keeping your kids indoors for months on end with no association besides each other.

[kejedo]

16 minutes ago, OtterWriter said:

I’m honestly torn on this issue. We have four young kids that do not do well with online learning. They are in completely different grade levels obviously. We don’t have enough room to separate them from each other and keep them on track. In person school might be risky, even if it’s a couple of days a week, but it’s hard keeping your kids indoors for months on end with no association besides each other.

I don't know what state you are in, b/c homeschool rules are different, if you mean you have tried that through online learning. There is a company called ESP books, (stands for educational something or other) that offers complete school year coverage up through grade 7, (I believe.) All school subjects are covered with typical curriculum for each grade. It is consumable and each page is one lesson with info on top of page and work-quiz on same page. Quite frankly, if one used just our literature and taught mathematics and language arts, it would exceed any school years' offering. That could contain your students in the same area for our lit, at least. I always took my boys out for part of the day, like tree ID, or apple picking. If we did apples, we would then cook up some recipes and use the ingredient list for math (converting for various servings and sizes.) Most States want some coverage/study of their own state before High School, which could all be done together and feature some field trips.    I have not liked online offerings like Easy Peasy. There are some things I like about Khan Academy for math, but not that you have to complete every problem set before moving on. As a math teacher, I wanted to buzz through Khan Academy, but it would not let me skip things that were too easy or obvious. My husband, not in the truth, says he wishes we had home-schooled our sons throughout their entire k-12 years. Home schooling is easier than you think. Best wishes on your family's decisions. 

[kejedo]

Our local district is once again on completely remote learning. They propose to reopen on 12/14, in person, before their winter break of about 2 weeks. Our poor school children.  November 27, 2020: Letter from the Superintendent - Ellenville Central School District (sharpschool.com) Glad that our brothers have kept us on an uninterrupted Bible education schedule and infinitely grateful to Jehovah for keeping his people prepared ( may be a few new wrinkles, but no big surprises.)