How will schools be able to go back in September? (Continued)

amacca wrote: »

Example from secondary here so take ftom it what you will

My OH didnt quite do that but was setting assignments, putting screen recordings up etc 3 times a week for most classes (+ using tablet to correct give feedback etc) that only lasted brfore the school came back telling teachers to tone it back due to the large volume of complaints about the undue stress it was causing coming from parents and stundents

The initial multiple contacts was at the behest of the principal (i myself felt it was probably counter productive)
But i can see why the wanted that way after all who doesnt want to be the best boy in the class even if its counter productive for others


Anyway, even at the once or twice a week assignments + correcting and sending back corrections she was working long days about 5 long days a week and then a half day...occasionally there was a break of a full day off and once two days (where all corrections were back and new assignments had been set but not returned yet)


After about 4 weeks of this (i was sort of bemused) she came to me saying it she coulfnt keep doing tbis we sat down and we worked out she was spending hours communicating with kids who were not submitting work or what looked a lot to me like deliberately misunderstanding /pretending not to understand to get out of work......i told she had to be kess of a martyr and just do her best....send the emails of names of kids not engaging or deliberately shirking to management and let thrm do thr chasing (part of me thinks its only being done so they cant be accused if not doing it anyway)

Even at that she was still working well into the evenings during the working week....

The whole spiel about students taking responsibility for their own learning amuses me sometimes.....what that looks like is suffering consequences if you have been instructed properly and received the materials and resources needed to do your work and you havent.....not demonising all teachers because of some that don't toe the line.....

Then there was a group of oarents that wanted cimmunication at the start of the week but not coming up to the weekend and another quite vocal group that didnt want it too early in the morning and another parent that insisted it should be first thing in the morning....... as if they couldn't choose to read the email at the time of the day they wanted themselves or tell their kids no devices until x times

Tldr maybe one clear communication once a week with an apprprite level of work and backup explanation + the correction feedback and a reasonable deadline is appropriate for distance learnimg rather than badger them day in day out....i think it certainly is more than enough for secondary anywsy where ther could be 9 or 10 classes in play and well over a hundted students to try work with....a certain petcentage of whom genuinely need individual help

Just a thought