Remote learning | Pad Patter 11.16.2020

[FarrahJobling]

So, we've been back to remote learning for a week now and my kids "love" it.....until last night when it was a scramble to get the work done that they hadn't done all week. grrrrr

The idea is that they have synchronous learning 9-1 for 4 classes, on an alternating A and B day schedule....then they are to spend the rest of the day doing homework, etc....which, in theory, works out great. I didn't pay enough attention to it last week and they didn't do some of the off-line work...so this week, I'm cracking down! I need tips!

How do you get your tweens/teens motivated to actually do anything? Especially my 14 yr old son, whom often needs me to threaten to take stuff away or use a couple of @#$ *choice* words.

 

[littlekiwi]

forget about motivating anyone else, my problem was me when it came to online learning hence this layout, problem is I have another 6, 16 week blocks to do thanks to failing paper one. I'd hate to have to motivate anyone else when I as a 33 year old graduate student was struggling without a full on pandemic going on (it was around but not full on)

 

[jk703]

Hmmm. I usually have the same tactic - choice words and taking away certain items (xbox, phone, etc) and manual labor. We are hybrid still.... but not sure for how long. I am so thankful we have gotten to November with hybrid schooling. SO THANKFUL! My youngest has embraced it this year. Last March through June was a disaster.

The other thing that I do and we worked toward, for the last year or so, is that I make the responsibility their own.

I have a 15yr old (10th grade) and a 12 year old (7th grade). They have to maintain all A's and B's. They can see all their assignments in PowerSchool, and are responsible for completion. I don't remind them of anything or to do work. I occasionally will ask if some assignments are completed when I see oodles of them. I DO mention missing or assignments with bad grades - then they have to figure it out - hand it in late, email the teacher or work on getting that fixed/changed if they handed it in. It took us awhile to get here - a lot of choice words and small increments of punishments (loss of x box for a day, if grade missing - loss of phone until updated bad/good), and even dishwashing, or bathroom cleaning chores... but it's much better than threatening as much as I used to. The responsibility is now on them.

 

[FarrahJobling]

Hmmm. I usually have the same tactic - choice words and taking away certain items (xbox, phone, etc) and manual labor. We are hybrid still.... but not sure for how long. I am so thankful we have gotten to November with hybrid schooling. SO THANKFUL! My youngest has embraced it this year. Last March through June was a disaster.

The other thing that I do and we worked toward, for the last year or so, is that I make the responsibility their own.

I have a 15yr old (10th grade) and a 12 year old (7th grade). They have to maintain all A's and B's. They can see all their assignments in PowerSchool, and are responsible for completion. I don't remind them of anything or to do work. I occasionally will ask if some assignments are completed when I see oodles of them. I DO mention missing or assignments with bad grades - then they have to figure it out - hand it in late, email the teacher or work on getting that fixed/changed if they handed it in. It took us awhile to get here - a lot of choice words and small increments of punishments (loss of x box for a day, if grade missing - loss of phone until updated bad/good), and even dishwashing, or bathroom cleaning chores... but it's much better than threatening as much as I used to. The responsibility is now on them.

YES....that is exactly what I did last week (and before - but it didn't really matter last Mar-May)...and I've told them that NHIs are NOT acceptable...but I need to log into Schoology more often to double check.

I LOVE the idea of manual labor...so I'm going to give that a try.

 

[jk703]

YES....that is exactly what I did last week (and before - but it didn't really matter last Mar-May)...and I've told them that NHIs are NOT acceptable...but I need to log into Schoology more often to double check.

I LOVE the idea of manual labor...so I'm going to give that a try.

Bathroom cleaning and wash & dry dishes are big homework promoters!

 

[Karen]

Don't ask me. We all sucked at it in the spring. My boys are going virtual for 3 weeks starting on Wednesday. They did a practice 3 days last week and it was mixed success. My youngest is the one that struggles the most with staying on top of stuff. He doesn't realize he missed something until he gets a zero and powerschool pops up on my phone and I come in asking questions. I have done more of what Jenn said though. When they get a zero or a bad grade it is up to them to contact their teacher and figure it out. It's not my grade, and I don't want to have to work for it. But if their overall grade goes below a B, they lose video games until it's fixed. I don't care how long that takes.

 

[Angela Toucan]

During remote learning have noticed big differences between my children's motivation to get the work done and their peers at different schools. Some schools seem to be setting large amounts of work at the beginning of the week and expecting the children to self organise. Our school is much more in control of the workload and timetables the children - they know exactly what work they are expected to do on what day. Work is only set on a daily basis and expected to be done by the next day. That means that nothing gets left to pile up.

Can you create a timetable with your children so that they do particular subjects/assignments on set days?

 

[jk703]

Don't ask me. We all sucked at it in the spring. My boys are going virtual for 3 weeks starting on Wednesday. They did a practice 3 days last week and it was mixed success. My youngest is the one that struggles the most with staying on top of stuff. He doesn't realize he missed something until he gets a zero and powerschool pops up on my phone and I come in asking questions. I have done more of what Jenn said though. When they get a zero or a bad grade it is up to them to contact their teacher and figure it out. It's not my grade, and I don't want to have to work for it. But if their overall grade goes below a B, they lose video games until it's fixed. I don't care how long that takes.

Karen, if your son has a Chromebook or phone, see if he has his own access. Our school provides access to the kids starting in 7th grade. This way teacher can post assignments, and the students can see their schedule, grades, upcoming assignments, and the grades they got, just like we can. It helped Colin tremendously.

We do the same, with the grades. Last june, even after the end of the year we had, Colin managed an 80 in English, his worst class. He was lucky... otherwise, Buh bye to the x box for summer!

 

[IntenseMagic]

I'd love to share some of these ideas with the parents of my students who are not doing anything at all :/
I think since the first report card came out last week, we have a lot of kids who are just now realizing that this is not like March-May. It's tough.
I feel really fortunate that all of a sudden last year my 15 year old decided on his own that he needed to take school more seriously. We battled for a longgggg time! Now he does it all on his own with no reminders and is maintaining straight A's. He checks his own grades and contacts his teachers if he needs to. We have been remote for almost 2 weeks because of a staff shortage, but we go back on our hybrid schedule tomorrow. He goes Monday/Wednesday and does remote Tues/Thurs/Fri.

Work is only set on a daily basis and expected to be done by the next day

I started out doing this with my students but the we had a lot of parents complain that they needed to be able to work on things for the week when their schedules allowed because they might have all day to do things one day and no time another day.

 

[rach3975]

We still haven't gone back in person at all. For my 11th grader and 6th grader, it's on them to get their work done. I trust them to be on top of it and let them work when they want unless they give me reason not to, and so far that has been working. (Yes--I know how lucky I am!) My 9th grader has executive function issues (ADHD and on the autism spectrum), so I have to keep his assignment book for him and make sure things get done. The rule has always been that he can't have screen time until the day's work is done. (That was the rule for the other 2 when they were younger, but they don't need it anymore and he still does.) We're actually finding virtual school easier because I can be more involved and help him stay on top of things compared to what it's like when he's in school in person. For the first time in his life he's feeling like the responsible student who hands everything in on time or contacts the teachers to make other arrangements ahead of time! Unfortunately, I've definitely seen that most parents aren't in the position to help organize their MS/HS kids. Some of his special ed classmates are really struggling to stay on top of deadlines and complete work.

I started out doing this with my students but the we had a lot of parents complain that they needed to be able to work on things for the week when their schedules allowed because they might have all day to do things one day and no time another day.

My 6th grader's teacher was first assigning work all due at the end of the week, and some people complained so she changed to a daily schedule. And of course then people who'd liked the weekly schedule complained! So in the end she ended up offering a hybrid, with some assignments due each day and others at the end of the week. That seems to be a good fit for their class, allowing the flexibility for different family's schedules without overwhelming the kids who need more structure. I know it's harder to make that work when you teach older grades and they are only with you one period.

 

[Karen]

Karen, if your son has a Chromebook or phone, see if he has his own access. Our school provides access to the kids starting in 7th grade. This way teacher can post assignments, and the students can see their schedule, grades, upcoming assignments, and the grades they got, just like we can. It helped Colin tremendously.

We do the same, with the grades. Last june, even after the end of the year we had, Colin managed an 80 in English, his worst class. He was lucky... otherwise, Buh bye to the x box for summer!

Yeah we did get him powerschool on his phone, which has really helped him feel more in control for sure.

 

[jk703]

Welp.... yesterday, our school district went full virtual starting Wednesday for 2 weeks. 87 kids and 37 teachers have to quarantine!!! (I know at least 6 kids were positive from a birthday party! They just found out over the weekend. UGHHHHH!) My only consolation is that it wasn't transmitted at school, but outside.

I am happy we got one marking period hybrid. Let's hope the second works out well, and they can go back in 2 weeks. I am hopeful Colin will stay on top of his work, and try to do his best... at least this year his English teacher is much better than the last one... and he likes her! Honestly, that helps him a lot too - actually liking the teacher!