Homeschooling Help

[Cerise]

At least now we all know why Ruby is the way that she is. Fuck having to deal with 30 of the shites.

That’s WAY easier than one or two of your own!

[olive]

I must say it has made me feel really exposed to parents and quite vulnerable. Having to share all of my planning, resources, film myself twice a day from my home to theirs, make phone calls, comment on all work submitted online and host a video call, knowing parents will be reading, scrutinising and listening to everything in more detail than ever before has been quite tough. However, I've also loved noseying at their houses on all the photos they're submitting so I guess it goes both ways!

I think I’m starting to creep M’s teacher out as I am sending her gushing emails full of gratitude every time we interact. I’m trying to reign it in but she’s doing such a good job especially as she has 2 small children herself and is the only 2nd grade teacher. (The other grades have more than one class so the teachers can share the burden).

[happyhighlandcoo]

I love a gushing email (or any positive from a parent), especially as I'm in an independent school and we're scared for our jobs if parents decide not to pay.

[olive]

Do you know if your school has given a refund? I know our old UK school has but our US hasn’t, which is fair enough given they’re still doing loads in terms of live classes.

I’m actually quite shocked at how arseholey some of the parents are being. She’s made it clear time and time again that children can do as little or as much as you can manage.

There are a ton of optional activities clearly marked as ‘optional’ on seesaw yet some jumped up bellend always hops on to the class hangout to discuss it with 15 kids listening. She’s so patient! I’d have told someone to fuck off by now.

[Loralei]

That must be stressful, Coo. There was chat on my book club WhatsApp about expectations last week and the fee paying schools are setting significantly more work with none of the 'do what you can and don't worry about it' messages the rest of us are getting. I expect that some parents will still want to be getting what they paid for (while the others are sobbing gently and longing for a Malory Towers Towers marathon )

By more human I meant seeing a kinder side to them. I have always found my boys' current teachers quite unfriendly but have seen how different they are with the children; they are still no-nonsense but obviously really care about their charges. Plus I've emailed both sets to tell them I can't keep up with what they are setting and have had lovely emails back complimenting my children's wider abilities and telling me not to worry. None are the type to pander to needy parents so it was quite a surprise I have been very vocal in my praise though. When the Y2 teacher changed her way of working to help parents who are still working I emailed the Head to let her know how grateful I was, for example, as I know it makes a big difference when someone bothers to tell my boss when I've done a particularly good job.

[Cerise]

My child have seen my dark side after my Star Wars video.

[happyhighlandcoo]

That sounds really lovely, Lora. I'm sure it is hugely appreciated and for many people I think this may strengthen the relationship with school.

Our parents have had a 10% refund, lunch fees refund and some sort of offer to spread the fees or something, I think.

We've had a few unhappy but they're the ones who are always unhappy. We're not doing live teaching but post full planning and resources for the week by Monday morning, do 2-3 video lessons a day (streamed at the family's convenience), plus recorded assembly and a recorded Head's challenge, phone calls, live form time on Zoom 2x weekly and all the never-ending Seesaw. All work is optional but encouraged. Big focus on family and pupil wellbeing before work. The parents in my year group have been really happy. Others less so... As Ruby pointed out, some teachers are generally less tuned in to real life for families, are crap with technology, can't make nice resources etc. And despite the Head's expectations, there has been some staff resistance justified by their own stress.

[Cerise]

Bloody hell, Coo. That’s a lot!

[happyhighlandcoo]

We're all shattered! But have happy children and parents so it is worth it.

[Heebie Jeebie]

Wow Coo. We've had no refund (for the record we were not amongst the large number of parents clamouring for one almost from the start, as I want the teachers to get paid whether they teach or not) and get 20 minutes on a small group zoom once a week. Work set is very academic and no focus on PE or music which I think is a shame for P1 but they probably assume parents can take care of that themselves. Plus heavy reliance on YouTube videos which although fine in principle can cause difficulties eg when accents on the videos mean the igh sound in high and bright are pronounced the same. So extra explaining.

That said, I wasn't working today and used reward (bribery) to motivate Beebie to do his work without moaning. And he was a wee sweetheart and for a very brief moment i was hugging him and wished the moment could go on forever.

[olive]

We've had a few unhappy but they're the ones who are always unhappy. We're not doing live teaching but post full planning and resources for the week by Monday morning, do 2-3 video lessons a day (streamed at the family's convenience), plus recorded assembly and a recorded Head's challenge, phone calls, live form time on Zoom 2x weekly and all the never-ending Seesaw. All work is optional but encouraged. Big focus on family and pupil wellbeing before work. The parents in my year group have been really happy. Others less so... As Ruby pointed out, some teachers are generally less tuned in to real life for families, are crap with technology, can't make nice resources etc. And despite the Head's expectations, there has been some staff resistance justified by their own stress.

That is loads! Sounds a lot like what our old UK school are doing so I’m surprised that they gave discounts. I’m assume it’s the live classes that’s the difference. M’s teacher records lessons for anyone who can’t log into the live which is so handy for families who need/ prefer to work at a different pace.

[Heebie Jeebie]

Also, in case this is useful, I've had more success when I ignore the work assigned (my ex is quite diligent so this is a luxury I know) and doing things like using Post It notes with numbers from 1-20 stuck to the wall, then asking Beebie what is 5x3, or 8 take away 2, and getting him to use his Nerf to shoot the correct number. Or making him write letters to relatives (1 Malteser per sentence) or read clues to treasure hunts. It's less of a battle than trying to do assigned tasks. But only feasible when I have time off work obviously.

[Cerise]

Heebie, talk to me about the igh sound!

[smalex]

We've found more success in those kind of tasks too. S thought of drawing around W on a big piece of paper and then every day researching a body part (heart, lungs etc) and drawing them in with a fact. He enjoyed that and it didn't take much intervention. Today I started a similar thing but a different artist every day so he reads a bit about them and then copies a piece of art. We do that and some reading in the afternoon and it generally goes hugely better than the mornings.

[Heebie Jeebie]

Heebie, talk to me about the igh sound!

Oh here we go when we start this on TMT Here high would rhyme with sky, but eg night or bright would rhyme with kite. Does that even explain it? I don't know if English people would say kite the same way as the others.

I like that Smal, as a project.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Squeak is rattling through her Maths, she says it’s all being set for the entire year group, so it’s for the bottom set. It didn’t sounds like much of a stretch even as revision for her. On the other hand, she completely refuses to engage with English on any level and is is just clicking randomly at Sporcle answers.

It’s really interesting that there are two 11-14 schools in the MAT, and the other one gave all kids iPads and uses Google classroom as standard normally, but hers is completely not prepared for it at all.

The virtual mentor she’s been assigned is the world’s campers man and rings once a week to check she’s still breathing.

She’s doing absolutely loads of arts and crafts and is teaching herself tapestry like a Tudor lady in waiting, so it’s not all screen time.

[Ruby]

At least now we all know why Ruby is the way that she is. Fuck having to deal with 30 of the shites.

That’s WAY easier than one or two of your own!

This is very very true. My kids say "No" to me in a way my classes wouldn't dare.

[Loralei]

Heebie, talk to me about the igh sound!

Oh here we go when we start this on TMT Here high would rhyme with sky, but eg night or bright would rhyme with kite. Does that even explain it? I don't know if English people would say kite the same way as the others.

Not in the slightest I pronounce all those sounds the same.

Free styling is good and getting Beebie to shoot the right answer is inspired

I've had another horrible day with J and hate the idea of him being so unhappy so I've gone against my instincts (not to reward bad behaviour) and am giving him a bonus day off tomorrow. He doesn't know it yet, but I've doctored his teacher's worksheet so his '5 a day' maths are things like 2x3, his literacy is to read a book of his choice for half an hour and/or listen to the recordings of his teacher reading their class novel, PE on the trampoline, DT is to bake a cake etc. With that and the long weekend I'm hoping we can reset a bit.

[Kleio]

That sounds really lovely Lora.

Elf and Betty have a pair of siblings in their classes. Both girls are awful - very intelligent and confident but they know they're good and love to rub it in peoples faces. The sibling in Betty's class is the on the school council and has taken it upon herself to blog daily via purple mash and is setting tests for the children to join in along with other activities. The (young) teacher is letting her get on with it and Betty is (thankfully) ignoring it all but this sibling is emailing her daily asking why she isn't joining in.

The sibling in Elf's class suggested today that she (6) choreographs and films a dance every fucking day which she can upload onto Seesaw for everyone to learn, film and upload.

I don't think it's the girls at all and can definitely hear her mum's voice coming across in their messages but c'mon, don't they think we've got enough to do?

[Ruby]

What a bunch of narcs. They sound really annoying.