Hi parents,
I hope things have settled in. We have been informed by the school district that we will continue to teach online for three more weeks. I will not be giving any graded assignments the last week of school. Remember to check your child's gradebook Monday evenings or Tuesday mornings. I spend Monday correcting work, and putting your child's grades from the previous week into the computer. Best regards, John
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With the knowledge that we will be remote learning the remainder of the school year, here is a list of things that your child can do to be successful:
1) Believe and feel like every day is a school day. Not a stay at home day with some work thrown in. 2) Start the day on a regular schedule (this helps it feel like a school day and builds routine/habits.) 3) Understand that I (Mr. Glime) am sitting in an open chat room just waiting for you (students/parents) to ask questions. Exactly as if we are in the classroom and if you are sitting at your desk. I am sitting at my table in the classroom just waiting for you (kids) to walk over and ask for help. Even though we are physically separated, I am here and can interact, just like I would at school (9-11 and 1-3 every school day.) 4) Assignments can be modified- just as if we were at school. 5) Start with that day's assignments ONLY. Don't try to make up missing work to start your day- if at all. 6) Remember that school is your JOB. It isn't always fun. You have a job to do. It feels great when you get your job done and can take a break for the rest of the day knowing you are finished. 7) Engage with the information presented each day. Participate with the knowledge. Ask questions, ponder, talk about it with someone. This makes the work feel less like work, and more like learning. 8) Join and participate in each day's class meeting. If your child is asking questions, engaging me throughout the day- even if it is just to keep me updated as to her/his progress or to say hi- then I can see she is being responsible and "doing her job." I don't need kids to be A+ students. They don't need to understand everything and have perfect mastery. If I can see that they are working hard, putting in the effort, and engaging with the information each day then I can "pass" them. Parents,
In regards to remote/online learning I know we all have varying opinions. These can range from "this is a waste of time" to "this gives my child something to do" to "I never want my child to go back to school." As a parent, with a 3rd and 6th grader at home and as a teacher, I have my own views. I just want you to know that I give you leeway to make your own best decisions on what happens at home. I realize that different teachers use different programs, websites, etc. and that it can be overwhelming. I understand that with so many computers on in the house it can cause headaches. I understand that without a teacher giving direct instruction face to face a lot of confusion can happen. My point? Please contact me and let me know if you feel certain things aren't working in your home. I am happy to adjust or modify expectations if certain things I am assigning or trying are just too much. Thank you, John Parents,
If your child doesn't do their daily work on a regular basis, I am supposed to document this and report it to the office- similar to if your child was absent. Our new 10 am class meetings are an expected part of the school day. If you know your child is going to be absent from that meeting or their school work, please inform me as you would the office. Thank you, John Parents,
Two items of note to start off this third week. - We will be having whole class meetings every school day at 10 am (starting tomorrow.) It is the expectation that your child will attend- similar to showing up to school. This is something that other teachers have been doing in our school, and it will hopefully help with some of the challenges we are both facing in regards to isolated online learning. We will be using a new program (for us) called Zoom. It has been in the news lately, but we will be using a password protected login to access each meeting. - We are going to attempt an online, live field trip tomorrow through a program called FieldTrip Zoom. My class is testing this for our school to see if it is something worth continuing. My hope is to try one this week and one next week. This week’s field trip will be tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11 am. Your child just needs to click the link, I will be providing, to join in. Thank you for your support, John Hi parents,
I hope yesterday's April Fool's Joke didn't cause you too much trauma. In this virtual method of teaching I am having a hard time getting your children to really read closely, follow instructions, and take charge of their learning (some are doing much better than others, but when we aren't in the same room, I can't force them to pay attention.) Yesterday was a little test to see who was paying close attention. If your child didn't even read the message- that is a problem. If your child read the message, but didn't open the attached file- that isn't as much of a problem, but encourage them to engage a little more please. Please make sure your child is meeting me at least once a week on Google Meet. I wrote this to them today: "If I haven't met with you this week- that makes me think you aren't reading these messages- MEET ME today. I am getting frustrated with some of you. You are in my class. Being in my class isn't just doing schoolwork. It is also participating with me and with school activities. We are still in school- it is even more important for me to talk to you occasionally to check in." It sums up how I am feeling. I am getting a lot of pressure from Mr. Peters and Granite School District to make sure that I am still spending the time with students teaching them, working with them, challenging them, etc. When I don't see your children or talk to them, I don't feel like I am doing my job. Thank you for your support. If you feel that things just are not working for you and your family, please let me know your concerns. I have extension ideas, schedule ideas, modifications I can make and more. However, if you don't communicate your concerns with me, I can't help- and I WANT to help. I miss seeing your kids every day. I want them to be happy, healthy, and learning at home in a comfortable environment for everyone. If that isn't the case, let me know. Take care, John |
Parents:This is the place where I will post updates as I make decisions, problem solve, and learn how to adjust to a new paradigm of teaching. Archives
August 2022
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