Working out of the home/school is remote

[mom2rtk]

I'm in a similar position. I work as a teacher's aide in a special ed classroom and we have been told we will be going back full time. My kids are staying home, they are 17 and 9. It sucks, but I'm my oldest is going to have to be responsible for his sister while I am at work, then I will help them with school work when I get home. Both of my kids have special situations that make learning challenging so I am not looking forward to this and I'm honestly hoping that school (my school) gets cancelled or goes remote sooner rather than later, even if that means I get laid off.

That's a big commitment. I feel most in all of this for the parents who have young kids and have to work full time still. It's a vastly different set of challenges than many others are facing.

I suppose some will hire a tutor, or band together into a learning pod, and I would certainly do that if I had the funds. But dang, it's hard to ignore the widening gap between the haves and have nots. It's one thing when it's "just" cash. It's something else entirely when it translates into the ability to salvage a potentially lost year of school. People have been saying everyone will at least be in the same boat. It's looking increasingly like that's not really going to be the case.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

That's a big commitment. I feel most in all of this for the parents who have young kids and have to work full time still. It's a vastly different set of challenges than many others are facing.

I suppose some will hire a tutor, or band together into a learning pod, and I would certainly do that if I had the funds. But dang, it's hard to ignore the widening gap between the haves and have nots. It's one thing when it's "just" cash. It's something else entirely when it translates into the ability to salvage a potentially lost year of school. People have been saying everyone will at least be in the same boat. It's looking increasingly like that's not really going to be the case.

I understand why my classroom is going back--we have kids that haven't been receiving services and their IEPs can't be met in a virtual classroom. But you make a good point, the "haves" can afford things like tutors or having one parent take time off of work to help the kids with their education, unfortunately for my kids we fall into the "have not" category and this is going to be a long, stressful school year for us because I'm the only person supporting our household so I have to go to work. My son has Asperger's and ADHD and really can't babysit his sister other than to be here if she has a problem, but he won't engage with her all day long or be able to help her with school so she is probably going to sit here alone all day and watch Netflix or Youtube. My daughter has ADHD and virtual school was a nightmare for us last year, even with me home to help her. She will be enrolling in a state cyber option outside of our district so that I can help her with it, but I don't see us getting all the work done in the evenings after I get home so I'm planning to have longer school days on the weekend but she is going to absolutely hate that. Not to mention, I don't know when I'm supposed to find time to work my second job. It makes me want to cry if I think about it too hard.

 

[MrsPete]

This is a really hard situation, but you're not alone. When we thought we would be using a hybrid-model and would be in the building three days out of the week, many teachers were jumping through hoops trying to figure out day care for young elementary kids, etc.

For what it's worth, I think this fall is going to be a whole lot better than last spring. You well know that teachers had literally a weekend to revamp ... well, everything. We're a whole lot better prepared for fall.

How married are you to the new position at the private school?

How about other public school positions? Surely some other school needs a teacher, and where doesn't matter so much if your public schools will be 100% online.

My last job in the public school killed my mental health and I can't go back there. I had things thrown at me, was called profane names on a regular basis and it was just a really toxic environment. It came to the point where my husband and friends were really worried about me because I became a completely different person due to the stress.

Nothing but sympathy. As a fellow teacher, I completely understand -- I've been treated this way; I've even been punched.

However, pointing out the obvious: if you're 100% online, much of this trouble will disappear. Your biggest problem is likely to be students who don't log on /don't complete their work, so you'll have to contact parents.

My son is adamant about not wanting to go to my new school, but that may have to be an (expensive) option. Thank you for weighing in! Good luck to you this year. There are really no good solutions, are there?

Okay, I see an answer -- not a great answer -- You tell him, "I know you want to stay at your old school, but we both know that last year your academics didn't go as well as we hoped. I expect more this year. If you maintain ____ grade, and you complete every assignment, you may stay at your old school; however, academics matter most. If I see your grades slip below ____ or I hear ____ from your teachers, you'll have two weeks to turn it around -- and, if you don't, you'll be transferring to my school." Write it out. Be very clear.

I'll probably have to look into hiring somebody to come help. This new job comes with a $20,000 pay cut, so it will be tight, but it looks like that's my only option.

2020 college grads (like mine) are having a hard time finding jobs. You might find an education major.

In your position, I think I would incentivize the 15 and 13 year olds to work together to oversee the 9 year old while getting their own work done. At least by paying your own kids, the money is staying in the family. They’ll likely use much of it to buy things you would have paid for anyway.

Yes, that's much like my suggestion of "finding his currency". Perhaps a big-deal bribe for the three of them? Something like, if all three make ____ grades and turn in every assignment, they get ____ reward. Something big like a Disney trip next summer or a pool membership or a new video game system. Create a big poster with boxes to fill in as grades are earned so they can SEE what they're working towards.

Good luck. It's true that no GOOD choice exists. That's true in so many areas of our lives right now.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I will get a discount, but it’s still pricey especially with my pay cut. This private school is more “nontraditional“ and I don’t know how well my son would do. He’s kind of a mainstream kid.


He’s a very intelligent kid who is in mostly AP classes, but it was a motivation issue and confusion as to which classes were meeting live and which were being done online. I’ll be more on top of it this time. The nine-year-old did great but that was because I was right there with him logging him on, and making sure he was doing the work. The 13-year-old had zero issues (gymnast who is self motivated). I guess the main issue is I just don’t want all three of them home alone all day in charge of their own learning. The learning pads idea that many you had mentioned might be a really good option. I started a Facebook post reaching out so we will see if anyone bites! I have been actively looking for all sorts of positions since this started. Leave it to me to look for jobs during a pandemic.Teaching online is an option but I really really don’t enjoy teaching this way, and I’m hesitant to break my contract, but it’s also a solution. This is such new territory for me that I don’t really know what’s best. I appreciate everybody weighing in with ideas!

What if you put the 9 year old in private school with you, but keep the other two in public? One third of the cost. The middle one will hopefully do well and if you can help your oldest to be organized the night before, he might also do well.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

What if you put the 9 year old in private school with you, but keep the other two in public? One third of the cost. The middle one will hopefully do well and if you can help your oldest to be organized the night before, he might also do well.

I think @scoutie is a high school English teacher. I only remember this because I’m a middle school English teacher, and I always loved her energy when she posted about her lessons and her students. I’m thinking her new job is at a private high school? That’s why she’s only mentioned the 15 year old attending.

 

[cobright]

My kids’ school district had originally implemented a hybrid plan for kids returning to school, and I signed my kids up for that option. The superintendent just announced that all schools would be remote. Two weeks ago I had accepted a teaching position at a private school, and they are going in person 100%. I am finding myself in a really bad position. I have a 15-year-old a 13-year-old and a nine-year-old. In the spring the 15-year-old actually did the worst job with e-learning and I was home. My husband works as an hour away and he cannot stay home...and we have no family in the area.I’m really stressed out about what to do. Anybody else in this situation? Curious to see what others are doing.

Ouch. I feel ya. My 16 yr old really struggled remote, but she's also hyper-anxious about getting the 'rona and visibly relaxed when I told her we wouldn't be taking the school up on the in-class option. My 14 year old actually thrived remote. Like his grades improved vastly as did the quality of his work.

If at all possible could you reach out to extended family or friends of family and see if there is a college student in the wings that will be remote learning this year? Maybe someone carping at living back at home again that you can lure in with room and board in exchange for basic schedule discipline on the kids. The 15 and 13 year old should be able to do the actual "watching" of the youngest, you just need someone to check in a couple times a day and make sure everyone's in their seats working.

Get a couple Wyze cams and go police state on them. Check the feed from work a couple times a day and get on their case when they slack off.

Bribe them for success. Play dirty. These aren't normal times, no one will judge you.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I think @scoutie is a high school English teacher. I only remember this because I’m a middle school English teacher, and I always loved her energy when she posted about her lessons and her students. I’m thinking her new job is at a private high school? That’s why she’s only mentioned the 15 year old attending.

Oh, I totally missed that. I thought she was thinking of having all 3 at the private school

 

[scoutie]

First of all, I wanted to thank everybody so much for your thoughtful responses and suggestions. Each one of you has given me something to think about. To clarify, I'm worried about all of the kids being alone all day, but mainly about the nine year old who does need help, and the 15 year old who tends to be a slacker. I would maybe bring the nine year old to school with me, but not the other two. None of them want to go in any event, preferring to stay in their current school. I have searched for jobs since January, desperate to get out of my last school. I stuck it out (ironically being saved by e-learning), but in Illinois, we are paid according to experience and education, and other schools are hesitant to hire somebody making the upper end of the salary range, when they can hired somebody for $32,000. It's been a big struggle. Leaving my former school was the biggest mistake I made, but at this point it is what it is. I have signed a contract with this private school who has promised curricular freedom, yoga each day, gardening, mindfulness, etc......I'm curious to see if this would be a better fit for me, as my philosophy of education wasn't matching the public schools (so much testing, data, etc.)

I'm thinking of everybody struggling with similar issues, whether it be by a negative experience as a teacher, struggling to find childcare, or being worried about going back to work or to stay home. There are no easy answers, that's for sure. I'm cheered by all of the support and kind words.

I think I will end up cobbling together a bit from all of your suggestions--learning pod, making the older two step up to help, doing work when I get home, and hopefully reaching out to friends. If it's a disaster, I probably will look into taking time off. My worry is that this will go on all year.

I only remember this because I’m a middle school English teacher, and I always loved her energy when she posted about her lessons and her students

This absolutely made me tear up, and made my day. There is so much I love about teaching, and this past year has just been such a kick. I really needed to hear this. <3

 

[pookybean]

I understand why my classroom is going back--we have kids that haven't been receiving services and their IEPs can't be met in a virtual classroom. But you make a good point, the "haves" can afford things like tutors or having one parent take time off of work to help the kids with their education, unfortunately for my kids we fall into the "have not" category and this is going to be a long, stressful school year for us because I'm the only person supporting our household so I have to go to work. My son has Asperger's and ADHD and really can't babysit his sister other than to be here if she has a problem, but he won't engage with her all day long or be able to help her with school so she is probably going to sit here alone all day and watch Netflix or Youtube. My daughter has ADHD and virtual school was a nightmare for us last year, even with me home to help her. She will be enrolling in a state cyber option outside of our district so that I can help her with it, but I don't see us getting all the work done in the evenings after I get home so I'm planning to have longer school days on the weekend but she is going to absolutely hate that. Not to mention, I don't know when I'm supposed to find time to work my second job. It makes me want to cry if I think about it too hard.

Im in a similar position, but only with my one daughter. She has some learning disabilities and I was in the process of getting her evaluated for ADHD, among other things, when everything shut down in the spring. My office closed and i was working from home but virtual school was still a battle every day. She passed by the skin of her teeth because her teachers gave her a lot of grace. I don't think they are going to be so accommodating this time around. They have been talking about making sure the IEP's are adhered to but I dont see how that is going to work virtually... especially if i am the one who has to uphold the modifications? My office has also been talking about reopening in Sept. I am really worried about her getting anything done. I can't afford to pay anyone to come work with her or to send her somewhere else. The pods that people are putting together want you to be able to rotate with them. Which is not ideal if I am still wfh (lots of client contact over the phone) and impossible if i have to go back to the office. I have been sick over this since they announced it Thurs. night.


OP, I have no suggestions really, but keep an eye out for the districts that ARE offering a hybrid option. Some around me are hiring new teachers to solely teach the virtual portion so their other teachers can focus on the in person teaching. Maybe it will be a better district than where you previously taught.

Good luck, we are all going to need it :-(

 

[China Expat]

I have seen lots of Childcare Supervision/School Tutor offers popping up on my Nextdoor app. Many of these folks are teachers, retired teachers, or other qualified roles.

 

[easyas123]

OP - I wish you luck! My kids are out of HS/college, but I thought I'd chime in...I'm hearing A LOT of folks talking about utilizing these Pod types of educational situations and they seem to be gaining in popularity. You might find some help in that direction. Also, both my kids went to private HS, and I learned that a lot of private schools will offer free or heavily discounted tuition for staff children, however I also discovered that other area private schools extended that offer to teachers of other private schools. There may be a reciprocity type agreement between schools.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Im in a similar position, but only with my one daughter. She has some learning disabilities and I was in the process of getting her evaluated for ADHD, among other things, when everything shut down in the spring. My office closed and i was working from home but virtual school was still a battle every day. She passed by the skin of her teeth because her teachers gave her a lot of grace. I don't think they are going to be so accommodating this time around. They have been talking about making sure the IEP's are adhered to but I dont see how that is going to work virtually... especially if i am the one who has to uphold the modifications? My office has also been talking about reopening in Sept. I am really worried about her getting anything done. I can't afford to pay anyone to come work with her or to send her somewhere else. The pods that people are putting together want you to be able to rotate with them. Which is not ideal if I am still wfh (lots of client contact over the phone) and impossible if i have to go back to the office. I have been sick over this since they announced it Thurs. night.


OP, I have no suggestions really, but keep an eye out for the districts that ARE offering a hybrid option. Some around me are hiring new teachers to solely teach the virtual portion so their other teachers can focus on the in person teaching. Maybe it will be a better district than where you previously taught.

Good luck, we are all going to need it :-(

You are absolutely correct in assuming that it will be YOU, as the parent, who will be responsible for implementing IEP modifications. It isn't ideal. My kids both struggled with the change in environment last spring, and they were home with a mom who has experince modifying lesson plans and working with kiddos with special needs! Kids with ADHD structure their whole lives around developing coping skills to manage in a typical world and they become dependent on routines--when you change that it sends their world into chaos. Last year was tough on all students because of the uncertainty and abrupt change, I think this year is going to be particularly tough on kids with special education needs and they will fall far behind their typical peers.

I have the unique perspective of being someone who both works with children with IEPs and I'm a parent of children with IEPs. My coworkers and I have been discussing this for the last few weeks since our district made the announcement, because our jobs are written into our students' IEPs but we absolutely can't fulfill our jobs and the students' IEP goals virtually. I can't deliver effective ABA through a computer screen and even attempting to do so would require a lot of assistance from the parents. But somehow our school board has decided that will be part of our jobs this year, they voted to go back with a hybrid schedule which means our students will have 2 days in classroom and 3 days virtual and it seems that includes the students in our special ed classroom, but there is no guidence (yet) about how we are supposed to do that effectively. I work mostly with kids that are non-verbal with low VR rates and I have no clue how I am going to deliver reinforcement virtually to these students--parents will have to deliver and they probably won't do it correctly, or end reinforcement correctly, and reinforcement is key to the effectiveness of ABA! So we are thinking we may have to just resign ourselves to being virtual babysitters, because we have no means of getting our students to do school work with us, very little educating will be happening. I'm so sad and frustrated about the upcoming year!

 

[Magical2017]

I'm in a similar position. I work as a teacher's aide in a special ed classroom and we have been told we will be going back full time. My kids are staying home, they are 17 and 9. It sucks, but I'm my oldest is going to have to be responsible for his sister while I am at work, then I will help them with school work when I get home. Both of my kids have special situations that make learning challenging so I am not looking forward to this and I'm honestly hoping that school (my school) gets cancelled or goes remote sooner rather than later, even if that means I get laid off.

I'm sorry--that stinks that you would get laid off if the schools choose virtual learning.

 

[Carol_]

Look for local homeschool networks. They’ve been doing this for years, and if you put in hours with their kids, they put in hours with yours as a trade off.

 

[nkereina]

I definitely feel for people in this situation. Hopefully you can take some solace in knowing you are definitely not alone, and hopefully all teachers and employers have grace with people during this weird year. Everyone will really need to take things on a case by case basis.

For the OP, I'm sorry if you've already answered this, but schoolwork issues aside, is the 15 year old at least responsible enough to be the "babysitter" while you're at work? If yes, you could always just work with the 15 year old when you get home to make sure they've done their schoolwork. Same with the other kids. Of course this is not ideal and it sucks to micromanage, but everyone is going to have to do the best they can this year. One of my friends teaches 3rd grade at an inner city school which is fully remote, and they have students not participating or turning in assignments at all. They've all been passed onto the next grade and everyone is trying to be patient. It sucks.

If that's not an option, I would second the idea of hiring a retired teacher/tutor to come during daytime hours to work with the kids or at least supervise them. Even if just for 2 hours or so. Alternatively, maybe check with local colleges or college students you may know. Many of the colleges where I live are going full remote starting after Thanksgiving. If you can get one of them to stay with your kids during the day, they can supervise and hopefully everyone can get their work done.

Best wishes to you and everyone else in this situation!

 

[mom2rtk]

Lots of education students won't be getting their hands on student teaching they need this year. Lots of families are in situations just like the OP. What a shame nobody has found a systemic way to match up the 2 groups.

 

[pookybean]

You are absolutely correct in assuming that it will be YOU, as the parent, who will be responsible for implementing IEP modifications. It isn't ideal. My kids both struggled with the change in environment last spring, and they were home with a mom who has experince modifying lesson plans and working with kiddos with special needs! Kids with ADHD structure their whole lives around developing coping skills to manage in a typical world and they become dependent on routines--when you change that it sends their world into chaos. Last year was tough on all students because of the uncertainty and abrupt change, I think this year is going to be particularly tough on kids with special education needs and they will fall far behind their typical peers.

I have the unique perspective of being someone who both works with children with IEPs and I'm a parent of children with IEPs. My coworkers and I have been discussing this for the last few weeks since our district made the announcement, because our jobs are written into our students' IEPs but we absolutely can't fulfill our jobs and the students' IEP goals virtually. I can't deliver effective ABA through a computer screen and even attempting to do so would require a lot of assistance from the parents. But somehow our school board has decided that will be part of our jobs this year, they voted to go back with a hybrid schedule which means our students will have 2 days in classroom and 3 days virtual and it seems that includes the students in our special ed classroom, but there is no guidence (yet) about how we are supposed to do that effectively. I work mostly with kids that are non-verbal with low VR rates and I have no clue how I am going to deliver reinforcement virtually to these students--parents will have to deliver and they probably won't do it correctly, or end reinforcement correctly, and reinforcement is key to the effectiveness of ABA! So we are thinking we may have to just resign ourselves to being virtual babysitters, because we have no means of getting our students to do school work with us, very little educating will be happening. I'm so sad and frustrated about the upcoming year!

I honestly thought about un-enrolling her from school and "unschooling". When I try to help her organize or get on her to do her work it's just a fight. When teachers give her a signal to get back on track, she gets herself together and does it. I know people say to just make them, but sometimes it doesn't work that way and then the whole family is thrown off. I don't know how any of this is going to work.

You are definitely going to have a difficult year. I know there are kids with much harder challenges than mine and I feel for all of them :-(

 

[siren0119]

I don't know if there are mom's Facebook groups in your town, here there are a couple of active groups and moms have been forming "pods" of kids in the same age groups, with some moms that can be home and some that have to work. Basically little subgroups within the cohort for hybrid learning so that parents who have to work can still do so. If you don't have anything like that you can hook into, if you have a YMCA that serves your area reach out to them. Ours in town is working really closely with the school to help support parents who have to work.

I hesitate to advise quitting a new job over what the beginning of the school year is going to look like - we do not know how long the schools will be in this format, but it will certainly be shorter than the remainder of your career if the position you're taking now is going to be a long term one.

 

[Micca]

OK there are a lot of good, helpful suggestions here. I'm wondering what other teachers at the private school are doing for their kids who do not attend that school. Someone, maybe quite a few folks might be in the same boat. Would it be out of line for you to ask your new employer if they have any suggestions or options? I know you can't predict the future, but I'm guessing at some point the private school may offer a remote learning option to students if the virus doesn't get contained. Definitely a tough situation. Because I appreciate teachers and was very fond of my high school English teacher here's one of these

 

[easyas123]

OK there are a lot of good, helpful suggestions here. I'm wondering what other teachers at the private school are doing for their kids who do not attend that school. Someone, maybe quite a few folks might be in the same boat. Would it be out of line for you to ask your new employer if they have any suggestions or options? I know you can't predict the future, but I'm guessing at some point the private school may offer a remote learning option to students if the virus doesn't get contained. Definitely a tough situation. Because I appreciate teachers and was very fond of my high school English teacher here's one of these

Excellent suggestion-