I am really annoyed with my son’s pre-calculus teacher. My son's school is doing a hybrid virtual model now due to the pandemic (teachers are teaching synchronously). First of all, right out of the holiday break, we are told last night that she has to quarantine because she allegedly traveled during the holidays so she will not be in school. That is fine except that she will also not be teaching virtually, either. I am confused - if she has to quarantine because she traveled, why can’t she teach virtually and synchronously like other teachers who have had to quarantine have done? And like she has to do when the school goes back to all-virtual for a period of time, which happens quite a bit. She is just giving the kids videos and problems to do for the week. OK, fine. But what really annoyed me is she decides to, in the same email, ask the kids if they would like to do a “flipped classroom" from now on. A flipped classroom model is some sort of model where the kids watch instructional videos in their own time and then during class get together and ask questions. I really don’t think this virtual hybrid learning situation is an appropriate setting for something like that. I have my skepticism for that kind of model for a ninth grader even without the virtual/hybrid aspect. This is honors pre-calculus and it is a difficult subject. This virtual learning crap is hard enough for my kid. Now I understand that this is a gifted forum and the class I am talking about is honors and probably all the kids here can just teach it to themselves. My kid, despite his giftedness needs teaching and enagagment. Also, my son is young for the class - he is in ninth grade as he was accelerated. The subject is hard and she is a DIFFICULT and rigid/picky teacher. My kid, and I suspect many in the kids in the class, do need to be actually 'taught' Now, she wants the kids to spend even more hours watching instructional videos, outside of the time that they are already on virtual learning from 7:30am to 1pm (day in and day out, no break and until 2pm on Fridays), and use class time for questions?!? Seriously?!? Does she simply not want to teach? I am just getting so frustrated because every time I try to get my kid some semblance of learning in person, the school either shuts down because there’s one case too many, or his teachers have to quarantine and teach virtually for some personal reason even though my son is in school, or something else (like this) happens. I am just getting very frustrated! I just want my kid to be educated already. And it sounds to me like the 'flipped classroom' idea in the context of the hybrid/virtual pandemic situation is yet even less teaching and instruction! Enough.
