There was a lot of information to digest however it was all very helpful because I am very interested in online learning. I think if I started as a traditional educatior I would feel different but my first introduction to education came through online learning and I love it.
If I was a Principal and one of my parents wanted to pull their child out of Mr. Siko's class because one of their older children had a class with him and the student hated him for whatever reason, I would explain to the parent that Mr. Siko's is one of the best chemistry teachers in the district and the experience that the older child had may not be the same experience. However if the parent still decided to put the child in a online chemistry class through my school I would still allow Mr. Siko to over see the class because he is the teacher with the chemistry experience.
I also think Principal's should stand behind their teachers and even if a student wants to take a online class that does not prevent them from coming in contact with the department on staff. Online classes require qualified teachers to make sure students are getting the most from the class especially when they have questions or any struggles with the content.
If the parent decided to remove the child all together because of a personality conflict with a instructor, I would try to discourage them from doing that but not at the point of disrespecting any of my teachers.
On one hand, it could be the student's fault that he had issues with the instructor, but it is the parents right to choose another route. There are multiple scenarios that could be at play here and the parents do have the right to choose another instructor. I think a student and the parents should be able to choose an online option, if it's right for them. The teacher might be a great teacher, but the student might be successful with another option.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the parents need to choose what is best for their child so the student gets the best of of their educational experience. However if each child decided to take a online class because they did not like the teacher there would not be to many students in class.
ReplyDeleteIf a student removed themselves from the class, I believe it would only be appropriate for her teacher to continue to proctor/facilitate the course. If the student were to transfer to "better" teacher (in their mind), they may overload such chosen teacher; students, and parents for that sake, have the misconception of just adding one student won't add too much to the teacher's plate, when in reality, the student's baggage they bring along, could put any teacher over the edge. However, if all teachers are at maximum capacity in their classes, I would expect the administrator to appoint the department head or the student's original teacher to facilitate the course.
ReplyDeleteI have been in this situation, and the attitude from administrators and guidance personnel was always, "If they want out, let them," if this is brought to light before the school year has started. In one case, I had the option to have a student removed--because her father was nasty over some issues her older brother had with multiple teachers, including me--and when I left it up to the parents, they left the younger sister in my class. I was shocked, but they had gained some perspective in the intervening two years and decided their son was actually the problem.
ReplyDeleteOnline courses in my county are not handled school-by-school. We have over 20 high schools, and while all the teachers are certified as required for them to also be classroom teachers, a student taking a class online will most likely not be taking it with a teacher from his/her base school. Thus, avoiding a teacher's classroom presence only to face him/her as an online instructor is a very slim possibility.
Katie most of the time when a students wants to remove themselves from the class it is because they want nothing to do with that teacher for whatever reason. Most teachers have no problem with students leaving because that is one less headache but it is the Principal who is asking what is the problem not the teacher.
ReplyDeleteRebecca I'm not sure what county you are in however at my school all teachers have to have the same creditials which makes on line classes get the same qualified teacher as any other class. Just like our class I got to see Prof. Siko on as many video's as I needed and he even went as far as to have a video chat if i needed to talk to him. He was always available via email and I felt like if i needed him he made his self available to me on every hand so I think it really depends on how far the instructor is willing to go for their class.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I read in the Wall Street Journal that in Arizona they have a online program for Special Ed where the state is giving up to 30,000 a year to support the program at certain schools. The public schools were only getting 5000.00, so this has become big business because of the amount of support parents are able to get for their children . Parents also feel that their children are getting a much richer education and they are developing in much stronger ways.
ReplyDeleteHi ANdrea. What a slippery slope. I have seen first hand, and been involved with the meetings eith the parents, who have an axe to grind against a teacher. A Principal needs to very acrobatic in this situation, they need to walk a tight rope. Some Principals I have seen do this much better than others. At any rate, I agree that an admin should never throw a teacher under the bus but there are times when after the parent leaves the teacher needs to come in and get theirs. As teachers, we do things wrong because we are human. I do not think a teacher should be able to hide behind anyone. Stand on your own two feet or fall. Thats my motto.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are human and some do make mistakes and that is why I think teachers should be covered by their Principals. Yes they should stand on their own two feet and stand behind what they have been instructed to teach.
DeleteAndrea