Today, we got 6″ – 7″ inches of snow today.

#thatswhatshesaid

Stop it.

Due to the fact we’ve already had a number of snow days, we prepared for a remote learning day. Our first quarter of school, we were remote. Our students are very adept at the remote learning part of school. They’ve been trained again and again on what expectations are, on how long they should be working, and on procedures if they have questions for any of us.

So, today, at 5:00 AM, the text came that we’d be doing a remote learning day, it was all good. The freezing rain was starting, pinging off the windows and the roof. My wife and both were thankful our respective districts made the choice to go to a remote learning day. (On a side note, watch my wife interacting with her kindergarten group was a wholesome experience that would have been a diabetic into shock because of how sweet it was – but I digress.)

#focusmanitislate

So, I get the assignments up on Google Classroom like I’m supposed to do, and I get my first email at about 7:45 AM:

Mr. J, are we supposed to do anything today?

#whatseriouslywhat

Ok, so perhaps I’d made a mistake in putting the assignment online. Google has a number of clicks to get to all classes, so I went back and double checked. Yup, everyone was delivered the assignment. So my reply back: “Did you check Google Classroom?”

Her reply: “No.”

#WHAT

So, I sent back and email, reminding her to read the directions and away we went.

I answered question after question with, “Did you read the directions,” or “Did you check Google Classroom,” or my favorite, “Go read the directions!” It would seem that my directions written in Sanskrit because they were hard to understand! As I look at what my next remote learning day might be, I’ll be looking at my directions too! 🙂

As I started reviewing work, imagine my surprise as I found document full of writing. The directions specifically said to open a new doc, do the writing, then turn in back in. So, I returned a bunch of student work because they did not read the gosh darn directions.

So, my question to the educators, the parents, the caregivers: Where did we go wrong? How is it possible to have raise a generation of students who simply do not read directions on simple stuff? Or who just don’t care to do it when it’s right their in front of them? I’m being a tad facetious, but yet, I’m not. I worry about this class, but they are a symptom of a larger problem.

If I figure out the answer to that problem, I’ll gladly share it with the world. I don’t want a penny from it. I just want it to work.

Until then, boys and girls, read for comprehension and read the dang directions!

And if you have a question, as much as it pains me to say this, ask it.

Because stupid questions don’t exist.

But seriously, read the directions first! 🙂