The coronavirus pandemic has certainly made remote learning and virtual lessons a challenge for many teachers. And apparently, also for some parents.
One aspect of online teaching you might not have considered, are certain images being caught in background of a child’s laptop camera. Those images are being shared with not only the teacher but the entire class.
Teachers in Boca Raton, Florida recently spoke out about certain behaviors they’ve witnessed from parents, periodically showing up on camera and causing a disruption.
Edith Pride, a teacher at Boca Raton Elementary, took her concerns to a recent school board meeting.
“Parents, please make sure that you have on proper clothing when you are walking behind your child’s computer, because we’ve seen them in their drawers, their bras, and everything else,” Pride said at the meeting, according to WPEC.
Pride added, “Parents, when you are helping your children at their computer please do not appear with big joints in your hands and cigarettes. Those joints be as big as cigars. Oh yeah, we’ve seen it all.”
Another teacher complained about seeing a shirtless father in the background of an online class and drinking before noon.
*MY TAKE*
For one, can a school really dictate what goes on in your house while your children is taking an online class? As long as it’s not illegal and not putting a child in harms way, it seems to me they don’t and shouldn’t have any authority over what’s going on in the background.
I’m not suggesting it’s an appropriate example or condone it personally, but maybe the shirtless dad drinking before noon works third shift and this is his “happy hour.” Can’t a guy relax how he wants in his own castle?
Plus, many of the virtual teaching platforms like MS Teams and Zoom allow for the background to be blurred or personalized. Maybe this would alleviate those random moments when mom is rushing to get dressed and gets caught on camera in only a bra.