MadameNoire
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As an educator herself, university professor and mother Dr. Uju Anya has clearly had enough of the measures to which Zoom schooling has gone for her fourth-grade daughter. Airing out her grievances, the mother took to Twitter in a now-viral thread where she explained the school’s disciplinary response — “Zoom detention” — to her daughter’s distractedness during class.
Posted just two days ago on April 6, Anya’s thread explained that while she was still trying her hardest to adjust to the ways of Zoom schooling — just as many other families have — she thought that her 9-year-old daughter being assigned “Zoom detention” because she was struggling to focus in class was a “ridiculous” measure. From her point of view, while she knows it’s hard for the teachers and students alike to remain attentive whether they’re in the classroom or learning from home, she wouldn’t be going forward with be sending her daughter to “virtual detention” to think on her actions with a “behavior interventionist.”
My child got sent to Zoom detention for not paying attention in Zoom 4th grade. The email said here’s the link to access the room to serve detention.
I swear I’m trying so hard to take this life seriously.
So, more details. This is an office referral where the teacher gives repeated verbal warnings over time, then escalates to sending the child to the principal’s office and notifying parents. At “detention” she’s supposed to discuss and reflect with the behavior interventionist.
The repeated behavior the teacher warned my 9yo and emailed me previously about is my child’s inability to focus consistently in an online class and complete the assignments. She frequently gets distracted, plays computer games, ignores the teacher, or just signs off Zoom.
My child is struggling to keep it together during this pandemic like all of us. I chose remote learning to keep her safe, and I understand doing 4th grade on Zoom is difficult. It’s also hard for teachers who manage both kids in class and online. But Zoom detention is ridiculous.
Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtfulness and support. I can’t possibly address all the replies and quotes, but I appreciate everyone. I have to go teach my own class now, but for those asking, yes, “virtual detention” were their exact words, and, no, I’m not sending my child.
As you can imagine, Anya’s tweets — and the frustration expressed in them — have proven to be relatable to many parents, and serves as a point of conversation for others on what they would do if they were in her shoes. Making its rounds all the way to the ladies of The View, the talk show’s Sunny Hostin gave her thoughts on Anya’s situation.
“I really hated this one,” she stated before tackling the hot topic. “I mean how could you give a kid Zoom detention? These kids are going through so much right now — it’s really hard for them to just be on the computer and paying attention all the time. I mean what’s the point of giving more detention and more screen time?”
“I was kind of disgusted at this — we have to be more compassionate as adults and have more empathy as to what these kids are going through. This is not a creative way to go about it,” she said speaking on the concept of Zoom detention as a disciplinary measure for kids.
All things considered, Anya didn’t lie and neither did Hostin. Zoom schooling has definitely taken its toll on students who are struggling to stay engaged, but handing out virtual detention and allotting further screen time might just cause them to space out even more.
What do you think? Would you sign off on your child attending Zoom detention?
