Two Weeks Down…How Many More to Go?

Bittersweet, both pleasant and painful. That is how I would describe my return to virtual learning.

I accepted the decision our superintendent made to become fully online. Honestly, I was looking forward to not having to commute an hour or more to my job. I turned my office into a miniature classroom and was ready and excited to start. During the first week, my students attended each of the sessions on time and most of my classes had full attendance. This will be a breeze, until…my euphoria faded away.

None of my students feel comfortable with using their cameras which I expected. Next, we did roll call. Everyone used their mics and said their name like I asked. Fantastic! I put students in groups of 5 and I rotated in each group to discover some of my students were not engaging with each other or they did not remember my instructions. I was getting frustrated. Initially I thought, “these kids have me on mute and they aren’t listening!”

As the day continued, I started to get private chat messages such as: “I’m sorry I’m not as engaged, I have to go feed my sister and I need both hands,” and “Could you please repeat what you said? It’s loud in here.” I had one student use his mic to ask for clarification and in the background, I could hear his younger brother yelling, “shut up, Jay!”

Why did I assume that my students were able to go in a different room or that they would not have to care for their siblings while their parents were working? I should have known better and this humbling reality has made me more compassionate.

I began to ask myself what I could do to make learning “easier” for them. I do not mean less rigorous; I mean more attainable. Some students have connection issues and bounce in and out of class. I have noticed it can take more than a few minutes for them to come back. I record every class session and post it in Google Classroom so that they can watch and review what they missed. I created a weekly to-do list. Granted Google Classroom will show students when things are due, a clear, streamlined list seems to be preferred. I encourage them to use a two-communication app called Remind. I receive a message on my phone that is like a text and I can respond quickly. Lastly, I have established virtual office hours where they can come in and ask questions or receive guidance.

Virtual learning is not ideal. Students with special needs and English language learners are not fully receiving the support systems they would get in person. It has been reported that child abuse reporting has dropped significantly, and this is because a student is unable to tell a teacher or counselor or we are unable to see the signs.

I wanted and began the process to have a learning pod with a max of 10 students to provide in person instruction in a safe environment. However, all teachers received a mass message informing us that we would be breaking our contract if we proceeded with something of this nature. What can we do? Make the best of it? That sounds so cliché, but truly that is exactly what educators are doing. As I stated in a previous blog entry, teachers want to be in the classroom, but we want to be safe. If schools can establish a plan with adequate resources, most of us would readily do in-person learning. I certainly would, but in the meantime, I demonstrate consistency in the virtual classroom, approachability, and most importantly, compassion. That is all we can do.