Today is Sunday, April 26, 2020. My students and I have now completed four weeks of online learning...or remote learning...or distance learning...or whatever you want to call it- and tomorrow will begin week five. We have been out of school even longer than four weeks- our last actual day of school was Friday, March 13, 2020- Friday the 13th in fact, and I don't think I will ever forget that! It was a weird day...although there was speculation throughout the day from students and staff alike, we didn't receive official word that school would be closing until I was with my last class of the day. Even at that point, we only knew that school would be closed for two weeks and I honestly had no idea what would happen beyond that. My last period class was a bit ahead of some of the others, and they were doing a lab that day that I planned to do with my other classes the next school day. So, when I left school that day, I left materials set up to do the lab with other classes. Those materials are still set up in my classroom, although I now know (and probably should have realized then) that the other classes will not be back in school this year to do that lab, or any other lab.
So we finish up the rest of the year at a distance, remotely, online. Clearly not ideal, but necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19, so we will stick with it. There are the obvious challenges. I am finding that it is much harder to actually TEACH the material and evaluate the students, so I am not sure if my students are learning everything I want them to. Students now must turn their homes into their classrooms, and there are many things that make this difficult for a lot of students. There are a few of my students who I have not heard from at all since remote learning started, and a few that I hear from sporadically. There are a few who, while they were very consistent at the beginning of remote learning, have not been heard from for awhile now causing me to worry. Technical issues with applications and devices create frustration for both myself and my students. Not to mention all the important things students are missing out on as they have lost the last quarter of their school year- for high schoolers there is A LOT that goes on in the last two and a half months of school and it all just up and disappeared for them without much warning. Worse, I have no way of knowing what is happening in the lives of many of my students and can only pray that they and their families are safe, healthy, and able to deal with the stress of this new situation.
There have been some bright sides, though. I am becoming (due to necessity) much more adept at using the various technology devices and apps, and so those skills will come with me when I eventually am able to return to classroom teaching. Our instructional technology educators have been an invaluable resource for me and I'm sure for many of my colleagues. They have conducted multiple Zoom sessions, sent out emails with advice, and have quickly and helpfully responded to emails I have sent them with my own technology questions. I cannot imagine trying to do this online teaching without them. Many of my students have been doing an amazing job with their online work, despite the difficulties, and their efforts are incredibly encouraging. Having to adapt regular lessons into online lessons has provided me an opportunity to evaluate what and how I am teaching, which will hopefully allow me to be more effective- both during this remote learning time, and in the future when we can again be back in the classroom.
Lastly, I wanted to mention a few cool things I have had the opportunity to do. Friday I tried an optional Zoom meeting with my students for the first time. I didn't get too many takers for the first one, but I did get to have fun meeting a hamster! I hope to do more Zooms in the future to help students who have questions. Another cool opportunity was on Thursday, when a professor from my alma mater, Susquehanna University, offered an online class on COVID-19 that was free for alumni. Dr. Tammy Tobin, one of my favorite biology professors when I was a student at SU, gave an hour long talk on the science of the virus, including its biology, its spread, its effects on the human body, and potential treatments. This was extremely informative and engaging. My daughter, who is in fourth grade, and I have both been able to participate virtually in Spirit Weeks at our schools, which has been fun!
I hope to be back with another post before the end of the school year, to check in about the second month of remote learning. I pray that everyone reading this remains safe and healthy.
