"It's a Beautiful Life"- Genevieve Galvan Frenes

Day 11 – Monday – I look at my school bag next to my bed. It’s like a long lost friend waiting for me to call her. I haven’t called her, because I don’t know what to say.

There are materials I haven’t graded in that bag. Since Friday, March 13th (of all days), I left school and the district announced we were not to return. I think in a way, I was in shock for the suddenness and disconnection which happened following the announcement. I knew we wouldn’t return for awhile, but I didn’t realize what that meant…to my students.

This change meant that I wouldn’t see my students on a daily basis or ask how their day was going. I wouldn’t be there to bug them about missing assignments or give them the mama stare when a bad word slipped from their mouth. I know which kids need the extra attention to settle down, and others who still need praise, even though they are almost 17 years old.

Today, I decided to look at my long lost friend and delve into the unknown. I caught student grades up to the 13th and looked to see where some students grade could improve. I still haven’t communicated to my kids and until we’re directed, this is the way it will remain.

Since everything is so up in the air, my district is holding virtual meetings this week (much like many other districts) in an effort to plan for online teaching. Day by day, things are changing from the state’s direction on education, so it must be a struggle to direct teachers from an administrative perspective.

My subject, English 3, or Junior English, is almost exclusively taught on Google Classroom, a website which allows me to attach assignments, give directions, attach online articles, research, videos, etc. I can even archive assignments for the following year and look to see what I did the previous year so I can change the next year’s lesson. I still rely on lecture for the formal lesson, and of course, class discussion is a must for gathering thoughts and learning from one another. I love the use of technology except that it doesn’t allow for one thing — human interaction.

At the elementary level, I can see how online teaching or packet teaching can be a struggle for children, because they rely on the teacher, a real person, as their safeguard, the comfort to reassure them that they can do the work. Most act with patience due to years of experience in the classroom. Teachers aren’t just there for the subject, but they act as counselors on days when they notice something just not right with one of their kids. Or they act as facilitators to regulate the classroom and make certain everyone is on task and focused on the lesson. They can also be the entertainer on days when kids need a pick me up or a little humor to make the day not seem so long. For little ones, I imagine other issues, like tough situations at home or anxiety issues can seem like the world is ending until the teacher comforts her student and all is well until another situation arises.

For the high school student, high school can be overwhelming with all of the subjects coming at them at once. Having a simple discussion with their teacher can reassure him or her about the material and get them on their way to grasping the subject. Teachers still recognize changes in students even if at this age, kids are reluctant to answer questions about themselves. A teacher can send a student to speak to a counselor or social worker, and hope that maybe another resource can reach the student. Teachers also bring their own personality to the classroom. Although students sometimes don’t always appreciate the work of their teachers, I feel like for the most part, they gain comfort in knowing that they are part of a certain teacher’s classroom.

As we prepare to teach solely online, I know it’s the best we can do at the present moment. Because I use technology in my classroom almost daily, I know I’ll be fine. But for some teachers wondering how to transfer curriculum to an online version, well, it might not look the same as in the classroom.

Will it still work? Most likely, yes, it will work and get the job done. Will it be as effective as the teacher in the classroom? Not having a teacher present will seem a bit different, a bit disconnected. As for the same effectiveness, I believe the human element is always the motivating factor in teaching a successful classroom. However, for the time being, it will have to be the best we can do.

Teachers can still reach out to students via email or Remind if there is a question or concern. But again, reading in between the lines of those emails is sometimes difficult. Is there something more the teacher needs to know about what the student is saying? It’s hard to say, since an email is just words on a post that can be interpreted in many ways and has no voice or intonation connected to that message. Again, teachers will do the best they can.

And because we keep seeing more Covid-19 cases emerging in the media, especially in the next county, it’s almost certain that this might be the way school continues until the end of the year.

So as we embark on this journey together with students and parents, high school teachers know the reality that’s coming. We’re aware that online teaching is going to be a challenge, but in seeing what challenges teachers everywhere face on a daily basis, all I can say is “We got this.”

Stay blessed everyone…if you know a teacher, be kind, and realize that they have and will always be one of the hardest group of individuals in our world who have often been overlooked or underappreciated…

Until now.