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

Day 70 –

From a teacher perspective, this 2020 spring semester is almost done. We’re giving our last assignments, grading completed work, and planning for finals. In a few weeks, our school year will end.

And as for students, I’ve seen a rare few, but the connection I had in the classroom no longer exists.

And next year, well, it could look the same, or could it be different in some way?

Everything is up in the air as we wait for direction from the state and the district for final decisions on whether we’ll begin school, in regular fashion or in an alternative form, or continue distance learning online.

I count my blessings that I started a school year actually seeing student faces and getting to know personalities. What if I start next year and never actually meet the students face to face? The thought of this makes me nervous already.

Does it make a difference? Discussions make me learn so much about my students. The way they connect to the lesson or to fellow peers, and voicing their thoughts on what’s happening in the class discussion makes me remember their beliefs and their struggles.

So even when we connect online, I can still envision a face connected to a voice (if they choose to not show their face on the meeting). I know something about them before the meeting and can anticipate an action or inaction from them.

Of course, some may say that students are so connected to their devices and social media that online work will not be difficult to adjust since they’ve practiced already. They are glued to their phones in the regular classroom, but in working online at home alone, does it really come across the same in terms of what they are grasping?

In the middle of a pandemic, I’ve seen the smartest students mix up directions and struggle to get an assignment turned in on time even after an entire week. Many may just not want to work or not care at this point, but some may be confused since each student has multiple classes to consider. Juggling assignments on a screen is a task that not everyone masters. And working from a screen, although it may seem convenient, is just not for everyone, even teachers. Too much screen time can be overwhelming even for an adult.

And despite a student’s vast experience with using technology, it is still a struggle, because let’s face it, it’s not fun to be separated from your classmates or activities, and the only thing connected to school is homework, at least at the high school level.

Why does it matter in what form school takes next year? Students are really missing their friends and teachers. The lack of social interaction is so crucial to all groups, but especially the youth. They’re also missing the routine of leaving their house to have a place to go or to plan an outing.

Most teachers are planners…they like to know AHEAD of time what the plan will be. The thought of not knowing puts me in the worst mood since I, too, like plans laid out and ready to go. Up in the air is just too free, too loose,…not for me.

The questions arise:

If we return to school, how do we social distance with 36 kids in a class the size of small bedroom? 6 feet apart–I might have like 10 kids in a class at one time, maybe less.

If we are required to teach less kids (most teachers are laughing at this one because they know it doesn’t exist), how do we see ALL of our kids (even if this is less) at least several times in a week and thoroughly teach the standards?

If we DON’T return to school and continue distance learning, will some students (and this some is a great deal of them) have the continued mentality that they don’t need to work? that the world will understand that they just can’t focus this way? that we need to just let them be? And…how do teachers grade something when there is nothing to grade?

And teaching? Will we be videotaping lessons of ourselves? and if we do, how will kids get the lesson if they never show up to class? Will we be requiring mandated Google meetings so we can take attendance to at least see our kids half the time?

Yes, I know, too much to think about right now. Is your head spinning?

I know if a teacher is a planner, and most are, they are asking these same exact questions. And the thing is, because everything is up in the air, we won’t get an answer for maybe a few months right before school starts. And with budget cuts looming in the background, that alone is another factor in whether school will resume in the same fashion.

So until we have an update, we’ll wait and twiddle our thumbs to see what the verdict will be. I want to say that I won’t think about this concern, but the planner in me refuses to do just that, especially with so much time to ponder at home 🙂

Stay blessed everyone… stay well…and for teachers, we have endured other difficult seasons… and we’ll continue on with our creativity, patience, and determination as we are tested in the Fall of 2020.