My Scholar's school is virtual now what??
The digital way of learning is the new trend and we have to embrace it with open arms. I must say when I first started this journey in March (March 16th to be exact...but who's counting lol), I was very nervous to start teaching online. As a first year teacher fresh out of college, I tried to pull any information from my depth of knowledge and kept finding myself short. For the first time, I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I was full of so many what ifs. And it effected myself as an educator. I didn't feel like an effective teacher. I didn't think my students were learning. Guardians were upset. Everything seemed to be falling apart, and I missed my students. However, the thing educators and families kept forgetting one thing: THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
Everyone needed to be given grace. Teachers were trying. Families were trying. Things weren't meant to be perfect. The minute I realized this I decided to go back to the drawing board. I had to accept that I wasn't in control and I needed to learn how to keep my students engaged and wanting to go to class in a virtual setting. So myself, and other teachers, began doing what we do best. We learn. I engaged in multiple PDs (Professional Development) over the summer to help me become the most effective virtual teacher I could be.
Teachers have prepared in so many ways to help make sure that your scholars would be engaged and learning even in a virtual setting. One of the ways we have done this is by creating a virtual classroom. A bitmoji classroom for our scholars to enjoy and feel a great sense of normalcy. Teachers have come up with ways to turn paper and pencil lesson plans into engaging online lesson plans. We have made interactive schedules and so much more.
Online learning might not be what we want, but it's what we need. We can't keep using teachers as political pawns in this game we call life. Our lives and health matter and we must embrace online learning with positivity. As someone who has been doing this since March, I can tell you I have learned A LOT. And I am here to help ease the minds of guardians and teachers who might be leaning towards this direction. Here are some of the things I have learned:
1) STUDENTS WILL LEARN- Don't compare last school year to this school year. We were asked to shutdown with very little notice. We were in uncharted territory. We have learned a lot sense then. I promise your students will still learn. This was one of my biggest fears before starting this school year. However, there are many apps and tools for teachers to use to help keep your scholar engaged and ready to learn. There are so many ways to differentiate our lessons online to help accommodate every learner. At the end of each day, we do rose and thorn in my class. We name a hard part of our day (our thorn) and work up to our favorite part of our day (our rose). It always makes me so happy when my students name something they learned and had fun with as their rose. The best way to measure how much they are learning is by measuring their engagement. If students are actively participating and answering your questions, learning is happening :)
2) HAVE PATIENCE- Online learning is not the same as in person learning. And should not be compared. Teachers do not have the same expectations for students you have when we are in school as you do for online learning. And same goes for guardians. You have to have patience in grace. It's easy if we were in person if a scholar wasn't doing the work to have a certain consequence. Because you are able to see if they were goofing off or just not working. However, online you don't know what is going on behind the scenes. Families are trying and you don't know what kind of struggle they might be going through because of online learning. Try to be more lenient and understanding. Same for guardians, have patience with teachers. They are trying their hardest and once again, I know I sound like a broken record, this hasn't been done before. Teachers are still learning and are going to make mistakes. Be patient.
3) FLEXIBILITY- This is so important. Things are going to be constantly changing and I have learned to go with the flow. This has helped my mental health so much teachers. You are going to hear one plan Monday and by Friday it will all change. It's best if you just learn not to believe everything you hear until it's been absolutely confirmed, or 5 days with no other changes. Guardians, please try not to get upset with teachers if they are being vague with information. A lot of the times we are doing this because we know the information might change. Always have a plan ready to go if your scholar will be in person or virtual. Plans will change in the blink of an eye and complaining about this change will not do you any good. We know it sucks and is not convenient. But there's nothing we can do about it and it's better to be prepared and upset then upset with no plan.
4) ATTITUDE- I canNOT stress this enough. Students will feed off the energy you give. Your attitude is everything. If you have a negative attitude about online learning, students will. It's important for guardians and teachers to stay positive about every situation that you might get put through. If you are not a fan of online learning, please don't let your scholars know this. Try to make the best of it and make it exciting and fun for them. Negativity can impact their performance. It can make them not want to try because they don't want to be there.
Online learning is not ideal but it's what we need to do to help keep everyone safe. And don't think for one second that teachers don't want to be with their students. Some of us haven't seen them since March. Teachers aren't wanting this option because we are lazy. I think I have had to do more work than ever simply because we are online. It's a very difficult time. One thing I do know, is learning can happen in a virtual setting. Remember to be positive, have good time management, and create a schedule and stick to it!
We are all in this together and if we can accomplish this, we can do anything!💖
