Leaning Into The Fall

 I am trying my best to be positive.  I have examined several angles objectively.  I want to see this as an opportunity rather than an impossible situation.  But I am still really anxious about how classroom teaching will be affected as we go into the fall semester with the pandemic.

I am concerned about primary grade students missing out on their formative education so critical to advancement and success.  Yes, it very much begins in childhood with fundamental lessons in math, English, history, science, and the arts.  For most people, the groundwork to become a life-long learner starts in early childhood education.  How will the teachers keep everyone focused and on task?  How will they be able to assess student progress and make crucial adjustments?

A teacher I know in a Catholic school told me the diocese wants her online with students for at least six hours a day, five days a week.  I have been on a three hour Zoom meeting and had trouble staying focused.  Will a nine or ten year old have more stamina?  She wondered how individual class work or group projects will be managed.  She is scrambling to research online tools to assist her.

Another Catholic school teacher began issuing weekly packets of work to her students when the stay-at-home orders were initiated in March.  Students and parents picked up their packets at the start of the week and did a sort of drive-by homework submission on Fridays when she would stand out on the playground and collect the work as the cars drove through.  Of course, students completed the work, but she questioned how much was learned from the process, since most students need a combination of teacher-directed work with individual assignments and group projects.  She utilized only one method and regretted it.  Now she is trying to figure out how to involve multiple methods and be more effective as an educator with the limited resources provided by the diocese.

A third teacher set up a studio in her empty classroom with camera and lights.  Then she taught every day to an empty room.  This did give the day a schedule and rhythm that kept students on track, but she said that without being able to see body language and reactions, she was not sure if she was reaching her students and giving them the same education as she would have if they were physically present in the room.  Also, she had no control if students shut down their video and left their home study area.

One issue here is that we are asking students of all ages to be self-directed learners.  College students who are making an often expensive financial commitment to their education are in the age range of those who seek out learning opportunities, although this does not mean they won’t take a short cut.  Primary grades and high school students have to be taught the discipline and must be taken through the curriculum.  It is called compulsory education for a reason.  If not compelled, it is very easy to tune out and log off.

Many students talk about limited computer resources and even though school districts have tried to make arrangements for them, the difficulties remain.  My college students talk about sharing computers with other family members and having limited Wi-Fi, bandwidth, and hotspots for internet access. Many are accessing their Zoom class meetings and doing assignments with their smart phones.  Beyond hardware issues, students must also download and install programs to allow them to utilize course materials.  They also need access to books, libraries and research materials over the internet.  The logistics can be problematic even in the most ideal situations.

Several parents I have spoken with are worried they will not be able to fill in the gaps in learning when they work in partnership with teachers.  It is putting an overwhelming burden on them to handle their own work from home to continue to make a living and also help their children complete their assignments.  Most admit they are not teachers; they have no credential classes or classroom teaching experience on their resume.

To keep students focused, to provide them with the foundations for continuing their education, and make their learning experience as rich as it can be given the circumstances, those are goals that will require constant adjustment and assessment by teachers and parents in partnership.

Schools provide many services outside of class, like food distribution, counseling and health services, afterschool programs, and parent education.  With empty campuses, can these services be offered the same way online?  Education has layers of essential services beyond simple instruction.  Will it ever be safe to go back to these campuses?  Has education changed forever?  It will take trial and error as well as objective evaluation to determine best practices, and more will be decided in the spur of the moment to meet a crisis than we are probably comfortable with, but we must keep going and make adjustments as we go along.

We have no choice but to try to reform American education on the fly.  Right now, to be in a classroom with a teacher and other students is not safe for anyone.  As summer days dwindle down, the task ahead of us will require vision and strength. I can only hope we are up to the challenge.