Pandemic Teaching

WE WERE NOT READY!!! Or were we? Why is it that everyone blames the teachers for the way education is happening now? Our teaching styles are different now a days. Who would have thought that teachers would be teaching in the middle of closed schools, no open offices, closed parks, and especially through the screen of an electronic device? Some teachers were truly not ready to do this. Was there a reason for this unpreparedness or was it just not in our interest?

During the last days before our Spring Break, my classes and I were working on online course work to assist them during the break. I had not used Study Island like I wanted to but thought it would be a good idea to assign some work to keep my students engaged while out of the classroom. As I learned to simple ways to keep the work easy for them, I thought to myself "how could a student reach me if they need assistance?" I began to review youtube videos, Office 365 tutorial videos, etc. to learn how to make and publish them. I felt ready and capable of creating tutorial videos to give my students an online tutorial. Then, then COVID-19 pandemic is in effect!

I sat home listening to the news and reading emails about how the schools were going to be shut down and I thought to myself "where do we go from here?" Our district decided to move toward online education, a virtual learning education. At one point I felt nervous and worried about my students. But it was not about the programs they were going to do but the fact that there were not many students with access to a device. I thought about my Innovation Proposal and how this would have been an excellent time to have these iPads available to my students. I knew that my students had gotten the proper training in how to log in to Study Island, so that was not worry. And then it began with the students in the other classrooms. We had faculty meetings and team meetings and other teachers were stressing about how their students could not log in, did not know where to go, or just plainly had no idea what to do. Teachers were asking me to create a video to post so all 6th students could see a tutorial on how to do the work. Simple videos were created that were straight to the point. Teachers, students, and parents had given good feedback about the videos and the uncertainty of knowing that students did not have assistance was gone.

This has been a huge change in education and in educators. This pandemic has shown all educators that technology is vital and in need. Our students are utilizing technology to continue their learning journey and it will come the time where technology will be everything. Can we as teachers lose the past teaching styles and re-teach ourselves with the upcoming 21st century learners? Technology is ongoing and it is at the hands of our future leaders. In this pandemic, there is learning going on. I have done professional development with Sphero Bolt robotics, Ozobots, Office 365, and Zoom meetings. I am completing my academy requirements and supporting my children with their school work. There is no better time to be prepared and ready for what is to come. I am getting there, are you getting ready?