The year 2020 has been full of lots of twist and turns. It seems like it will never end. It started at the end of my Spring Break when I got the email that we were going to be teaching on line for the rest of the year due to the outbreak of Covid 19. Can you imagine the panic and up roar across the nation. This epidemic hit us hard and we had to scramble to get a game plan to teach on line and soon. I had 4 days to prepare. How about you.
We zoomed and talked about plans and begin to set up google classrooms as our new teaching platform. Google slides became a tool that I got very familiar with during the spring. It was chaotic and things were not addressed or explained we were just told you need to start creating lessons on line. So we do as we always do we stepped up to the plate, created lessons, posted them and begin engaging with students via remote learning. We checked in and held meetings through Zoom, We collaborated through zooom and phone calls as a staff, we kept parents informed through emails, calls and sometimes even video conferencing. This was all new and exhausiting.
A lot of questions began to gather in my min. How do we get all students to participate and show up because they weren´t? How do we keep kids engaged when all we are doing is presenting lessons via slide shows or videos? How do we do grades? Yes we were expected to do grades. How do we prepare kids for the upcoming year when we have no control over them attending the and participating in the class. It was daunting and scary. Even though the STAAR test was cancelled we knew we had to provide instructional content to address the Teks students were missing being at home.
Fast Forward, the realization that students will be returning to school with big gaps became educators concerns. What do we do? teach the previous years end of year content, give an assessment to see what they knew, or jump right in and see what happens? This was my concern all summer. Then the unthinkable happened, we knew it would be a possiblity just still the amount of preparation and work we will have to do was unthinkable. We were told we would start on line the first 3 weeks of school. With all the concern over the spread of Covid 19, I was also concerned with how would I help these students get caught up and teach 6th grade curriculum at the same time. Mind you we were instructed we would be teaching in our classrooms and using a new platform. The questions about Covid 19, social distancing and safety protocols became a topic of concerns for educators around the world. It seeemed our voices were not being heard, or rather no one cared what we had to say. They just wanted the schools to open and teachers back in the classrooms.
We were guaranteed we would be safe and that we would be social distancing in our classrooms and doing meetings via zoom or making sure we are not within 6ft of each other. So I began prepping my teaching spot for the 3 weeks. I set up a table, a book display and began reading and planning how this would all work out. I was ready so I thougth. We had been using Zoom and Google classroom I felt confident and than the ball dropped. We were switching to Canvas Platform and Webex. If you could see my face as I typed this than you know my concerns. We were engaged in training for Canvas along with usual Pd training. I learned a great deal, but mostly that Canvas was not my friend. LOL. I learned that I had to reset my classroom up no tables, all desk. We were getting instructed on PPE and safety protocols along with learning how to use a new platform to teach from this year. It was alot and was overwhelming at times and still is even 6 weeks later.
Canvas was a struggle, I joined groups on FB and learned a lot from others. I was constantly studying and playing around with the platform and still not feeling comfortable., since we were tasked with uploading content for classess that started soon. So questions started brewing, we were lenient during the Spring with attendance and grading. How will get students to understand attendance is mandatory and that the work is mandatory? How will grading be handled? How is the expectations being communicated to parents? What about when we go face to face and virtual at the same time? Safety? Grades? attendance? Man the struggle was real. I know many educators can relate. It would take 3 hours or more to upload content to all 5 of my courses and to check all the links in student mode. Now, if the links wouldn´t work! Well no comment. Let´s just say I was not a happy camper. The day was upon us, we got rosters and the numbers were all over the place, because of parents being given a choice to go Traditional or Remote and creating a master schedule that worked with elective choices. When we return Face to Face after the 3 weeks were over, we were told things could change, of course now that parents can elect to comeback after the nine weeks, it would be like starting over, schedules could change and then you have to get your baring to have new students and loose some of the current students. The year 2020 was not playing fair!
As an educator, I worked hard, rather my team worked hard to ensure we created lessons and activities that would engage the students and felt like I had failed when in some classess hardly any would sign in or do the task. How do I control the uncontrollable? I am teacher of record and have to provide instructional content to these students and ensure learning and progress is taking place has become a bigger concern than ever. Sometimes, I sat in my classroom alone teaching to sometimes 9 students out of 20 something. I dont know about you but I felt like a failure, I felt like crying, ( I did cry a lot) I didnt know what to do. I was exhausted, overwhelmed and felt like I was alone. Wondering what would happen when we had to do both, I began to look for support groups.
I write this to let you know you are not alone there are some support out there. I found other teachers and realized we are all in the same boat. I joined the Canvas Facebook group to get ideas on how to improve on utilizing the polatform. page if you are using UOS join the Lucy Caulkins groups. There is one for every grade level and just a general one. if your interested and are a Reading and Writing teacher, Join Jennifer Serravalloś strategy group. Go onto Heinemannś site lots of free pd and videos available, if you haven´t enrolled your UOS teachers guides do so, there are a lot of extra resources there as well, Check into Simplyk12 the provide lots free webinars. Go find educators with TPT stores, not necessarily purchasing from them, just know they proide tips, ideas and free resources to help as well. There are a lot of blogs where teachers are sharing ideas and helping not only academically but mentally, emotionally and physically. I learned the hard way that Self care is necessary if I will last the long haul with this new normal.
As soon as I thought I had found my rythm with everyone being remote I now had to teach both Remote and Face to Face at the same time. I cam home and broke down crying. I was tired and exhausted. I was not enjoying my job and was frustrated with the expectations and changes that were being thrust on us without our input. Does no one understand the plight of teachers right now? Why are we the sacriicial lambs? I wanted to quit, but I busted my behind off to get this degree, my daughter spent most of her time with relatives while I attended school, I had to come to grips with what I could control and what I couldnt. I made some list and did a lot of praying.
Fast forward again, now we are doing both, this is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. Trying to manage in class and on line at the same time is exhausting. I can´t teach like I want, there are so many things being added to teachers plateL cleaning after every class, monitoring social distance in the halls, attendance for both in and remote class was done a certain way, still trying to plan engaging lessons p uploading assignments to canvas, trying to engage both in class and online learners at the same time. How to handle no shows, how to deal with non participants that show and do nothing, I am just besides myself. Everything has to be done a particular way, I no longer have a lot autonomy in what I teach and how I teach. It has to be uniform so that all students have an equal education and are getting the same thing regardless if they are at home or in the building. I had to really take time and think about what I wanted to do or how I will handle things. My daughter is at home worrried about me beinga at school with my medical issues and the possiblity of exposeure to Covid 19,, I am at school worried about my daughter manuevering on line alone, worried about all the students, my job performance, safety protocols. So what did I decide you ask? I am still hanging in by a thread.
I write this to let you know you are not alone there are some support out there. I found support systems. I joined the Canvas Facebook group to get ideas on how to improve on utilizing the platform, if you are using UOS join the Lucy Caulkins groups. There is one for every grade level and just a general one. if your interested and are a Reading and Writing teacher, Join Jennifer Serravalloś strategy group. Go onto Heinemannś site there is lots of free pd and videos available, if you haven´t enrolled your UOS teachers guides do so, there are a lot of extra resources there as well, Check into Simplyk12 the provide lots free webinars. Go find educators with TPT stores, not necessarily purchasing from them, just know they proide tips, ideas and free resources to help as well. There are a lot of blogs where teachers are sharing ideas and helping not only academically but mentally, emotionally and physically. I learned the hard way that Self care is necessary if I will last the long haul with this new normal.
Other resources that I recommend looking into to help spice up or make lessons more engaging and interactive
1. Padlet - I use it to present lessons in the format our school uses and also as a discussion board, for book club discussions
2. Jamboard - a way students can discuss, share, respond using sticky notes to you one another, partnerships, book clubs
3. Flipgrid - students sometimes are recording their responses to task
4. Loom -- I record long Read aloud lessons to model reading behaviors
5. Screen Castify- allows for short recordings of mini lessons (5min)
6. Break out rooms on Zoom and now Webex- I have yet to use the ones on Webex, looking into how to use effectively. ( I really want to do small groups and conferring since that is where you get the most bang) I have to really plan and be strategic with this. The con for me is not being able to see the rest of the kids or know what they are doing in their breakout rooms while I am with another group, The Pro for me is I get to get back to focusing on needs of individuals and groups to move students toward growth and progress. Then teaching would seem normal again. For now I am exhausted, overwhelmed, and my passion for teaching is truly being tested. I have different size classrooms, every kid has needs, I am working on a plan of action to make sure to be cognizant of students IEPś and 504 plans. Just another thing to make sure your adhering to while trying to teach, take care of yourself and your own families needs..
Reading teachers: I recently found video clips of skills, Songs I could use, and funny poems, you can use to teach skills. I love doing book talks using videos, and presenting trailers to kids, Our librarian is awesome she is making sure at home kids get access to books, we are able to leave books at the office as well, they are using lots of online resources: Mackinvia, Epic, and MyOn.
I write all this to say, Educatorś New Normal, is a process that will take time to run smoothly and will always need tweaking, So I decide to stand and deliver. I am giving it all I got until I can´t anymore. My new normal: Control what I can, let go of that which I Can´t and to know the difference!!!
A special thank you to all the supporters out there it makes a difference. It is appreciated and need.
Signed: MrsEduc8te reading teacher, tutor and consultant here for you.
On a side note: I feel with the social media trending judgements, condemning teachers for not wanting to be in the classroom it just makes things even harder and disheartening because it has nothing to do with our jobs as teacher, it is about safety and health for not only the students but ourselves and our families. Does that even matter? Instead of being looked on as the problem because we value our health and families health, how about come spend a day or 2 in our shoes doing what we have been tasked to do than pass your judgement. Teachers are faced with a big challenge this year and probably for years to come. The education system as we know it will need to adapt and change as they are asking teachers to do. We rise to the occassion despite our fears and concerns.
Signed,
I know this is my job
