When I first set foot in a classroom as a teacher, I was a naïve 25 year old who thought she knew how to handle kids. Wow! Was I in for a surprise. My first teaching job was at an urban elementary school in East L.A.. I was born and raised in La Puente, so I figured I could relate to my new students. I was given a 4th grade class and was sent to teach in one of the new bungalows in the back of the school. I had no idea what I was doing. Back in the mid-90's, I was given an emergency credential even though I was still in a teaching program and had never taught my own class. Today, most new teachers work closely with a mentor teacher; I had to learn through fire. Those little 4th graders taught me everything I needed to know about classroom management, patience, and love. I have now been teaching for 22 years, and I can still see Lester and Victor and Samantha and David and so many others. This rambunctious group of 10-years-olds helped me break some bad teacher habits and develop stronger classroom management skills. I now serve as a department chair and have also served as a mentor teacher for Claremont Graduate School of Education. I often refer back to my experience in elementary school to guide new teachers. Here is how I have applied my knowledge to this new era of distance learning.
Bad Teacher Habits
1. Don't assume
It can become very frustrating and downright lonely to teach to a black screen with only names on them. This year, students realized that they had the power to control who got to see them and who did not. Many schools gave students to option to have their cameras off during remote instruction due to privacy concerns or to allow for better internet connectivity. For many teachers, seeing their students' faces and getting non-verbal feedback was one of the ways to assess for understanding. Castelli and Sarvary (2021) argue that "Instructors benefit from receiving nonverbal cues from their students such as smiles, frowns, head nods, looks of confusion and boredom, so that they can evaluate their teaching in real time and adjust accordingly to improve student learning." Some teachers frustrated the lack of on-camera participation have threatened students with taking away points to kicking students out of class if they didn't turn on their camera. The sad reality for some students, especially vulnerable groups such as low-income or students with special needs, is that having 30 set of eyes looking at you or at your room can cause lots of anxiety and distraction. Many teachers often assume that if a student doesn't turn on their camera or does not respond during synchronous instruction, then that student is asleep, distracted, or does not care about their learning. Although this might be the case for some students, it is not the case for all of them. Just this year alone in my classes of only 90 students, I have encountered kids who have lost their parents due to Covid-19, kids who have had to take on part time jobs and do not get enough sleep, kids who live with foster parents or in group homes and are dealing with depression, kids who share their rooms with multiple family members, kids who are taking care of other kids, kids who do not have strong enough internet connection for themselves and their siblings. This list can go on and on. So yes, even though I miss seeing my students faces, I know that just having them here in my virtual classroom so that I can help them through this difficult time is more important. In fact, today on the last week of school for my seniors, I had 100% verbal participation on a poetry slam contest. Yay! I might not always see them, but I know they are listening.
2. Don't get stuck in a rut
One of the many lessons I learned during my first year of teaching was to keep things moving. My very energetic group of students were not shy when they felt a lesson was dragging on. This is true in today's virtual classrooms. One of the biggest complaints by students about distance learning is how boring classes can be. When I have walked into my kids' rooms to check in on them, I often only hear the teacher giving instructions or showing a video or worse yet, reading out loud to them- even though they are in high school. "When do you get to practice speaking Spanish in your class?" I ask my son. "Never" he glumly responds. "The teacher doesn't like to use breakout rooms so she just gives us worksheets to complete." I know first hand how difficult it has been to adjust my lessons to this new environment, but I knew I had to. With so many online resources, it isn't very difficult to find a few tools that fit your style. According to Common Sense Education, there is a wealth of tools teachers can use to keep things fresh. Some of my favorite to use in my AP Lit and Avid classes are: Pear Deck, Padlet, Flipgrid, and Adobe Spark. Not a day goes by when my students are not actively participating in a lesson. They are either having an online debate using Jamboard or are annotating a text using Pear Deck. Keeping things fresh can help with the monotony of distance learning. When all else fails, take your laptop outside and teach from a new location. Sometimes the one who needs a breather is the teacher.
3. Don't take yourself so seriously; learn to have fun
I know, I know. I said the "F" word. Yes, "Fun!" Oftentimes teachers feel the enormous pressure to follow district pacing guides, meet all of the state standards, or prepare students for high stakes exams. However, what is the appropriate pace during a global pandemic? Parents, politicians, and even students have been critical of distance learning arguing that there has been tremendous "learning loss". Engzell, Frey, et. all (2021) in their research on the affects of school closures state that "Losses are up to 60% larger among students from less-educated homes, confirming worries about the uneven tool of the pandemic on children and families." This argument is being received with mixed emotions by educators. What does "learning loss" actually mean? What many teachers have found is that trying to cover all of the curriculum as if students were sitting in a classroom does not work. Teachers have had to adjust their lessons to meet the social-emotional needs and academic needs of their students. My daughter tells me that her favorite teacher laughs with them, finds funny memes to share, and tells them everyday he is there for them. He tells them to take a 1 minute stretch break, to go get a snack, and shows them what his messy hair looks like. I always have music playing when they "enter" my Zoom class or let them play a quick round of online Pictionary using the app called Drawasaurus. Similarly, rather than trying to "get through" all of the material, what I have found useful is to bring some fun into the classroom while at the same time sneaking in the learning. For example, on the first day of class, instead of droning on about the classroom rules and course expectations, I start with an "I Am" poem project. Students get 30 seconds to find an object that is either in their possession or nearby that represents their personality. For instance, one of my student said, "I am like my shoe; a bit worn out but still going." Another student said, "I am like Mayonnaise; I bring out the best in people." "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" I excitedly shout. One by one my students share out who they are in a creative manner. As students listen to their peers, they take notes on each students' object. Then, to wrap up the lesson I have them listen to the poem "Who Am I" by Nate Williams. After hearing the poem, they are asked to write their own extended metaphor poem. By the end of day one of class, I have lowered my students' affective filter by creating a brave space for them to share their ideas. I have helped them develop their speaking and listening skills, and I have tapped into their creative juices. No. I don't believe students have to be victims of "learning loss" during distance learning. The real loss lies within the school system and educators if they fail to make necessary changes to meet the ever-changing needs of students.
