Teaching During A Pandemic

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Abstract

line board. Then the daily updates begin to Canvas and the grade book, and zoom codes need to be updated when students did not sign in with their real names and were blocked. Goguardian needs to be loaded before each class to make sure students actually do the work instead of watching videos.Thankfully, using the technology is almost second nature now. I was always very good at time management, so I stuck with it and learned to use all the different virtual programs. I even created my own virtual classroom. The learning curve was steep, but I managed.With virtual learning, a teacher’s day is never done. I come home every day to messages from students and requests to reopen assignments or to help with an essay. I respond immediately, even if just to reply that I will take care of it later — when I am standing in the check-out line of a grocery store, for example. If te

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aching wasn’t already a 24/7 job before, it is now.Does COVID-19 worry me? Many teachers do not want to return to the classroom, but I still prefer coming to school every day to teach. I choose to keep a positive attitude. I am even quite used to wearing a mask all day, and we wipe down desks constantly.Of course, there are challenges. Quite a few students who chose e-learning lack the motivation to come to “class” on time and to submit the assignments, so recently about 60 returned to in-school learning. That makes the classes more crowded and safety distances harder to enforce.Now I am hoping to get the vaccine soon. Teachers are supposed to be in the second group here after health care workers, but I have heard nothing yet.It is possible to teach well, even in a pandemic, with the right attitude and work ethic.</article></body>

How I got better at it

Now that a semester of teaching during COVID-19 has passed, it is time for a reflection. We received technology training, and our school is very supportive, but teaching five days a week — up to 18 students in class and another 22 on zoom simultaneously — was quite a challenge.

Instead of turning on one computer in the morning, there are three: the desktop computer, the Chromebook, and the computer integrated into the Newline board. Then the daily updates begin to Canvas and the grade book, and zoom codes need to be updated when students did not sign in with their real names and were blocked. Goguardian needs to be loaded before each class to make sure students actually do the work instead of watching videos.

Thankfully, using the technology is almost second nature now. I was always very good at time management, so I stuck with it and learned to use all the different virtual programs. I even created my own virtual classroom. The learning curve was steep, but I managed.

With virtual learning, a teacher’s day is never done. I come home every day to messages from students and requests to reopen assignments or to help with an essay. I respond immediately, even if just to reply that I will take care of it later — when I am standing in the check-out line of a grocery store, for example. If teaching wasn’t already a 24/7 job before, it is now.

Does COVID-19 worry me? Many teachers do not want to return to the classroom, but I still prefer coming to school every day to teach. I choose to keep a positive attitude. I am even quite used to wearing a mask all day, and we wipe down desks constantly.

Of course, there are challenges. Quite a few students who chose e-learning lack the motivation to come to “class” on time and to submit the assignments, so recently about 60 returned to in-school learning. That makes the classes more crowded and safety distances harder to enforce.

Now I am hoping to get the vaccine soon. Teachers are supposed to be in the second group here after health care workers, but I have heard nothing yet.

It is possible to teach well, even in a pandemic, with the right attitude and work ethic.