Back Teaching

I started teaching in the classroom again. There is a caveat; it’s two days a week, but it’s better than nothing. The process began with my supervisor asking if I was willing to teach a small cohort of 10 to 12 English Language Development students. I also teach 9th grade and 10th grade English Language Arts, but those students are at least two months away from being brought back. Therefore, I jumped at the prospect of separating myself from a computer screen and in less than a week, I was in front of live students on Wednesdays and Fridays. For the sake of brevity, I listed a few challenges I am currently facing:

1. My mask hides my mouth which is an essential component for those learning a new language. I asked if I could use a clear visor and they emphatically said, “No.”
2. I tried switching the desks around to accommodate a more interactive learning environment and was quickly reprimanded for not adhering to the six foot social distancing rule.
3. I’m allowed to interact with students within their six foot bubble, but they are not allowed to interact with each other.
4. The students are mandated to wear masks at all times. I understand the reasoning, but it hinders their ability to practice speaking English.
5. At the moment, I am the only teacher on campus teaching live and in person, so I am technically the “guinea pig” for all that can go wrong. This includes trying to figure out how to teach those students who are still at home and Zooming in while simultaneously teaching the students who are sitting in their desks.
6. I unintentionally forget the students on Zoom when I am interacting with the students who are in class. Unfortunately, I can’t be in two places at once. In addition, I have not found a way to monitor the Zoom chat which does not provide equitable learning opportunities.
7. The moment I engage with the Zoom students, I lose the attention of my in class students who immediately grab their smartphones. It then takes me one or two minutes to regain students attention on both fronts.
8. When writing on the whiteboard in class, I have to hold my laptop computer up to the board so that the Zoom students can see what I’m writing. This interferes with the live students sight line and hinders their ability to see what I am doing.
9. The camera on my laptop is fixed so when I am moving about the classroom the Zoom students can’t see me.
10. As I am explaining concepts or providing instructions for tasks, the Zoom students need a digital platform to interact with me via Google Classroom or a digital whiteboard whereas the in class students do not need these scaffolded support systems. What I’ve realized is that I am doing double the work if I choose not to stay seated behind a desk or remain in a fixed location.

All of these issues (and many more) are part of the hybrid Distance Learning system. Even with all the challenges, I see a glimmer in the student’s eyes. They are genuinely excited to be in class with me and we feed off the positive energy. I truly look forward to my time with them as we find solutions to this new normal and work together towards achieving a common goal.