I teach science and mathematics in the elementary level at a school here in Los Angeles, California and I have been doing this for more than 35 years now.
I understand the need to suspend in-person learning. If you come to think of it, not only does it keep your students protected, but it also keeps the teachers from being at risk. The big challenges for people like me are being able to adapt to technology and executing new ways of teaching. My generation has a reputation of being quite slow and we are known for being very traditional.
It’s been a real struggle having to get used to being in front of a computer. For me, navigating through a computer is not at all straight-forward. Luckily, I have my son around to troubleshoot when my students can’t hear me or I can’t hear my students. Also, you just don’t know if your students are actually listening. How do I know they’re not on their phones or playing their consoles? That worries me because in the back of my head, I want to make sure that in one way or another, I get to not just impart my knowledge, but to actually know that they understand our lessons.
Going through the emotions, I found out that virtual classes can be quite demanding for the parents as well. Not everyone has the luxury to stay home and help their kids when needed. This has proved to be a barrier and we are trying to find ways to make virtual classes work for all the kids and their families.
Having said all that, I would much rather continue with virtual classes until it is fully deemed safe for everyone. It’s a crazy world we live in, but I’m glad things are improving and I can’t wait to finally see my “kids” again!
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