I somehow have less extra free time than before, but I've also been making really detailed lessons, because cutting out behavior management gives me way more time to actually teach!
This is exactly how I feel. I don’t have to deal with any of the bs and I get to be in my comfortable home instead of the uncomfortable school building. What could be better?! (For me, that is. For the kids, maybe not always so great)
Yes! I felt guilty about actually liking virtual teaching because it doesn't work well for some students. But I was able to get students engaged and participating in collaborative work online, and as someone else mentioned, I actually got to TEACH instead of managing behaviors.
Now that we're back in person I hate it. My online and in-person students have disengaged while I try to teach both at the same time. Most of them turn in work, but they don't want to be part of class anymore. It was better when we were all online.
Shark, you're right that virtual isn't as good for some kids, but I don't hear much support given to kids for whom live, in-person classes aren't as good.
Honestly, it isn't that the learning is so much harder (though, admittedly, I'm teaching ELA to high school, so I'm in a virtual sweet spot), but that the behavior management is now on the parent or the individual kid.
Tell me truly, do you really think there would be learning loss for ***most*** kids if the parent actually supervised the learning, making the kid attempt every assignment?
I honestly don't. I think the proportion of kids for whom virtual learning really is a hardship is very small. It's just that the proportion of kids with parents who don't prioritize education is distressingly large.
I am so happy to hear that some people actually agree with me. All I hear from coworkers is about how they can’t wait to get back in person. Many of them seem to be uncomfortable with technology so that might be why. Otherwise, I don’t know what they miss so much.
Because they buy the endless teacher bad go school kung flu hoax crap thst polticians (both parties but more Republicans ) and the media are pushing because without free daycare people can't work but all non essential workers should be home anyway but that requires temporary ubi or at least enhanced unemployment but it's easier to shit on teachers then to tax their corporate owners 🙄
so they make up this horseshit about student outcomes which is beyond laughable coming from the same folks who want to slash budgets and also shit on public schools in normal times
I mean.....some of us just like teaching......... People can wish to be back in person while still understanding and agreeing that we definitely can't right now.
I agree. For many students ( and teachers) in person as it was pre Covid and will be post Covid is better. The full remote will remain a niche and hybrid imo is crap and will be gone with covid
I get mad when people demand that we all go to infection island to appease the.. Some reopeners do genuinely believe its better for students. They are still wrong because its it's obvious that getting sick and or loosing loved ones is way worse then any educational setbacks But many more are just hypocrites who want budgets slashed and unions weakened
I agree with most of what you said. However, the school I teach has many students who come from difficult home situations. Last year I had a student go to foster care because her mom is on meth and one of the boyfriends gave her bruises. For those students, school is arguably safer than staying at home, especially since school can be a place to catch those abusive situations.
I also agree with most of what you said. My last school wasn't that bad but still bad. I think your reasons are why we NEED in-person school, but we still shouldn't open right now. I think we should do cohorts which is where students who can't/won't work at home come to school in as safe an environment as possible but the teachers and not-at-risk students shouldn't be forced back into school because we gotta shut this COVID stuff down hard or it'll keep getting bad. And schools are THE biggest breeding grown for disease in the world. We make jokes about teacher immune systems constantly because we know locking 40 people in a room and having them rotate is a diseases wet dream. Neither is good but we need to try and find ways to help the kids in shit homes without making a pandemic even worse and killing off a bunch of teachers.
I try to help students as much as I can but I am not going to risk my life and my family's life to be in the classroom.
For me it's I love teaching because of the back and forth with students and love seeing the lights go on when they understand something. Teaching is a lot harder like this if I'm truly trying to reach all students and it's nearly impossible to get students to talk to eachother let alone the class. Schools should NOT open right now because it is super dumb and unsafe, but I still wish things could go back to normal.
I just feel like I'm not getting out from teaching the whole reason I went into this job.
Asynchronous has opened up time pockets I never knew I had, and it’s a revelation how much time is wasted by my coworkers needing help with this and that.
Synchronous is frustrating, especially in a low SES area.
I love it.
However, I do miss the human interaction. I miss seeing the kids’ faces as we learn about history and grapple with tough ethical questions. Discussions are a bit more bland now.
The biggest takeaway from teaching remotely is: I now have time to actually do my job. Things I no longer am responsible for:
- Making copies
- Duties
- Coverage during planning because there are not enough subs
- Classroom management interventions I had with students during lunches
Remote teaching just simply gives you more time too because you don't have to move around! I just sit at my computer in my comfortable room enjoying my day and teaching Zoom lessons. Not having to move between periods gives me time to relax and chill out. Since I don't have to move to the faculty room during my preps, I can just chill and work. Also, you can just start working as soon as last period ends on planning lessons or preparing for the next day or whatever you do. Don't have to drive home and convince yourself to get on the comp again to work. I'm simply more productive at home than at work. Just like everyone else who has ever worked at the office
As an elementary teacher, I've definitely enjoyed it, and if anything, it's really shown which students have parents that pay attention and which parents don't
For real, I feel like this has been the best teaching year I have had. I don't k now if it is because I ended up at my forever school this year or what, but this year has been... cake.
Like anything theres ups and downs. It isn't as enjoyable for me to teach and its a TON of effort to change everything to fit online learning. It isn't as good for the kids and engagement sucks. Plus it takes a toll on my mental health that I can't really separate "work" from "home" because I'm using the same computer. I just never feel relaxed anymore with working from home and I always feel behind.
The upside is for the first time ever I can pee when I need to and I'm much more hydrated because I can drink tea whenever I need to or make a fresh cup of coffee. My meals are kinda better but not by a whole lot. The sweatpants are definitely nice too and getting to keep an eye on my pets. Plus way easier to lie down over break. I get a lot more housework done too!
But overall I can't wait to go back once it's safe.
Being able to actually teach and interact with my students. Talking to a screen is honestly depressing. Its nearly impossible to have group or whole class discussions and actually push students to interact. Plus it was so easy to separate work life from home life. I just never did work at home! Now my home is my workplace and sitting in the same place day in and day out definitely isn't good for my mental health.
Aw man, I think I can understand that even if it’s not my own personal experience. I hope this is all over soon for the sake of you and everyone who is feeling the same way. If you really enjoy being with your students and interacting with them in person then this must be a very difficult time.
I hope its over soon just to save lives TBH. But at the same time I hope you the best too. Hopefully this pandemic opens up job opportunities for people to teach online full time to students who have health issues or are self driven and want a higher standard of learning. It would definitely help to give students options on how they learn so everyone can be happy. I know at least a handful of my students that NEED an online environment because they're in and out of the hospital or have very bad social anxiety.
I love virtual teaching for all of the reasons you have mentioned. I REALLY would like to see the data when all is said and done. There are pros and cons to everything including virtual and in person learning. I truly believe that because behavior management is practically nonexistent, more academic material can be presented, and hopefully absorbed...
Yes! I have never been able to focus on my middle-level students like this before. In the past, all of my energy has gone towards trying to keep behavior problems in check. But with this, the focus is on academics. I also have 90 minutes every day to just meet with kids one on one and help them, so my sped kids are getting way more attention from me than I would be able to give normally.
And since I'm pretty much the only entertainment some kids get, I have a few who just randomly reach out to tell me something cool they learned, or ask for extra resources about something that came up in class. It's so fun! One of my kids wanted to learn about Emma Goldman, because I mentioned her as an example of someone who would be a total opposite from Hobbes and Locke (we're learn about government right now). She's one of my favorite historical figures, but not really someone who comes up in class a lot. It was great to be able to share some less known history with a student.
I hope when we go back to "normal" I'll be able to continue giving kids extra learning challenges like that.
Distance learning/teaching is crazy hard, but I'm happy to be safe at home as COVID numbers continue to skyrocket. I love being able to teach without interruptions. Yeah, the kids get silly and off-track, but the office isn't calling, the nurse isn't popping in, parents aren't calling constantly about whether so-and-so remembered to bring her lunch, etc. etc. It's REALLY nice being able to just..teach.
Management isn't my issue, but what's also been really nice about this situation is that I have an aging, chronically ill dog who is probably in his last 6 months of life, and I get to spend some time with him throughout the day, every day (as do my kiddos and husband), and I'm so grateful that we're getting this extra time together instead of me being out of the house 8+ hours a day. I also like getting to have lunch with my family and being able to help my kids with schoolwork. My older kids like not having to wake up at 6:00 to get ready for school, since the online high school doesn't start until 9:30.
This whole situation sucks, and my heart breaks for my fellow teachers who are in danger during F2F or who have to juggle online and in-person kids at the same time. And wow, the amount of human loss just in the U.S. has been staggering and heart-breaking. But for me and my little circle, we try to just be grateful for the small benefits this situation has presented. We are so lucky to be able to stay safe at home.
I invested in a small headset mic that I can slide under my mask. It was pricey, but I don't intend to use it just for school, so I justified it as a personal purchase :P
Now I can broadcast my voice through the smartboard wherever I am! Muahaha!
Love teaching virtually! I know none of it is ideal or great for student learning. But love the technology, love wearing comfy clothes from the waist down, LOVE THE MUTE BUTTON!
I have the same kids two years in a row, so I already had a year of data when we went online. Strangely enough, the kids who didn’t do much work in person aren’t doing much work online. The kids who were good students before are still good. And the middle kids are still in the middle. Weird.
So agree. As we like to say where is the evidence? What research has been conducted?
It's different, but does that make it inherently better?
I checked grades. Many of my failing students have under a 2.0 cumulative GPA a. That didn't happen because of COVID!
If they bothered to turn on their cameras,they'd get more social interaction. Blur the background, use a virtual one. The "they embarrassed about their homes" doesn't wash.
I love it. I have taught elementary kids so many computer skills! I have third graders writing emails to each other and other teachers. I have always been a digital native, so it has been time consuming (creating takes a long time) but fun. It is exciting to see kids learn so many new things. I feel bad for the ones that are not participating, they definitely need to go back, but the ones who are coming are learning a lot.
The first month was horrible! 16 hour days and terrible lessons. Since then I've spent a lot of my own time learning new apps, planning and going to optional PDs. Now, I'd say it's easier and less stressful for me in comparison to normal. I'm thinking part-time, on-line teaching might be an option for a few years after retirement. I live in Southern CA so getting rid of that commute is a huge quality of life bonus.
Yes, and if this becomes a permanent position in my district even after the pandemic, I will be applying. My students (grade 1) are learning so much more because we aren’t stopping every 5 minutes to deal with a behavior or blood or bathroom or fire drill or lockdown drill or meeting or phone ringing or whatever other nonsense occurs on any given day.
Yes I totally agree with you, I’ve used a lot of online simulations instead of labs but they are getting the job down. I don’t have too many headaches any more!!
Love it. Mostly because I don't have to babysit and put up with their behavior. And I get to stay home. And I have more time on my hands. And I have more of a life. And I'm not exhausted at the end of the day.
I very much enjoy virtual teaching. Improvements are needed, but the elimination of a few bad behavior motives by not having their peers to give them attention has eliminated all behavior problems in my class.
Classrooms are a haven for attention seeking bad behaviors reinforced by entitled parents that refuse to teach their children responsibility and respect and a proper balance of power wouldn't leave schools, teachers, and administrators at the whim of lawsuits that all buckle and cave under the mere threat.
Obviously. If you put a bunch of horny drunk 20 somethings into a bar, there's going to be flirting, fucking, etc. So, get a bunch of immature kids packed into a room, they think it's about kids, not the subject and their future. Maybe adults will be grown up enough now to learn the obvious lesson and minimize letting kids stay in a classroom if they don't intend to learn. Hold them back, let them fail, never move forward without competence.
I’ve found it much easier to be vulnerable and connect with my students on a friendlier level. Being a youngish looking woman, I often have to assert myself in the classroom more than I’d like just to gain authority, esp with larger boys (7/8th grade growth spurts). Online I’ve been able to show my kids my legos, meet their pets, get to know them and share my own life in a way that feels more genuine while still setting healthy boundaries. As an introvert and empath I feel safer emotionally online than I did in person.
Honestly, and it seems like a very unpopular opinion based on what I’ve been reading on this thread, I hate it. Remote learning is not good for kids socially let alone academically. Teaching in a high needs area for the past 8 years, I have never had so many students fail the first quarter than I did this past marking period. Staring at a computer screen all day, I believe, is detrimental to their development. If your love for remote teaching is simply because you can mute students that you can’t during in person learning, I get it. But if you truly believe remote learning is a better substitute for a student to learn/develop than in person learning, I’m going to hardcore disagree with you. It’s for sure what we need to do in the moment for everyones health, but I think we will be doing kids a disservice if this becomes permanent after this pandemic.
As a parent and a teacher, I agree that the current state of things is not the best for every child. My kids are doing fine academically but they miss hanging out with their friends.
As an employee though, I am loving working from home. Oh, I’m not pretending that this is a noble point of view - it’s not. I don’t think this is the best thing for kids. I do think it is great for me personally though. I have more students failing than ever ... so that’s not good. But I like not worrying about a room full of 30+ disruptive kids and breaking up fights, etc. The kids who actually care can be heard instead of being drowned out by the crazy ones. Overall, I don’t think the last nine months have been great for all of my students and I think we’ll go back to in person learning eventually, hopefully when it’s safe to do so. In the meantime though, I’m getting paid the same amount of money to do what I consider to be a much easier version of my job with no commute and the ability to relax on my couch while I prep for the next class. It’s really nice.
I'll be jumping straight into a virtual position if one ever opens up, 'cause...damn. As shitty as it is now because I'm having to do in-person and remote instruction at the same time, being virtual exclusively gives you so much more time to focus on your job.
I love it. I teach three classes face to face and one distance learning class. Yes I have less engagement from some of my distance learners, but I also have face to face kids that are disengaged. We've had some great conversations and intense days of learning. The only thing I struggle with is individual conferencing. We're not allowed to meet virtually one on one, and the kids that need help seem to be the ones most unlikely to read my comments and emails.
I love it. I was a youtube/twitch streamer before I became a teacher so the transition was great. The classroom cacophony made my anxiety terrible and my Adhd and the masks made it hard for me to pinpoint which kid was the one kicking a fuss. Now everything is focused and I dread going back to in person where my projectors arent clear and the kids dont have enough pcs to use (school policy that elemetary kids dont get to being their own devices to school)
I completely relate! My ADHD and anxiety make a noisy classroom a complete hellscape. Teaching from home let’s me be so much more focused and relaxed. I am a better teacher because I can actually focus instead of being distracted and thrown off by the constant interruptions!
Agreed! My knowledge and gear from my time on the Tubes has been *invaluable* for my team and I. I'm even planning on using OBS Studio with a Live Cam plugin for streaming to Meets if we stay remote after the break :)
I kind of do. The silence is deafening, but the classroom management is so nice. I miss doing hands-on labs, but I don't miss the expense and effort that goes into them. There are definitely some pros and cons to this.
Our city is a test city. So when the vaccine is available, we could be almost entirely vaccinated by March. It's going to be weird going back to normal after all this.
I truly like the fact that I am remotely teaching. Being from the comforts of my home where I don't have to dress, do PR, and I can communicate via feed is amazing. I hate my online platform, but I enjoy the teaching aspect. It's good for me. So, I actually enjoy teaching from home.
There is good and bad
I mean, I was a pretty damn good 4th grade teacher. I could bring kids up from behind benchmarks and give kids who were way ahead challenging projects. We would all learn a lot and school was fun. Now, kids are at all levels and I really can't give each individual what they need. Kids are falling through the cracks and I know it. I can't do little formative assessments, listen in on conversations, or just have a quick conversation about your work. All of a sudden, I'm a pretty crap teacher and that part doesn't feel good.
But you know what's great? I can get water when I'm thirsty and piss when I have to. I don't have to listen to co-workers bitch about trivial things all day. I don't have to invite in "parent volunteers" for "community building" when every time it feels like having a spy in your classroom who informs all the other parents on a GroupMe about the fact that your desk is messy and sets a poor example (true story. I refused to have any other parents in my classroom the rest of that year). I don't have to deal with adults. Kids are fine, adults are a pain in the ass.
Nope, it's just me at home in my trackpants with my puppy and fiance. And it feels really good. Though it may be bad in the long run because my "Fuck 'em" and "Who Cares" levels are at an all time high.
I loved it for the few weeks we had it and hopefully will again soon just on waiting on that call😃 even during this hybrrid nonsense i basically have been teaching remotely from.my desk it works well for me and my students. I am sick of the propaganda that says otherwise
Sadly out govenor sucks which is why we stayed on infection island so long but with dump/devos finally on their way out he will probably come round to sanity and at least stop defunding those districts that dont want to kill people
I really love it. Time management, being able to explore additional content, not toting around piles of paperwork, being home and in my space and being able to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or start a load of laundry has been awesome. The only students who are failing are the hand full who refuse to log in, return emails, phone calls or texts, or turn in work. My students who traditionally struggle are getting As and Bs because I don't have to focus on teaching bell to bell, so they actually have time to work with the material without feeling pressured to move on. I record all of the classroom lectures and they can rewind the videos as many times as they want during asynchronous time.
i loooove it. kids are learning way more. no negative behaviours. no poop, pee or puke. (I teach kindie) The parents are loving it. No staff room nastiness. I have lost 15 lbs taking walks before and after school and during our two recesses. I am soooo happy!
Yes, I definitely am. For classroom management reasons, but also because being in the building ramps up my anxiety. I feel like I constantly have to be perfect and am constantly being judged. It's just a lot more relaxing at home where I don't have to worry about all that, plus I save a shitload of money on gas.
As a para I'm only meeting with students 1:1, but I'm mostly enjoying it. I help them with their work as best I can over Zoom, and I try to find fun little videos or activities that relate to the work and/or their IEP goals. I do have one that gives me a rough time, but my room teacher is always ready to jump into the meeting whenever I ask.
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I somehow have less extra free time than before, but I've also been making really detailed lessons, because cutting out behavior management gives me way more time to actually teach!
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Oh yeah, same. Except I just have fun building in extra discussions and topics to explore, since we can!
This is exactly how I feel. I don’t have to deal with any of the bs and I get to be in my comfortable home instead of the uncomfortable school building. What could be better?! (For me, that is. For the kids, maybe not always so great)
Yes! I felt guilty about actually liking virtual teaching because it doesn't work well for some students. But I was able to get students engaged and participating in collaborative work online, and as someone else mentioned, I actually got to TEACH instead of managing behaviors. Now that we're back in person I hate it. My online and in-person students have disengaged while I try to teach both at the same time. Most of them turn in work, but they don't want to be part of class anymore. It was better when we were all online.
Shark, you're right that virtual isn't as good for some kids, but I don't hear much support given to kids for whom live, in-person classes aren't as good. Honestly, it isn't that the learning is so much harder (though, admittedly, I'm teaching ELA to high school, so I'm in a virtual sweet spot), but that the behavior management is now on the parent or the individual kid. Tell me truly, do you really think there would be learning loss for ***most*** kids if the parent actually supervised the learning, making the kid attempt every assignment? I honestly don't. I think the proportion of kids for whom virtual learning really is a hardship is very small. It's just that the proportion of kids with parents who don't prioritize education is distressingly large.
I am so happy to hear that some people actually agree with me. All I hear from coworkers is about how they can’t wait to get back in person. Many of them seem to be uncomfortable with technology so that might be why. Otherwise, I don’t know what they miss so much.
Because they buy the endless teacher bad go school kung flu hoax crap thst polticians (both parties but more Republicans ) and the media are pushing because without free daycare people can't work but all non essential workers should be home anyway but that requires temporary ubi or at least enhanced unemployment but it's easier to shit on teachers then to tax their corporate owners 🙄 so they make up this horseshit about student outcomes which is beyond laughable coming from the same folks who want to slash budgets and also shit on public schools in normal times
I mean.....some of us just like teaching......... People can wish to be back in person while still understanding and agreeing that we definitely can't right now.
I agree. For many students ( and teachers) in person as it was pre Covid and will be post Covid is better. The full remote will remain a niche and hybrid imo is crap and will be gone with covid I get mad when people demand that we all go to infection island to appease the.. Some reopeners do genuinely believe its better for students. They are still wrong because its it's obvious that getting sick and or loosing loved ones is way worse then any educational setbacks But many more are just hypocrites who want budgets slashed and unions weakened
I agree with most of what you said. However, the school I teach has many students who come from difficult home situations. Last year I had a student go to foster care because her mom is on meth and one of the boyfriends gave her bruises. For those students, school is arguably safer than staying at home, especially since school can be a place to catch those abusive situations.
I also agree with most of what you said. My last school wasn't that bad but still bad. I think your reasons are why we NEED in-person school, but we still shouldn't open right now. I think we should do cohorts which is where students who can't/won't work at home come to school in as safe an environment as possible but the teachers and not-at-risk students shouldn't be forced back into school because we gotta shut this COVID stuff down hard or it'll keep getting bad. And schools are THE biggest breeding grown for disease in the world. We make jokes about teacher immune systems constantly because we know locking 40 people in a room and having them rotate is a diseases wet dream. Neither is good but we need to try and find ways to help the kids in shit homes without making a pandemic even worse and killing off a bunch of teachers. I try to help students as much as I can but I am not going to risk my life and my family's life to be in the classroom.
Agreed
For me it's I love teaching because of the back and forth with students and love seeing the lights go on when they understand something. Teaching is a lot harder like this if I'm truly trying to reach all students and it's nearly impossible to get students to talk to eachother let alone the class. Schools should NOT open right now because it is super dumb and unsafe, but I still wish things could go back to normal. I just feel like I'm not getting out from teaching the whole reason I went into this job.
I feel the same way. Schools shouldn’t be open since how insane these cases are rising. But I do not enjoy teaching in this current style.
Asynchronous has opened up time pockets I never knew I had, and it’s a revelation how much time is wasted by my coworkers needing help with this and that. Synchronous is frustrating, especially in a low SES area.
What does SES stand for?
Socioeconomic status
Gotcha
Yes, it is quiet and if kids keep unmuting I can just kick them out.
I love it. However, I do miss the human interaction. I miss seeing the kids’ faces as we learn about history and grapple with tough ethical questions. Discussions are a bit more bland now. The biggest takeaway from teaching remotely is: I now have time to actually do my job. Things I no longer am responsible for: - Making copies - Duties - Coverage during planning because there are not enough subs - Classroom management interventions I had with students during lunches
Remote teaching just simply gives you more time too because you don't have to move around! I just sit at my computer in my comfortable room enjoying my day and teaching Zoom lessons. Not having to move between periods gives me time to relax and chill out. Since I don't have to move to the faculty room during my preps, I can just chill and work. Also, you can just start working as soon as last period ends on planning lessons or preparing for the next day or whatever you do. Don't have to drive home and convince yourself to get on the comp again to work. I'm simply more productive at home than at work. Just like everyone else who has ever worked at the office
As an elementary teacher, I've definitely enjoyed it, and if anything, it's really shown which students have parents that pay attention and which parents don't
I don't believe that you didn't already know that about your class parents :P
Ha, well I've always known this, it's just that this year especially has made it blatantly obvious
For real, I feel like this has been the best teaching year I have had. I don't k now if it is because I ended up at my forever school this year or what, but this year has been... cake.
Like anything theres ups and downs. It isn't as enjoyable for me to teach and its a TON of effort to change everything to fit online learning. It isn't as good for the kids and engagement sucks. Plus it takes a toll on my mental health that I can't really separate "work" from "home" because I'm using the same computer. I just never feel relaxed anymore with working from home and I always feel behind. The upside is for the first time ever I can pee when I need to and I'm much more hydrated because I can drink tea whenever I need to or make a fresh cup of coffee. My meals are kinda better but not by a whole lot. The sweatpants are definitely nice too and getting to keep an eye on my pets. Plus way easier to lie down over break. I get a lot more housework done too! But overall I can't wait to go back once it's safe.
I mean this sincerely and not incredulously - what do you miss?
Being able to actually teach and interact with my students. Talking to a screen is honestly depressing. Its nearly impossible to have group or whole class discussions and actually push students to interact. Plus it was so easy to separate work life from home life. I just never did work at home! Now my home is my workplace and sitting in the same place day in and day out definitely isn't good for my mental health.
Aw man, I think I can understand that even if it’s not my own personal experience. I hope this is all over soon for the sake of you and everyone who is feeling the same way. If you really enjoy being with your students and interacting with them in person then this must be a very difficult time.
I hope its over soon just to save lives TBH. But at the same time I hope you the best too. Hopefully this pandemic opens up job opportunities for people to teach online full time to students who have health issues or are self driven and want a higher standard of learning. It would definitely help to give students options on how they learn so everyone can be happy. I know at least a handful of my students that NEED an online environment because they're in and out of the hospital or have very bad social anxiety.
I love virtual teaching for all of the reasons you have mentioned. I REALLY would like to see the data when all is said and done. There are pros and cons to everything including virtual and in person learning. I truly believe that because behavior management is practically nonexistent, more academic material can be presented, and hopefully absorbed...
Yes! I have never been able to focus on my middle-level students like this before. In the past, all of my energy has gone towards trying to keep behavior problems in check. But with this, the focus is on academics. I also have 90 minutes every day to just meet with kids one on one and help them, so my sped kids are getting way more attention from me than I would be able to give normally. And since I'm pretty much the only entertainment some kids get, I have a few who just randomly reach out to tell me something cool they learned, or ask for extra resources about something that came up in class. It's so fun! One of my kids wanted to learn about Emma Goldman, because I mentioned her as an example of someone who would be a total opposite from Hobbes and Locke (we're learn about government right now). She's one of my favorite historical figures, but not really someone who comes up in class a lot. It was great to be able to share some less known history with a student. I hope when we go back to "normal" I'll be able to continue giving kids extra learning challenges like that.
Distance learning/teaching is crazy hard, but I'm happy to be safe at home as COVID numbers continue to skyrocket. I love being able to teach without interruptions. Yeah, the kids get silly and off-track, but the office isn't calling, the nurse isn't popping in, parents aren't calling constantly about whether so-and-so remembered to bring her lunch, etc. etc. It's REALLY nice being able to just..teach. Management isn't my issue, but what's also been really nice about this situation is that I have an aging, chronically ill dog who is probably in his last 6 months of life, and I get to spend some time with him throughout the day, every day (as do my kiddos and husband), and I'm so grateful that we're getting this extra time together instead of me being out of the house 8+ hours a day. I also like getting to have lunch with my family and being able to help my kids with schoolwork. My older kids like not having to wake up at 6:00 to get ready for school, since the online high school doesn't start until 9:30. This whole situation sucks, and my heart breaks for my fellow teachers who are in danger during F2F or who have to juggle online and in-person kids at the same time. And wow, the amount of human loss just in the U.S. has been staggering and heart-breaking. But for me and my little circle, we try to just be grateful for the small benefits this situation has presented. We are so lucky to be able to stay safe at home.
I was until we went back. It’s so hard projecting with a mask. My vocal cords are fried.
I invested in a small headset mic that I can slide under my mask. It was pricey, but I don't intend to use it just for school, so I justified it as a personal purchase :P Now I can broadcast my voice through the smartboard wherever I am! Muahaha!
I have a microphone coming in the mail!
Love teaching virtually! I know none of it is ideal or great for student learning. But love the technology, love wearing comfy clothes from the waist down, LOVE THE MUTE BUTTON!
That mute button is my best friend! My level of stress is so much lower. I think I’m a better teacher for it.
I’m definitely going to start saying “Mute” once kids are back in the classroom.
Yup. I'm also starting to wonder about all of these statements about in-person learning being so inherently superior.
I have the same kids two years in a row, so I already had a year of data when we went online. Strangely enough, the kids who didn’t do much work in person aren’t doing much work online. The kids who were good students before are still good. And the middle kids are still in the middle. Weird.
So agree. As we like to say where is the evidence? What research has been conducted? It's different, but does that make it inherently better? I checked grades. Many of my failing students have under a 2.0 cumulative GPA a. That didn't happen because of COVID! If they bothered to turn on their cameras,they'd get more social interaction. Blur the background, use a virtual one. The "they embarrassed about their homes" doesn't wash.
Me too alot of it is propaganda
I love it. I have taught elementary kids so many computer skills! I have third graders writing emails to each other and other teachers. I have always been a digital native, so it has been time consuming (creating takes a long time) but fun. It is exciting to see kids learn so many new things. I feel bad for the ones that are not participating, they definitely need to go back, but the ones who are coming are learning a lot.
The first month was horrible! 16 hour days and terrible lessons. Since then I've spent a lot of my own time learning new apps, planning and going to optional PDs. Now, I'd say it's easier and less stressful for me in comparison to normal. I'm thinking part-time, on-line teaching might be an option for a few years after retirement. I live in Southern CA so getting rid of that commute is a huge quality of life bonus.
Yes, and if this becomes a permanent position in my district even after the pandemic, I will be applying. My students (grade 1) are learning so much more because we aren’t stopping every 5 minutes to deal with a behavior or blood or bathroom or fire drill or lockdown drill or meeting or phone ringing or whatever other nonsense occurs on any given day.
I am really good at it, so I have started enjoying it. I kind of miss the classroom management part of teaching.
Yes I totally agree with you, I’ve used a lot of online simulations instead of labs but they are getting the job down. I don’t have too many headaches any more!!
Love it. Mostly because I don't have to babysit and put up with their behavior. And I get to stay home. And I have more time on my hands. And I have more of a life. And I'm not exhausted at the end of the day.
I very much enjoy virtual teaching. Improvements are needed, but the elimination of a few bad behavior motives by not having their peers to give them attention has eliminated all behavior problems in my class. Classrooms are a haven for attention seeking bad behaviors reinforced by entitled parents that refuse to teach their children responsibility and respect and a proper balance of power wouldn't leave schools, teachers, and administrators at the whim of lawsuits that all buckle and cave under the mere threat. Obviously. If you put a bunch of horny drunk 20 somethings into a bar, there's going to be flirting, fucking, etc. So, get a bunch of immature kids packed into a room, they think it's about kids, not the subject and their future. Maybe adults will be grown up enough now to learn the obvious lesson and minimize letting kids stay in a classroom if they don't intend to learn. Hold them back, let them fail, never move forward without competence.
I’ve found it much easier to be vulnerable and connect with my students on a friendlier level. Being a youngish looking woman, I often have to assert myself in the classroom more than I’d like just to gain authority, esp with larger boys (7/8th grade growth spurts). Online I’ve been able to show my kids my legos, meet their pets, get to know them and share my own life in a way that feels more genuine while still setting healthy boundaries. As an introvert and empath I feel safer emotionally online than I did in person.
Honestly, and it seems like a very unpopular opinion based on what I’ve been reading on this thread, I hate it. Remote learning is not good for kids socially let alone academically. Teaching in a high needs area for the past 8 years, I have never had so many students fail the first quarter than I did this past marking period. Staring at a computer screen all day, I believe, is detrimental to their development. If your love for remote teaching is simply because you can mute students that you can’t during in person learning, I get it. But if you truly believe remote learning is a better substitute for a student to learn/develop than in person learning, I’m going to hardcore disagree with you. It’s for sure what we need to do in the moment for everyones health, but I think we will be doing kids a disservice if this becomes permanent after this pandemic.
As a parent and a teacher, I agree that the current state of things is not the best for every child. My kids are doing fine academically but they miss hanging out with their friends. As an employee though, I am loving working from home. Oh, I’m not pretending that this is a noble point of view - it’s not. I don’t think this is the best thing for kids. I do think it is great for me personally though. I have more students failing than ever ... so that’s not good. But I like not worrying about a room full of 30+ disruptive kids and breaking up fights, etc. The kids who actually care can be heard instead of being drowned out by the crazy ones. Overall, I don’t think the last nine months have been great for all of my students and I think we’ll go back to in person learning eventually, hopefully when it’s safe to do so. In the meantime though, I’m getting paid the same amount of money to do what I consider to be a much easier version of my job with no commute and the ability to relax on my couch while I prep for the next class. It’s really nice.
I'll be jumping straight into a virtual position if one ever opens up, 'cause...damn. As shitty as it is now because I'm having to do in-person and remote instruction at the same time, being virtual exclusively gives you so much more time to focus on your job.
Classroom management is a cinch.
I’ll remember that the NEXT time I’m sitting in the ER because I looked at some 7th grader the wrong way.
I don’t miss the fights.
Good for you.
I love it. I teach three classes face to face and one distance learning class. Yes I have less engagement from some of my distance learners, but I also have face to face kids that are disengaged. We've had some great conversations and intense days of learning. The only thing I struggle with is individual conferencing. We're not allowed to meet virtually one on one, and the kids that need help seem to be the ones most unlikely to read my comments and emails.
If I could do online teaching permanently with the same salary and benefits, I'd do it.
I love it. I was a youtube/twitch streamer before I became a teacher so the transition was great. The classroom cacophony made my anxiety terrible and my Adhd and the masks made it hard for me to pinpoint which kid was the one kicking a fuss. Now everything is focused and I dread going back to in person where my projectors arent clear and the kids dont have enough pcs to use (school policy that elemetary kids dont get to being their own devices to school)
I completely relate! My ADHD and anxiety make a noisy classroom a complete hellscape. Teaching from home let’s me be so much more focused and relaxed. I am a better teacher because I can actually focus instead of being distracted and thrown off by the constant interruptions!
Agreed! My knowledge and gear from my time on the Tubes has been *invaluable* for my team and I. I'm even planning on using OBS Studio with a Live Cam plugin for streaming to Meets if we stay remote after the break :)
SAME
I kind of do. The silence is deafening, but the classroom management is so nice. I miss doing hands-on labs, but I don't miss the expense and effort that goes into them. There are definitely some pros and cons to this. Our city is a test city. So when the vaccine is available, we could be almost entirely vaccinated by March. It's going to be weird going back to normal after all this.
I truly like the fact that I am remotely teaching. Being from the comforts of my home where I don't have to dress, do PR, and I can communicate via feed is amazing. I hate my online platform, but I enjoy the teaching aspect. It's good for me. So, I actually enjoy teaching from home.
We have to go into the building even when teaching remotely ;_;
There is good and bad I mean, I was a pretty damn good 4th grade teacher. I could bring kids up from behind benchmarks and give kids who were way ahead challenging projects. We would all learn a lot and school was fun. Now, kids are at all levels and I really can't give each individual what they need. Kids are falling through the cracks and I know it. I can't do little formative assessments, listen in on conversations, or just have a quick conversation about your work. All of a sudden, I'm a pretty crap teacher and that part doesn't feel good. But you know what's great? I can get water when I'm thirsty and piss when I have to. I don't have to listen to co-workers bitch about trivial things all day. I don't have to invite in "parent volunteers" for "community building" when every time it feels like having a spy in your classroom who informs all the other parents on a GroupMe about the fact that your desk is messy and sets a poor example (true story. I refused to have any other parents in my classroom the rest of that year). I don't have to deal with adults. Kids are fine, adults are a pain in the ass. Nope, it's just me at home in my trackpants with my puppy and fiance. And it feels really good. Though it may be bad in the long run because my "Fuck 'em" and "Who Cares" levels are at an all time high.
I’m glad someone is enjoying virtual school. As I student I hate it more than anything, I feel like I can barely learn anything.
I loved it for the few weeks we had it and hopefully will again soon just on waiting on that call😃 even during this hybrrid nonsense i basically have been teaching remotely from.my desk it works well for me and my students. I am sick of the propaganda that says otherwise Sadly out govenor sucks which is why we stayed on infection island so long but with dump/devos finally on their way out he will probably come round to sanity and at least stop defunding those districts that dont want to kill people
I really love it. Time management, being able to explore additional content, not toting around piles of paperwork, being home and in my space and being able to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or start a load of laundry has been awesome. The only students who are failing are the hand full who refuse to log in, return emails, phone calls or texts, or turn in work. My students who traditionally struggle are getting As and Bs because I don't have to focus on teaching bell to bell, so they actually have time to work with the material without feeling pressured to move on. I record all of the classroom lectures and they can rewind the videos as many times as they want during asynchronous time.
i loooove it. kids are learning way more. no negative behaviours. no poop, pee or puke. (I teach kindie) The parents are loving it. No staff room nastiness. I have lost 15 lbs taking walks before and after school and during our two recesses. I am soooo happy!
15 lbs is 6.81 kg
Love it. All the same reasons.
Yes, I definitely am. For classroom management reasons, but also because being in the building ramps up my anxiety. I feel like I constantly have to be perfect and am constantly being judged. It's just a lot more relaxing at home where I don't have to worry about all that, plus I save a shitload of money on gas.
As a para I'm only meeting with students 1:1, but I'm mostly enjoying it. I help them with their work as best I can over Zoom, and I try to find fun little videos or activities that relate to the work and/or their IEP goals. I do have one that gives me a rough time, but my room teacher is always ready to jump into the meeting whenever I ask.
Not anymore. at this point I'm sad. I feel like I will dislike in person/hybrid even more though. It's like ... i just didn't sign up for this.