Meanwhile, I've been getting an awful lot of email about how to navigate this seemingly new world. It's getting so I can't keep up. I'm qute surprised to find myself continually referencing a message from the CSA President, Mark Cannizaro. Mulgrew sent it out one day last week. I'll get to that.
First, a lot of us are befuddled by using unfamiliar technology, and I have to admit I'm among that crowd. While I'm not techno-phobic by any means, I've never used Google Classroom or Zoom before. I never saw the need, and now I wish I'd tried before. In any case, a lot of young teachers in my school have been incredibly generous with their time.
I did a practice Zoom session with one yesterday and she walked me through how to show your computer screen, which is important, and how to use their white board feature, which kind of sucks. I have a little whiteboard and a new package of colored markers. There's also a setting that allows students to display their screens. I'd turn that off unless I were having them do presentations.
Some people can't use technology at all, and throwing them in at the deep end right now is borderline insane. Also a whole lot us have issues at home. What if you have a family member with special needs who needs constant attention? What if you share an apartment with six roommates and need to share their bandwidth? What if you have very young kids home from school? What if you have kids from college Zooming up all your bandwidth with their classes? What if your baby's daycare is closed, which it most certainly is? What if you have a yappy dog? (Toby is quiet and reflective.)
Ideally, of course, you'd live cast with them. But if you're going to be under constant pressure from your home circumstances, if you're going to be interrupted constantly, or if you're going to be fearful and miserable the entire time, you aren't doing frightened kids any service at all by showing them that. Do it if you can, but figure out something else if you can't.
There are a lot of alternatives you can employ. If you want to focus on writing, you could take submissions via Google Classroom, provide feedback, and maybe have them rewrite. That's serious work, and it's time-consuming. Of course, your students now have a lot of time. You could make videos in the middle of the night when your family is asleep. It's no fun, but your kids will see your face and you can respond at other times. Maybe you have a better idea.You have to do the best you can in times like these.
I'm going to go live several times a week with my students. I'm also going to offer them an office hour. I don't have any kids at home, and with Toby as my co-teacher, I think I'll be successful once I get a little more comfortable with the software. I know it's tough getting along with co-teachers, but my dog and I have been hanging out together for a while now, and he's never questioned any of my teaching decisions.
Here's what I think Cannizzaro gets right--he tells principals to be leaders. Leaders don't micro-manage in times of crisis, saying things like you must do this and there is no other thing you may possibly do. Leaders support. I'm a leader. My main message to my kids will not be you must do this or that assignment in this or that way. My main message will be I care about you, you are important to me, and I'm setting this time aside for you.
In school, when I'm teaching in some filthy, moldy neglected trailer that had neither paper towels or soap until the Corona virus hit, I try to send that message by wearing a suit to work. At home, I'm going to send it by spending a lot of time focusing on how they feel and what they do. Just as the CSA President provided guidance for principals, saying they ought not to scrutinize teacher schedules and other minutiae, I'm not going to get on student cases over missing a homework assignment here or there. I'm going to be happy and grateful that they even showed up. And this is key:
We are in unchartered territory and everyone understands it. The goal is not to recreate a normal school day given that the sudden changes in our lives and routines are anything but normal. The goal must be to provide some semblance of stability and learning for our students while paying careful attention to their social and emotional health. In turn, we must acknowledge the anxiety and fears in the adults around us and provide an outlet for them as well.
Please bear that in mind when dealing with your students. I'm fixated on grammar, and I verge on having a conniption every time someone says, "He go to the store," and doesn't make the subject and verb agree. You may feel the same way about calculating square roots, or the Battle of Gettysburg, or whatever. But things are different now, both for you and your kids. Think about it. Anyone who thinks we're doing the same thing now that we always do is frankly delusional.
You're a leader too. Try very had to be extra kind to your students. If you're live casting, try to give them a sense of family. Try to make them feel the joy of being together. My students are teenagers, and their social lives have been torn from them. Perhaps there's a limit to how happy you can be playing video games on your phone. Perhaps not.
I'm quite surprised at how thoughtful and apt the head of the principals' union has put things. But I think, in these times, he's managed to capture the essence of what it is we need to do. Here's his letter in full. Try to imagine that you're the leader and you're taking this approach to your students. Please read it and give it some thought.
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