Adapting to new life
Recently, due to Covid-19 students and teachers could not return to school after spring break. Since then teachers have had to convert to online teaching. Here is an inside look on how Imagine Prep teachers have been coping.
Sara Camren, freshman biology teacher, shared some of the more challenging parts of online teaching.
“Taking everything that I’ve created to print out for students and changing it to be completed online is time consuming,” Camren said.
Many teachers are frustrated with this part of online teaching, but they figure it out or they take the time to convert, because they care about teaching and their students.
Adelina Manore, Spanish 1 and eighth grade Spanish teacher, shared something she likes about online teaching.
“I like that I am learning how to use more technology for my classroom that I plan to utilize when we get back in school (Flipgrid, screencastify, google forms for quizzes),” Monroe said.
All teachers are relying on technology now that everything’s online so many teachers are learning more about it and how to use it to their advantage.
Alexa Pupo, government and economic teacher, shared how she is coping with Covid-19 and social distancing.
“I think I’m coping in different ways every day. Some days, I really miss being around people (at school, my family, my friends), and that feels really hard,” Pupo said. “Other days, I feel appreciative of the extra space and time I am getting to be at home. I enjoy getting out and exercising, so on days that I feel more restless I make sure to get out and go for a run. I think I really try to check in with myself every day, and just do what I can to meet the feelings I may have that day.”
Many teachers cope in different ways, some spend time hiking with family and doing family game nights others do puzzles or read a book.
Blair Valone, social studies and IGCSE American History teacher, shared what she would change about online learning.
“I wish more students attended office hours,” Valone said.
Many students don’t really see the use for office hours. In my experience, at most there are ten students at office hours, that’s not a lot so that’s also a challenge when it comes to online teaching.
Janette Cervantes, eighth grade English teacher, shared one of the hardest things when teaching online.
“The hardest thing is not being able to talk with my students face to face, especially when they are struggling with a concept,” Cervantes said.
Finally, Kristina Gibson, IGCSE 2 and IGCSE 3 math teacher, shared what she likes about online teaching.
“Overall, this has been a good experience,” Gibson said. “There are a lot of new practices that I have gained that I know will make me a better teacher as we get back into school in the fall.”
Overall many teachers are learning new ways and skills about teaching. There is one thing that all the teachers I talked to have in common, they all miss being in the classroom and seeing their students.
