At Roger Williams University, I am a student teacher in a second grade classroom in Fall River, MA. I have been a student teacher since I was a freshman in college, but my senior year has definitely been the most challenging with Covid-19.
I have come to the realization that teachers are not being recognized enough for the amount of effort and work they have to put in each day to make sure their students are still receiving the best education possible. For the majority of my senior year, most students have been learning from home. Although over the last few weeks, students have been switching back and forth from online learning to in-person learning. There are many things that have affected myself as well as other teachers since the Covid outbreak.
Here are just a few…
1. Teachers are expected to prepare online lessons as well as in-person lessons for one day
Having half of the students at home and half in-person, work has to be prepared for both. That includes a presentation of the lesson online that draws students in and is interactive, as well as a lesson that can be presented in class. Teachers must also create online interactive worksheets or simulations for students to complete, along with printed out worksheets for the students in school. It’s A LOT!
2.Teachers are mentally and physically exhausted
Myself along with all the other education majors in the RWU program are expected to sit in front of our computers for a full day and prepare all the work needed for that day. The teachers that we work with are constantly switching from working in-person to online day by day. Teachers not only prepare all of the work for students, but take strict precautions to make sure all of the students are staying safe and healthy. There is barely any time to breathe; with being expected to make sure each student is getting the support they need while receiving a good education every single day.
3. Teachers’ relationships with students are not as close-knit as they usually are
Teachers are unable to see many of their students that they teach everyday. It is very hard for teachers to be able to recognize students’ strengths and weaknesses when teaching a whole class of 20+ students online. Also, it is almost impossible to become close to these students when a teacher is supposed to be a person students feel they can trust and are comfortable talking to. Many students rely on their teachers as a person they can trust, especially since many students have troubles at home. From my own personal experience, I have not been able to connect with the students I teach to the best of my ability because I am fully remote. My students have never seen me in person and do not have much time to connect with/talk to me after the lesson for the day.
The list could go on. Although there are many downfalls of teaching during Covid, this experience has helped teachers have a different perspective on their ability to teach. The shift has required teachers to use innovation and creativity more than ever before for all assignments while highlighting the importance of the teacher-student relationship. I believe this shift will be for the better as future teachers, but most of us are hoping things will go back to normal soon so we can see all of our students smiling faces in-person and not behind a screen.