This week my school has been making the transition from distance learning to in-person—35-minute periods with half the class every on alternating days. Next week we’ll have everyone together for the short periods (to allow for a late start so students can avoid crowded commuter trains). While the shift back to working live with students in the same physical space is exciting, I want to pause to consider the blessings of the distanced time we’ve had, and what I want to remember or keep doing as life returns to a more familiar track. Here are a few things that come to mind:
People—including each student in my virtual or physical classroom—are so amazingly varied in their strengths, interests, and ways of learning and contributing. I'm reminded of this every new year, but now, in this transition, in a new way. One student who was a powerful voice in online discussion turns out to be a quiet one in the physical classroom. Another student who engaged little online filled a quarter sheet of paper with writing in a 2-minute bell-ringer activity back in the physical classroom. I want to remember the aspects of students I’ve discovered online, work on ways to keep accessing those sides in the classroom, and keep searching for gifts I haven’t yet seen.
I discovered some amazing free online resources, like CommonLit. It was a lifesaver when we went online with a wealth not only of literature—short stories, memoirs, nonfiction, poetry—but also of resources. These include suggested text sets; links to TED talks and author interviews; and multiple choice, short answer, and discussion questions, available both digitally for tracking of reading comprehension and as pdfs for return to the classroom. (The 6th grade distance learning unit on failure and success was a life-saver! It has 2 pieces of fiction, one of nonfiction, and one poem; a set of vocabulary exercises; and a writing assignment with graphic organizer.) The library is sortable by genre, reading level, topic, and unit. I’ve found some wonderful pieces already, and will be exploring this resource in greater depth this summer!
The power of regular conversation. I started giving my dad just a brief 10-minute phone call every morning before I went to school because he had little personal interaction—living alone in a retirement community on lockdown. Even as US state restrictions begin to lift, that is a habit I want to continue. And my husband and I started checking in with each other on a list of date night questions every Friday. This, too is a habit I want to continue.
The awareness of the racism that persists in American society. May our attention to this, too, never return to “normal.” I am encouraged by the number of teachers asking, "What texts about Black American experience can I incorporate into my classroom?"
The awareness of the racism that persists in American society. May our attention to this, too, never return to “normal.” I am encouraged by the number of teachers asking, "What texts about Black American experience can I incorporate into my classroom?"
How about you? In the rush back to the familiar, what are some things you don’t want to leave behind?
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