It is important to reflect on the experience of Distance Learning so that we can improve it moving forward.
As the school year winds down across the country, it is time (especially this year) to celebrate all of the accomplishments of the year and then to take a deep breath and reflect. It is no secret that schools accomplished the monumental task of shifting to distance learning on the fly, and it is also no secret that distance learning is not a perfect solution. It is even more important this year during our year end reflection to focus on what we have learned from the shift, as we are likely headed right back into it for the fall.
Distance learning is not a conducive learning environment. Every year teachers spend significant amounts of their own money on bright and colorful decorations, insightful learning aids, and spend hours making their rooms warm places for students to learn. That has been replaced with a computer screen in a room in a home. Additionally teachers spend much time figuring out how to remove distractions from students, who is sitting next to whom, who needs to be in the front of the room, who shouldn’t be near a window, who fidgets with anything in arms reach. That has been replaced with a location that has all of the students’ earthly possessions. You see what I am getting at.
When we look at how to make distance learning more successful, we must consider how we can instill some level of control on the learning environment. Perhaps we could have meetings with parents before school begins to discuss setting up a dedicated learning center in their home (or as dedicated as one can be considering the wide range of living situations). We can discuss what should be in that area and what shouldn’t. We could recommend moving it from the child’s bedroom where a world of distractions exist and into a more neutral area. We need to be flexible, but we should discuss with parents the importance of an area that the student will associate with school work with minimal distractions.
Distance learning does not lend itself to organic student to student interactions. You’ve heard a variation of the quote countless times, “students learn as much from each other as they do the teacher;” well not from behind a computer screen they don’t. Flowing conversations are hard for our younger students as they are still learning to restrain themselves from talking over their peers (many adults are still struggling with similar issues), add in technological issues and it becomes even more difficult. It is hard to distinguish if a person is done speaking, or if a request fell on deaf ears, or if it was all just internet lag.
Considering these issues, teachers must become much more intentional with their digital classroom interactions. Gone may be the days of asking for volunteers, it is too risky to lose instructional time, it may be time to exclusively pick volunteers. As pair shares are not possible in a whole class digital setting, teachers may have to use Socratic Seminars and Discussion Circles.** Teachers could also make use of a sound, a beep, a chime, to indicate that the speaker should stop and order needs to be restored. We may lose the side conversations, but we can delve significantly deeper into orderly whole class discussions, we just need to carefully plan for it.
Distance learning is more stressful than we could have anticipated. I am sure that if you had any role in the shift to, or delivery of distance learning then you have felt it. I would wager that if a few months ago we asked teachers if they wanted to teach from the comfort of their own home from the computer, they would immediately accept. I would also wager that now, after four months of exactly that, teachers would immediately accept going back into the classroom (if it was safe of course). The stressors that come from teaching from home are so numerous that they cannot all be captured, but suffice to say it has been tough. From non-stop zoom meetings, to planning, to helping outside of class hours, to deadlines, all before you take into account any of your personal needs; it is not a sustainable situation.
I am sure that we are all hoping that the classic classroom will return as soon as possible, but the fact is that we do not know when that will happen and need to plan as if it will not. This means that teachers need to take time for themselves. Take your prep as me time, not work time. Go outside, get some air, stretch, meditate, do something to refresh yourself. Working in this environment, the hours blend together and we end up going longer without moving or even standing (circulating the room now requires eyes not legs). Make sure that your students’ needs are cared for, but have a plan to ensure the same for yourself. Teachers are also losing that organic downtime with their peers, so make sure that you have that release planned into your day.
The world has changed so much in the last few months that sometimes it is hard to comprehend. Now that the school year is ending and we will have time to gather our thoughts, it is important to take an accurate assessment of what we have accomplished and what needs some attention. We have learned so much from this experience that we can make our next go at it much more effective. Even though it is not ideal, there is still much to be said about the successes of distance learning, and with some careful planning it can be even more successful. Just don’t forget that we need to take care of each other as well.
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