School Reopening Community: Learning Beyond COVID-19

Hoping sincerely that we don't have to go to remote. Fingers crossed.

We've been through our first wave of having kids at home on quarantine. I've also tested positive and isolated, teaching from home during that time because I was basically asymptomatic. That was the biggest challenge: managing a sub, in class learners, and remote learners all from my basement without getting to go to my classroom! I'm in a small rural school in Iowa.

Greetings, Share My Lesson DL Community!<br><br>I just wanted to flag that we recently revamped/updated the Share My Lesson COVID-19 resource/lesson plan collection: https://sharemylesson.com/coronavirus<br><br>Subjects covered:<br><br>Self-Care for Students and Adults<br>Distance Learning<br>Understanding Current Events and COVID-19<br>Coronavirus Prevention and Safety Tips<br>Special Populations and Coronavirus<br>Coronavirus, Racism and Xenophobia<br>History of Pandemics<br><br>If you see anything missing in this resource collection, please flag for me here and start up a friendly conversation with other members on how we can better address the needs of students, families and communities.

Online meaning they can get on whenever and do assignments we have put on google classroom. Our school only had computers for grades 3-5. Hot spots were supposed to be provided but haven't started yet and we heard when they do come in the bus will only stay at the location for ten minutes, so the interactive materials we have put on line will not be able to be used. Right now we have shut down for two weeks for evaluation of students returning after the quarter. Hopefully we can get the kinks out.

Every school in our district has a different format for how that is working. At my school, almost every teacher is doing both at the same time; all while learning a new platform. It has been challenging and stressful!

The technology piece was the biggest struggle trying to get all my students connected and teach them how to use the devices and the programs virtually. Helping support my students is another struggle because of unstable internet connections, inadequate speakers, lack of digital tools, and other reasons. I try to reach out to all my students to make sure they are able to access the materials they need. I communicate closely with families to make sure they have the resources they need. Sometimes I forget to take care of me though.

Students were given a choice of coming back to school full-time or, enrolling in a online educational learning platform paid for by our system. If students’ families chose the online distance learning option, they were required to stick with that option for the entire 1st semester, they are not allowed to flip-flop in and out.

We are in our 12th week of in-person learning. We have had to send one grade home for 2 weeks, due to a direct exposure, and we constantly have students zooming in to in-person classes, because they are quarantining for one reason or another. It's been challenging, but it could be worse!

I’m tired all the time from rebuilding lessons we are to share from my fellow teachers who do jot teach virtually. They have our lessons. I do not know how to help them understand that a page full of links is not a virtual lesson. Then helping students try to complete lessons that they are not completing is so hard. I’m on the phone more than I am teaching. Would love some help and guidance.