Reflection

Looking back on the past few weeks, I reflected on how my district switched to distance
learning, from what I know. At first, my school intended on having students complete packet
work where each grade levels and content area got the same packet to complete. So for my
students, they would have the same English packet as students in a different ELA class. I kept in
contact with my master teacher as best as possible during this time. A few weeks after, I
participated in a Zoom meeting with my master teacher and two different class periods. In
between the meetings, she informed me that they were switching over to online work and
students would be working on assignments through Google Classroom, but the work was not
required to complete, so many students were not doing the work or checking in. This was evident
during the Zoom meeting as well. Each class had an average of 32 students and there was no
more than 7 or 8 students in the Zoom meeting. For the meeting itself, my master teacher
discussed with students she was going to post a PowerPoint presentation and to do list to their
Google Classroom. She wanted students to continue reading Fahrenheit 451 from where we had
left off in March, which told me that students had not continued reading or done much since we
left. My master teacher told me not many students were completing work or turning assignments
in, so her main focus was having students work on their writing to prepare them for their junior
year, which was a valid concern.
I found this to be similar to other school districts as well. My younger cousins in grades 5
and 11 (both in the same school district) had a similar experience. They were not required to do
their assignments, but they did so. My cousin in 5th grade joined in the Google Meets every week
and worked on his daily assignments and project that he presented. My other cousin in 11th grade
also did her work assigned in her classes. My aunt’s school district was in a similar situation in
which students were not required to do the work and for the most part, students’ grades would
not fall lower than what they had before schools were closed. If I was in charge, I would try to
change some things to ensure there was clarity and consistency between schools in the same
districts and possibly between districts. I understand that not all students have access to the
internet or computers so it would not be equitable to require all students to meet online
frequently. I would want students to have some things to work on during quarantine so as to
build on their knowledge and work on their skills to not lose anything during the months they
were out of school. There is not much that can be done given the circumstances, however, there
needs to be more training in how to teach online because situations like these can arise. It is
imperative to provide resources and access to these resources so all students can participate in
their learning virtually.
If I am hired and schools remain virtual in the fall, I would design my classroom in a way
to engage students as best as possible. I would utilize Google Classroom or a similar platform to
design my class. Taking inspiration from my Masters classes, I would incorporate videos with
voice overs for each lesson, including a video to introduce myself to my students. This way
students can become familiar with who I am while listening to what is being covered or
discussed. I would like to incorporate other videos from educational sources to provide
additional supports, and I would like to include other sites students could use to enhance their
learning like Flipgrid or Kahoot. I would provide digital resources students could use, especially
digital texts for students who do not have ready access to books we might cover. I would have
discussion boards open for students to collaborate with their peers and share their insights and
thoughts into the content. Additionally, I would have a weekly meeting for students to join to get
updates on what is upcoming, time to ask questions, or just say hello. Each month I will provide
students with an accessible calendar with important dates and deadlines, and I would also give
students the opportunity to write three goals for that month as well.