As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Abington School District, and most school districts in our country, to transition into a virtual setting for learning. While students have undoubtedly felt frustrated or unhappy with some aspects of virtual learning, we often identify these struggles as only applying to students, when in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Here are some statements from teachers at our school regarding the struggles surrounding virtual teaching, as well what we can do as students to help them improve their teaching (statements have been edited for length): 

Mrs. Lindinger (AP Psychology and AP Seminar): “One struggle has been figuring out how to adapt my more hands-on units – Biological Bases of Behavior and Sensation and Perception- to remote learning.  Sometimes I’ve found success with doing this and even liked the outcome better – for example, when students built their neuron models from materials around their houses!  But there are many other activities that just can’t be translated properly online.  It’s frustrating because I know one reason this course is so popular is that students look forward to the activities.  At times I feel like I’m letting them down…

Ways that students can help are to keep an open mind, be willing to try new things, participate as much as they’re comfortable, and be patient and we’re all learning as we’re going. So far I’ve been incredibly impressed by my students’ resilience!”

Mr. Penderghest (AP World History, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Holocaust, Genocide Studies): “I haven’t worked this hard since my first and second year.  It required a complete teardown and reorganization of my content and skills lessons… In Interdisciplinary Studies, the course has had to be totally re-imagined.  We’ve developed a tighter focus on core elements and collaboration in a virtual environment is really difficult.  All of our successes in that course are down to the kids in the course and their willingness to put in effort and be flexible.  Holocaust is incredibly challenging given the challenge of teaching such mature, disturbing, and potentially triggering content in a setting where it is impossible to read the room and react in real time to the students…

  I will not speak for others, but what is most challenging about the virtual environment is the loss of day to day moments in the classroom with students that build trust and rapport… So as a response to your question, and I acknowledge that it is a big ask, kids need to talk more, be curious, be brave, be flexible in the classroom.  Your questions are never stupid, they help move the discussion in meaningful ways.  Even when you are wrong, your willingness to be brave and put yourself out there helps all of us in the room.  When your mic cracks or your feed glitches-everyone on the call feels nothing but empathy and helplessness for you.  We cannot control COVID, or politics, or racism, or even each other.  We can control our mentality, our attitude, and our effort and that can make all the difference for all of us.”

Mrs. Bowles (English III, AP Language and Composition, Public Speaking):  “My CP classes just completed the reading of Monster, a screenplay about a 16-year-old boy on trial for felony murder.  Typically we would all take parts and transform the classroom into a courtroom. The literature would come alive, and the energy of the reading has always kept my students on the edge of their seats.  This is impossible to recreate over Zoom because of the lag, the muffled audio, and the lack of seeing actual faces… These are first world problems, I know.  But I miss the energy of raised hands, the engagement of civil discourse, the visible reactions to profound and transformative literature, the deep conversations before school and after class.  I miss high-fives and hugs and smiles and actual laughter in the classroom.

My response to the question ‘How’s it going?’ is always this:  First-year teacher effort with retirement energy–I am working 7 days a week reinventing my curriculum, creating all-new online assessments, recording instructional videos, pouring my heart and soul, blood and tears into lessons that sometimes just don’t translate into the virtual world.  Oh yeah–and I am also a wife, mother, daughter, and friend living in a pandemic who is nervous every day about the people I love getting sick and dying.

I think most students are trying to make lemons out of lemonade—we can all only do so much.  Seeing faces, getting feedback, being engaged helps teachers get through the day to day.  Please make me laugh!  And laugh at my dumb jokes—this has to be somewhat enjoyable.”