By: Emelia Richling
The switch from physical classrooms to Google classrooms is a transition that is more than just difficult for students. Teachers and administrators have constructed an online schooling system, facilitating the shift in the way learning is amassed by the masses of students who feel like they are now attending Zoom University.
Melanie Haith, an English and French teacher, weighed in on the recent switch to online teaching, describing some unique challenges she has faced as a foreign language teacher.
“French is a special challenge,” Haith said. “I try to find short, effective YouTube videos to help explain new concepts, so it’s more like having a mini class with a teacher presenting the information.”
In addition to the education aspect, Haith also discussed how the quarantine has been difficult in other ways. With no definitive end to the pandemic, she described how there is a lot of uncertainty about when life will resume.
“There is no timeline,” Haith commented. “That’s been one of the hardest things to wrap my head around. I want a quarantine countdown!”
Haith concluded by reminding students that, although this is a time of great sacrifice for many, she hopes we learn that life can change in an instant, so “don’t take anything or anyone in your life for granted.”
However, it isn’t just the teachers who have had to adjust. The administrators have also been working hard to ensure that the transition occurring in education is as seamless as possible.
Tim Krupicka, the principal, discussed how the recent events have been extremely difficult to adjust to, adding that he has been following the lead of many people around him who have been doing a good job of making adjustments to the way education is delivered and received in the era of the coronavirus.
“I still go to school almost every day,” Krupicka said. “I am not at school for as many hours, so I try to organize what I need to do at school so I can be more productive.”
When he isn’t at school, Krupicka said that he has been staying at home, working on projects such as mowing the lawn and walking his dog. However, he added that he is definitely a people person, so he has missed seeing students and teachers, getting the chance to have conversations with them and building relationships.
With social distancing and quarantine restrictions, building relationships and having conversations is more difficult than ever, but Krupicka also offered some valuable advice for the tough times that we are currently going through.
“We can choose to complain about it and do nothing, or we can make positive changes from this experience. Out of struggles can come opportunities. Those who best utilize these opportunities are the ones who will be well-rounded individuals when the pandemic is over.”
Lately, we have all faced unprecedented struggles, but taking a chance to look at the lives of our teachers and administrators is one way we can be together while we are apart.
*Photo Courtesy of Emily Krupicka
nwvikingsaga 