Schools are ready to get back to class, but they won鈥檛 be doing it in the actual school buildings. Students across Yorkton, and Saskatchewan as a whole, can choose to keep learning over the coming months, with teachers are hosting supplemental learning across the province.
What has it been like for teachers to start teaching from their homes? We spoke to two principals - Quinn Haider from St. Paul鈥檚 School and Jason Gordon from Dr. Brass School - about how the switch is going for them.
鈥淚t is like going on a big journey, and you know where the journey is supposed to end, but the road map or the GPS has changed a few times on that journey. We are trying to get as creative as we can to meet the needs of all of those kids. What鈥檚 particularly tough is the kids who don鈥檛 have access to technology, trying to connect with them is not as easy as connecting with the kids who have access to the tech... We have to figure out a solution to that, and there鈥檚 a lot of people working on it,鈥� said Haider.
It has been a learning time for everyone, and both principals said that it has been a learning process to go from students in front of them to students still in their home. Haider said that he鈥檚 impressed by how quickly students have grabbed onto new form of class.
鈥淲hen I post my math assignments first thing in the morning, within 20 minutes I have some to mark and give feedback to right away. Kids are still consuming the content and still wanting to learn,鈥� said Haider.
The classes are optional, and Gordon said that they fully recognize that there are plenty of situations at home that would make it difficult for a student to take advantage of it.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 an education emergency, this is a societal emergency. We want to continue to offer that supplemental education for families, but fully recognize that there鈥檚 lots going on at home, not only for teachers but for families.鈥�
The Good Spirit School Division has a supplemental learning plan, available on their website at gssd.ca, which is being used by all schools within the division. The plan provides guidelines to teachers and families for how supplemental learning is going to take place over the coming months, as the quarantine continues. Gordon said that this plan, as well as professional development opportunities, has been invaluable for teachers, as they are entering uncharted waters, and conducting class in a new way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been awesome, with the support we鈥檝e had from our school division leaders within our supplemental learning plan, and getting all of our teachers up to speed with creating platforms they can access from home,鈥� said Gordon.
Gordon said it鈥檚 a new experience, but that they鈥檙e seeing excitement from the students to get connected to their teachers.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 finding right now is that the number one thing is that kids are really excited about getting their assignments, seeing their teachers and their friends in the platforms we鈥檙e using.鈥�
What impresses Haider most has been the buy-in from the school families.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 wonderful and validating is that this is optional, and we have had the vast majority of our families and, more importantly, the students in those classes, jumping on board with both feet and learning from home. Even though they don鈥檛 really have to, the fact that they want to is awesome.鈥�
The other goal of the supplemental learning program is to keep the connection between students and teachers. Gordon said that they鈥檙e glad to see kids excited to connect and keep class going, even from home, and have also been doing things like 鈥榲irtual spirit weeks鈥� to keep the community aspect of the school going.
鈥淭he biggest thing we do in teaching is relationships, so how can we keep that virtual relationship alive so that kids are engaged and want to complete assignments and want to look at the supplemental learning,鈥� Gordon said.
Dr. Brass has been doing video conferencing for classrooms, which Gordon likes because it keeps connections alive.
鈥淚 was in a video call with our Grade 2-3 classroom and they鈥檙e just so excited to get on there, you see their faces across the screen, and they all want to chat with their friends, and I鈥檓 so glad we鈥檝e found platforms to allow them to do that.鈥�
Google Classroom is the most common platform for the online courses 鈥� it is being used by both Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division and Good Spirit School Division.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine how we would have done this before Google Classroom, I just don鈥檛 know. It鈥檚 a blessing that we have it,鈥� said Haider.
Still, even with technology on offer, Haider said that an online classroom is never going to be the equal to school that operates in person. He noted that it鈥檚 much more difficult to get individualized instruction when it鈥檚 all online, and difficult to see what kids need and build relationships. It鈥檚 a great substitute when a classroom isn鈥檛 available, said Haider, but he鈥檚 looking forward to when school can be back to normal, and students and staff can be in the same building together.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not as good as the real thing, but we鈥檙e going to make do with the second best choice here.鈥�
