Back To School

By Dominique Walton

Teachers have had a lot of responsibilities and hardships entering into a school where they teach students in person and virtually at the same time. After talking to Mrs. Hull teaching English, Ms. Harrigan teaching Chemistry and Mr. Warren teaching orchestra I learned a lot about their experiences.

I asked Mrs. Hull for her expectations for hybrid learning, and she said,

“Again, to be forthright, I fear it. I do not know how I will manage online students and in person students. I am also apprehensive about wearing a mask all day- they get very hot when you speak- and I have to lecture. I also require a lot of caffeine daily, drinking and a mask do not go hand in hand (I suppose I can use a straw, but who drinks coffee through a straw?!)”

After talking to Ms. Harrigan, she told me how she changed her classroom to fit new challenges,

“I think for the most part, I’m still teaching the same way I have in the past. One major thing that has changed is how I am getting “lab” information to connect to lessons. There are so many things that are usually hands on, that now have to be relayed in a regular class format. So I’ve been trying to find labs that we have done in the past, and going through them to make them shorter demonstrations. That way we can still see what is happening, but in a safe way and a shorter amount of time.”

Not only does Mr. Warren have to struggle to teach orchestra virtually and in person, he also teaches at three different schools in one school day, driving between High Schools South, North and East, and has to adapt from teaching elementary school to high school.

"Virtual teaching has forced me to be better organized and better at time management. Not that I was bad at those things before, I was always "good enough" at those skills, but virtual teaching requires more preparation and has taken away class time. Therefore I've had to prepare more for class and organize my Google Drive to maximize my time in front of students."

Mr. Warren also talked about the difference between teaching music virtually and teaching music in person,

"If a student doesn't grasp the concept, they'll play the music incorrectly, telling me that they need additional help. In a virtual setting I don't get that immediate feedback."

Learning music requires a musical ear. Typically musicians tune themselves by ear and correct their mistakes based on how everyone else is playing the same part. This is harder for students when only one or two people are playing the same part and it's hard for teachers to help students because teachers aren't constantly hearing students play in class.

While the teachers of High School South have their work cut out for them we know they'll adapt and succeed throughout virtual and hybrid teaching.