Fredericksburg Parent

28 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue How Area Public School Teachers WRITTEN BY LENORA KRUK-MULLANAPHY The coronavirus extended its tentacles in every part of our lives last March, and one area that's been turned upside down is edu- cation. Computers have replaced schools, and wherever students log in is the classroom. Fredericksburg area teachers shared their thoughts on virtual learning and what they've found in this unique situation. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The first reaction to virtual learning for Christina Koerper, a Virginia Preschool Initiative/ Pre-K teacher at Riverview Elementary School, was panic, worry and sadness for her stu- dents. She worked with them all year to build connections and relationships, and they were making wonderful progress. When schools first closed, she thought it meant a few weeks to a month. Since then, Koerper has had to learn how to use Google Classroom and Meets. She's had to be creative and work harder to build work- ing relationships with parents, since she'd be counting on them to do what she couldn't in person. "I don't think virtual learning is for everyone," she says. "Some stu- dents may do better, while some don't. It's difficult with preschool- ers because they need an adult to sit with them at the computer and guide them when doing asynchronous work." For Koerper, the experience has increased her technology abil- ity, particularly because she had no choice but to learn so much in a short time. She will never take in-person learning for granted because some things are hard to teach and experience virtually, especially with preschoolers where there's a lot of hands-on explor- ing and learning. MIDDLE SCHOOL Dave Yablonski, science teacher at Dixon Smith Middle School, says in the virtual classroom he and his col- leagues are discovering, sharing and implementing an array of technological opportunities. "I've had to video some of the demonstrations I'd nor- mally do during class to solidify students' understanding of them, and virtual labs had to replace hands-on ones," he says. Yablonski uses collaboration for a third or more of his class. The opportunity for students to work together on warm-up questions, labs and assignments is gone. Even the best platforms, he says, just don't engage everyone. While he understands the need to be virtual, Yablonski says he doesn't like it. He finds it hard to get to know his students and believes that building relationships with them is the foundation for successful teaching. It's especially hard when video is muted, and he can't get a student to participate in a virtual activity. The transition times, such as homeroom, where teachers get to know students outside the classroom, are gone. Yablonski knows all sides of the situation—the teachers and students—are doing the best they can, but virtual learning is just not meaningful like in-person learning. He feels that students are missing out on a lot more than academics. The Pandemic & Education: Adapted on the Fly

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