Surviving Chaos

Author: Kathleen Almy

It feels like March again. I was finally able to put my finger on it last week, how things have changed quickly recently. In the last week, states began sharing their plans for K-12 schools this fall. Some are opening fully. Others are using a combined approach of remote learning and face-to-face instruction. Some will have alternating days and others will have alternating weeks. There is no simple answer to what the 20-21 school year should look like throughout the country.  No matter what direction a school or state chooses, every solution brings with it as many questions as answers. How will we afford to have a safe environment? How can we not have students face-to-face? Is this year going to be a loss? How are we going to engage students from a distance? Are my students going to get what need academically but also socially and physically? How do we plan when we don't yet know the plan? 

I can empathize. I'm not completely sure of where or how my Statistics class is going to be this fall. But when I started really picturing myself in the usual room I teach but with half the number of students and all of us in masks, it felt like some bizarre movie. Without question, I want to be in person with my students but I also want to be safe. If we can't get near each other or talk easily, I'd rather teach remotely. I know how to create an engaging environment there, so it's on me to start my planning. If anyone is looking for a fall course planning accountability partner, let me know. We can help each other on our Facebook group.

In the past three days, I've had so many conversations with friends and relatives about this fall and COVID. The overwhelming sentiments are frustration, anger, and worry. Chaos seems almost too weak of a descriptor for these times. As in March, we’re in another waiting phase. One decision will result in a series of outcomes, but the direction could change again. So we prepare for multiple directions, a good idea in theory but exhausting to bring to reality. 

I also sympathize with the schools. As you are expected to pivot on a dime, we're trying to be where you end up. Is that more support for students, teachers, administrators, or all of the above? Is it academic or more social and emotional issues? Is now a good time to work on fall or should we wait and see? The endless stream of questions with no concrete answers gets to be a lot.

So What Can We Do?

As trite as it sounds, focus on what you can control. If you are teacher, you will be a teacher no matter where your classroom is located. The same is true for administrators. The job of education is a personal endeavor; human connection and interaction are more important than the place we physically sit in. 

“If you are teacher, you will be a teacher no matter where your classroom is located.”

Second, don't get stuck on technology. It is a tool. It does not replace the human interaction necessary for learning. If it did, Khan Academy would have put all math teachers out of jobs years ago. Again, it's a tool for us to use to improve the experience for students if we're close or far away. Siri and Alexa are nice to have around, but they don't replace the need for human connection.

Focus on Student Engagement

Most importantly, focus on connection and engagement. School is much more than academics. That’s why we’re all missing it. My goal this fall with my students is to feel connected to them like I do in the physical classroom. My corny jokes and silly math comics I show are still going to be present. We will use Zoom to interact with each other, but it's not going to be my go-to for lecture two days a week. It's a tool I will use to engage with my students, for them to engage with each other, and for all of us to engage with the content. We have many professional development programs to support these needs, which is great. But it takes more than that to have student learning occur. After training, we have to really sit with our content and think about learning, not just teaching. How will we allow for the fun moments, the unplanned tangents about current events, the time to just relax with each other, and for our students to do the same? These are the things we need to be thinking about. And the best news is that they're within our control. No matter if my classroom is online or face-to-face or both, I can be planning now for how I will create an environment for learning. I will have to flex and adapt, which is not always easy or quick, but it can be done. Will we do everything we've done in the past in the same way? Nope. But there could be improvements; not all change is bad. We may find we can streamline some content or adjust from direct instruction on some topics to an engaging online activity/applet/demo. We may notice our assessment methods aren’t as great as we thought. We may realize our approaches needed a tune up and an update. 

None of us are going to get it all right this fall. And that's ok. I tell myself this every day as a business owner but it's true for all educators as well. We're going to build this plane as we fly it this fall and mistakes will be a part of that process. Accepting that and determining the minimum needs that must be met, like engagement and learning, allows us to breathe a bit. And if nothing else, everyone you work with is in the same boat. We're not going through this chaos alone.

Let’s continue the conversation, including finding accountability partners. Head over to the Facebook group to get started. 

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