That said, the question remains: How much should a teacher push families and students to complete expected learning tasks during this stay-at-home learning time? I am interested in what educators across the school, system, state, and country have to say about this.
As I carefully observe my students and their families' responses to our grade-level stay-at-home learning menu, I am impressed with the incredible school-related and outside-of-school related learning most students are doing. Assessments, virtual meetings, and review of online practice and projects demonstrate that aoubt 5/6 of the 69 students are meeting all or most learning expectations. Our shared study sites and conversations also demonstrate that a good fraction of the students are also studying on their own in multiple ways such as cooking, creating YouTube shows, writing newspapers, entering contests, and taking advantage of enrichment activities assigned by school and found elsewhere. This is remarkable. Further, recent at-home assessments demonstrate that most students are still demonstrating progress in learning--this is good too.
There are a handful of students who are not keeping up with online assignments and whose assessments demonstrate a drop in skill and knowledge. I've thought a lot about these students and how much to push or not to push them and their families with regard to online expectations. The situtations that probably contribute to this lack of following the expected routine or making expected progress include some or all of the following attributes:
- A family member is ill
- Family members are distanced from the learning by language or cultural barriers
- The family is taxed by the number of needs in one home
- Family work obligations
- Lack of specialized services that students typically receive in school
- Family members' reluctance, inability, or comfort level with regard to reaching out for help
What should I do with regard to these situations?
So far, the teaching team and I have done the following:
- Students who have identified specialized services are receiving those services virtually. While virtual services, in many ways, cannot replace the realtime services students are accustom too, it's certainly better than not having the services at all.
- I have sent frequent reminders to families about what's expected always with the reminder that I know the situation is difficult and every family faces different challenges so doing their best is all I ask for. These reminders have been met with positivity, negativity, and passivity. Unless told not to send them, I'm opting to send them out since for those who respond positively, it has been helping their children.
- Revising the virtual schedule and meetings to better include and engage the students who are not taking part. For example, students are all expected to attend two 45-minute math classes a week, but for children who are having trouble completing math at-home practice, I'm encouraging them to attend five classes a week so that they have the online engagement of peers and the teacher to forward their learning.
With regard to students and families that are very difficult to reach in any way, they aren't many, and it isn't surprising since this was an issue throughout the school year. I think that we have to think more about these families with regard to support for their children whether we are in a typical school situation or a virtual school situation. How can we update our service delivery, communication, and support to help these families more. Since our system does not experience this that often, I think that the issue doesn't always get the attention it deserves--this is an area of school life I want to think about and work for with greater depth and better results.
In summary, I plan to be somewhat pushy rather than passive in the eight weeks ahead with the goal in mind that all my students are well prepared for the grade level ahead. I know that positive growth and development is possible with regard to positive, proactive teaming with students, family members, colleagues, administrators and the community in this regard. As I tell the students when I meet with them every school day, while this isn't easy, the hard work you are doing now will pay off with increased skill going forward as well as more time for the enjoyable activities and events to come. We can do this.
