Kate Bond elementary school teacher Alice Peterman is having a very unusual year, like every teacher. Alice Peterman is a 3rd grade math teacher. She has been teaching for 27 years. When asked how has covid changed her teaching, she answered, “I am teaching all virtual. None of our students are able to be in person during this time. This has changed everything for me. I go to school and teach from an empty classroom. It’s harder to prepare to teach virtually. I don’t feel like I have the normal connection with my students as I generally do.” SCS schools are all virtual right now. When asked how her students were responding to her teaching style she said “Many students are doing great! However, I feel as if these are the students who would be doing well in any kind of learning setting. Many others are falling farther and farther behind. They don’t have any guidance or assistance at home so therefore they are lucky to log into class some days. If they do log in, some are lucky to take in half of the lesson that is being taught. It is very hard to know how some of the students are doing.”
This year has been a challenging year for all. Here are some challenges that Alice Peterman is having. “Getting students to stay focused during the lesson despite distractions around them. Motivating students to want to learn. Working hours and hours and more hours to prepare and get finished what needs to get finished.” This by far one of the hardest years to be a teacher. Teaching to a computer each and every day is very hard when you love your job. So next time you see your teachers, thank them for the fantastic job they are doing with the cards they have been dealt.
