Returning to the Classroom: What Teachers Have to Say
Although teachers believe that in-person school is great for students, they’re also wary about it due to safety concerns.
When teachers were asked about their preferred mode of teaching, here’s what some of them had to say:
Distance Learning:
“Our district should stay with the distance learning module and some small, in-person cohorts for the neediest students until our county is out of the “Purple Zone”. Otherwise, we risk a lot more disruption with possible multiple openings and closures if students or faculty become infected. This has already happened with one of the small cohorts”.
“As awful as it is, I prefer full distance learning until it is safe to be together. Otherwise, the risk to children and families as well as school personnel is too great.”
Hybrid Instruction:
“Students are suffering right now not only due to learning loss but also this pandemic has taken a toll on their social emotional health. Most of my students are sick of being isolated from their friends. They miss the social component of the school. A lot of them report feeling down, sad, or depressed. But at the same time I do not feel comfortable having a classroom full of students where there is a higher risk of people coming down sick. I think a hybrid model with strict regulations is a fair compromise.”
“I struggle so much with this because I am scared to come back. I have my own family to think of, but I hear my students’ requests and their desires to learn, and I know really the only way that can happen is if we do come back in the classroom, and we do provide them with something normal, something they are craving to have which is their school life. I want to do right by my students but also my family, so for me that would be a hybrid model where we can bring students on campus in small cohorts, provide them the school culture and academics that many of them are craving, but still teaching online for the families who are struggling to return their students to campus.”
Opening School Completely:
“I know this is not a popular belief but with vaccines nearly available students need to be back at school. The vaccine will help the adults to remain healthy while we address the social-emotional and academic needs of our students. The longer students stay out of school the farther behind they will fall. Additionally, students are now growing as communicators; they rarely speak and interact online despite the best attempts and use of tech by adults. Students will suffer in the long run if we don’t get them back to school.”
“The data shows that children are not at a significant risk of contracting COVID. I think that education is one of the most essential services that operates in our country, so we need to open up and get kids back in the classroom.”
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