Ready for Anything: Lessons after a Week of Hybrid Learning

 

Alright, roomers and Zoomers. Is my internet connectivity working okay today?

Teaching during a global pandemic is no easy feat. After the first week of hybrid learning, I must say that I am left feeling frazzled and tired, but I am hopeful. Submersed underneath some technical hiccups and feeling that there are one too many spinning plates in the air is a sense of accomplishment. While our skills are being tested, they have also been sharpened. No, this situation is not okay. Yes, teachers, it is perfectly normal and acceptable to be feeling tired, defeated, and emotionally drained. 

Our students hunger for learning opportunities and human connection; they appreciate what was once considered mundane. They want to collaborate, and they have developed patience. What they have learned could never have been taught in a "normal circumstance." While we are far from being out of the woods in this global pandemic, we certainly can begin to recognize what we have gained.

Here are my takeaways from the first week:

Students are resilient.  

Students are resilient and will rise to new challenges - especially when they have strong relationships with their teachers and community. Leveraging those relationships can help create a more comfortable environment as everyone faces uncertainty. They ask questions when invited, and while it may take time to hear responses, they are doing the best they can. Students want to follow safety protocols and understand that those protocols are what make any in-personal learning possible. Even though switching from a four or five period day to a nine period day can be exhausting, they will rise to the challenge and adapt quickly. 

Remember, students are drained. 

While schedule changes that allow for more in-person opportunities are exciting to most, these changes are exhausting. Even for the most optimistic and self-sufficient students, new pacing to the day is problematic. In-class activities and more direct instruction are replacing the time they once had to do homework independently. Flexibility to choose the pace and place for learning has been taken away in many instances. There are benefits and drawbacks to all learning models, but the biggest challenge is acclimating to the present reality. Talking more, following safety procedures, and trying to remember what comes next takes a toll. 

Remember how you feel on the first day of school. Multiply that feeling by 10. Students are experiencing that exhaustion, too. We have to give our students opportunities to breathe, recharge, and work to establish clear routines to ease this drain as much as possible. Even in an ideal situation, students will be tired as they transition from remote to hybrid. 

Teachers are drained, too. 

Don't forget the classic analogy that we have to put on our oxygen masks before we put on the oxygen masks of others. Burnout will happen easily and quickly if we do not try to close the computer, relax, and recharge. There are many moving parts in this learning environment — students on Zoom, students in the room, and students who are always remote who need us. Remember, lead with relationships. Find energy from the connections we have with students. Give yourself grace, and when the day doesn't go as planned, simply try again tomorrow. It is okay to be drained; it is okay to say that it is too much. Sometimes admitting that is freeing and life-giving. 

Avoid overplanning. 

Teaching in a remote block schedule meant teaching 75 minutes. Now, class periods are 40 minutes every day, with students attending in person every other day. Instructional time in most models is down if teachers keep the in-class groups synchronous and the out of class group asynchronous. Factor in the drain and exhaustion of adapting to a new schedule, and 40 minutes feels more like 30 minutes. Students are trying to manage their feelings, and we need to embed time for that. Doing social and emotional check-ins can yield much better results in students than that extra practice activity. Providing work time can even open students up to engaging in self-disclosure or sharing how they are doing in school and in life. Cutting down on content, the number of practice problems, or even extending deadlines can lead to more productivity or strong final products. 

As teachers, we have a tendency to want to follow carefully crafted plans, but the best laid plans often go awry - especially in a global crisis. It is okay to let go. Not every learning activity or experience may work in a hybrid learning model. Debates, group activities, and Socratic seminars need to be adapted or even cut for the time being until in-personal learning can return. These changes can even happen in real-time. It is okay to revise; it is okay to create new activities and find innovative ways to collaborate. While students may not get the exact same experience as students in years prior, simplifying and alleviating activities that may not work in the current learning environment can save time and protect us from overplanning or overwhelming our students. 

Be ready for anything. 

According to the IDPH, my county's positivity rate has been upwards of 12%. We are at a warning level, and mitigation might happen to local businesses. If that is the case, the schools might also move from hybrid to remote. Some may be quarantined for exposure outside of school, which would lead to adapting to another instruction mode for all parties involved. Other teachers are permanently remote, like me, because of health issues. Anything can happen at a moment's notice. It is important to be ready for these changes. 

While this year will easily be the hardest year of many educators' careers, learning is happening. Creativity is being tested, and collaboration is creating great opportunities for better instructional practices for all. Despite technical failures or unexpected challenges that arise, we are powering through. We will make it through this pandemic, and we will be better for this experience. Keep finding ways to connect with others, but don't forget to pause for approximately 30 seconds when Zoom tells you that internet connectivity is low.