An Educator's Take on Remote Teaching

I have asked St. Ann educators if they would be willing to write a blog on what it has been like teaching during this pandemic. Several of our educators took time to write down their thoughts. So, the next several blogs will feature St. Ann educators reflecting on teaching during the pandemic. First up is our 3^rd grade educator, Annmarie Ghio.

Remote learning. Ugh! It’s not for every student. And remote teaching, it's not for every teacher. For me, it was heart-breaking, yet heart-warming.

It was heart-breaking, because I saw students and parents struggle. Home is not a school. We have a different mindset when we’re at home in comfy clothes surrounded by snacks, toys, and television, away from the structure of a classroom and the support of a teacher. I struggled as well, both professionally and personally when my dad died unexpectedly. I was disappointed as I cancelled field trips, projects, and other special events. But a strong faith, hope, surrounding myself with supportive people, and a new routine helped.

For me, I feed off of my students. I love to see my scholars every day, and I gauge how my lessons are going by how my students are reacting. Are they engaged? Are they smiling? Do they look like they’re falling asleep? I adjust immediately. To be a teacher is to be creative and flexible. But during this time, I doubted myself. Remote teaching challenged my capacity for being creative. It drained my energy as I planned and taught like never before. When I am remote teaching, even in Hangouts, it’s hard to get feedback from students. It’s sometimes difficult to see their faces, to assess their body language, or to have a good, honest back-and-forth conversation. And I miss the socialization as much as they do. I miss their high-fives and hugs. I miss their anecdotes and endless curiosity that challenges me to dive deeper into content or broaden my scope on a lesson. Then there’s the end of the year goodbyes. We really didn’t get a proper good-bye, did we?

However, we all know that life gives us challenges. They are inevitable. But how we faced this challenge was crucial, not just for us as educators, but for the expectations and example we set for our St. Ann students and their families. Remote teaching was not optional. It's not what we were trained to do or even what we wanted to do. It’s what we needed to do, and we needed to do it well. So we researched. We learned. We changed. We adjusted. And we learned some more. And adapted again. The cycle still continues as we look toward an uncertain future. I should be preparing for summer camps, but instead I'm measuring my classroom and deciding what stays and what goes as I rethink my teaching styles and strategies for the fall.

Despite the distance, my students and I discovered new ways to stay connected. That’s what family does! Thank goodness for Hangouts, home videos, Doceri, hand-written letters, and PicCollage. I also saw not only teachers do things they never thought they could, but I also saw students and parents discover new talents and strengths. It has been amazing to see our young learners shine in a new light! And our parents stepped up to partner with us. You are all amazing, too, and we will never forget how you helped us. So even though remote teaching had its heart-breaking moments, there were unexpected opportunities over the past 10 weeks that were heart-warming. And the end result of those outweighs the bad. Those memories of seeing our students make new discoveries are what teaching is all about. Those moments are permanent. Remote learning is temporary.

No one knows what the fall will look like, but I am 100% certain that the teachers and administration at St. Ann can and will meet any challenges head-on, prepared to lead our students into another safe, meaningful year of learning filled with faith, service, and love.

Have a safe, healthy, and fantastically fun summer. I love you, and I miss you...all.

Annmarie Ghio

A Previous Blog by a St. Ann Parent, Liz Wehmeyer: https://didieraur.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-st-ann-by-liz-wehmeyer.html