How Do Teachers Do It?

How Do Teachers Do It?

Since I am a teacher myself, I get lots of links through email and read more than enough articles about the changes that are coming about in education and the definition of a classroom and a school as a result of the pandemic.  The press has been repeat with articles about the problems with online learning and the requirements for  opening up schools in the fall to make them safe for students.  They have been talking about social distancing and using large group rooms in the schools for classroom sites. They have been talking about the concept of blended learning which means that students spend some of the time online and some of the time in a classroom. They have talked about the need for cleanliness and for social distancing.  They've talked about the lack of technology for all students and problems with access to wireless.  One of the strategies being bandied about is making schools have shifts in the schedules and having some students come in the morning and some in

the evenings.  There was a time when I was advocating for the use of school resources by the community at large, for library and recreational facilities and making that occur year round. Some of the conversations and articles remind me of all the things that I once used to think about and advocate. BUT, the one thing that has not been talked about,and for obvious reasons, is the work load all this puts on to teachers.  Make no mistake about it, the Rubicon, of sorts, that has to be crossed and dealt with, is  how the strategies being bandied about implicate the role of teachers, their time on task, the numbers of hours they are required to work, and the implications of all this personalized time on task with individual students. Teachers are not going to be able to sail into schools fifteen minutes before a bell, do their work and then sail out fifteen minutes after their students. I learned very quickly as I went online with some of my classes and teaching that it puts greater demands upon my time.  To do it properly, you have to put int he time and there are a lot of t teachers that just won't want to make the effort to learn the skills and then put the time in to perfect them and help their students. I used to spend hours and hours responding to my students, one on one and they were adults, not kids. Kids will require more time and more interactions some of them.  The pupil / teacher ratio will change, the hours that teachers will have to work to do their jobs properly will have to change, the staff development required to make them all capable of teaching online is another  issue, and the list goes on. I have found it curious that no one writes or talks about these things but it will not be long before the proverbial shit hits the fan and then we'll have to see what happens.  I just wish I was a decade younger....I'd love to be involved in this transitionary period.  If only I could.  What a challenge at every level.