By: Kiley Langford
After nearly a year, the school returned this past Thursday, the 25th and Redwood missed the in-person presence of Redwood English teacher, Mrs. Shannon Moore.
While many students returned to in-person learning, many chose to remain to learn online. Not only were students given the option to stay online if needed, but teachers were also given the option to stay online, given certain circumstances.
Unfortunately, Moore was one of the teachers at Redwood whom was unable to return to in-person learning.
Moore says, “Anyone that knows me, knows that I LOVE teaching and I would love nothing more than to be in the class with my students; unfortunately, I am not medically able to do so yet. Per my neurologist, I will be able to get my first vaccine on April 16th and so I am looking at a mid-May return to the classroom and I can’t wait. Until then, I am begrudgingly staying home in an effort to stay healthy; Multiple Sclerosis definitely has its downside and this is one of them.”
Although Moore is unable to physically be on campus, she says, “I think it is great that kids are back on campus and have the opportunity to learn with their teachers physically in front of them.”
“I am hoping everyone can stay safe and follow the rules so we can get back to some semblance of normal in the future.”
Mrs. Moore, Redwood English teacher
However, Moore acknowledges the troubles both students and teachers are going to face with distance and in-person learners attending class at the exact same time. She says, “It is going to be a challenging return at first and I just hope everyone sets reasonable expectations for how it is going to go, or else everyone is going to be sorely disappointed in the outcome.”
She says, “I do feel a little bad for our distance learners because it is going to be almost impossible for teachers to give their attention to both the in-person learners (IPL) and distance learners (DL) at the same time.”
She adds, “Simulcast teaching is impossible to do well and I applaud all the teachers who are giving their all in this new context; it’s not easy.”
Teaching through Zoom is not going to be easy. Moore says, “I am going to try and plan for the distance learner in mind. I think everything needs to stay digital in an effort to ensure the DLs have as much access as the IPL’s.”
After just two days of hybrid learning, Moore includes, “I have heard my DL say that they have felt ignored or awkward because they couldn’t be in the class with the IPLs… and for many of my students, staying home isn’t a choice they would have made themselves but was made for them for whatever reason.”
In order to create the maximum amount of inclusivity in her classroom, Moore says, “I plan to continue to use edTech in the best ways that I know how… For my lessons, I am going to use a lot of Pear Deck to make sure each learner’s voice is given a space where it can be shared. I am also going to try and make the rest of the semester as project-based as possible.”
She adds, “We have to set students up for success and in that we have to make sure we are holding true to good teaching practices; however, I am not naive to think we won’t have to sacrifice some good teaching practices to get students back on campus.”
She says, “I think Redwood students are resilient so whatever it looks like, I think they will adapt.”
She adds, “I feel blessed that I have a good technological know-how because it will make navigating the experience a tad easier; however, I think the biggest struggle is going to be the school wifi holding up to the extra strain on it.”
Moore sees the school wifi as one of the largest obstacles Redwood will face with the new normal. She says, “I see issues with wifi not holding up (bandwidth being too low to sustain) and our distance learners not getting the full experience they deserve or our IPL’s not being able to access the work for the day.”
She believes, “the only way to fix this is for the district to increase the bandwidth across campus.”
Not only does Moore see the wifi as a problem, but she also has other worries.
“My biggest worry is that I won’t be able to offer my students the best experiences they can have. I believe I am a good teacher, but I believe this experience is going to limit my ability to be my best for my students due to limitations beyond my control.”
Mrs. Moore
However, she plans to create the best learning opportunities she is capable of.
She adds, “I will give 100% to ensure I am creating learning experiences that matter, but I know I have to sacrifice quality discussion which will minimize the level of critical thinking that exists in my classroom. Here’s the thing… I aim to make students co-creators of knowledge, but if I don’t have full access to them, I fear I won’t be able to effectively gauge their understanding and therefore the learning will be less than what could be if I was F2F.”
Moore faces many challenges and she worries she will not be able to deliver the quality teaching she normally is able to deliver. She says, “I love what I do and believe my students deserve the best… and yet… I worry I won’t be able to offer them everything they deserve. I am working on being kinder to myself in this new reality, but it is a challenge.”
Although Moore is trying to remain positive she says, “Truly… after spending two days zooming into my classroom with students in my classroom and not being able to be there with them has been probably the biggest challenge for me emotionally so far this year.”
Despite the emotional challenge Moore is facing, she still has some excitement. She says, “I am excited to see my students get excited. I know there is going to come a moment when all the awkward newness wears off and students are going to get used to the new reality and then there will be an almost visible release that will make way for joy and excitement. It won’t be there at first, but eventually, we will all adapt and there will be that sweet spot when everything is working the way it needs to and the expectations are clear and everyone can breathe (in a mask of course) just a little bit easier.”
Not only is she excited for her students to adapt to the change and embrace the change, but she is also excited for the growth to come.
She says, “I am also excited to watch myself and other teachers continue to rise to the challenge; educators are some of the hardest working individuals I know and despite society telling them they aren’t doing enough… they continue to press on in an effort to make sure their students are growing as quality humans as well as learning every single day. I am proud of the Redwood teachers and I am excited for the growth that is going to continue to happen.”
Moore says, “As I said before, simulcast teaching offers a ton of challenges as does mask-wearing and social distancing protocols… so, we have to get inventive.”
In order to maximize learning, it is important for students and teachers to get creative.
Over the next few weeks, until Moore is cleared to come back on campus, she is going to have a hard time being away.
She says, “These next 10 weeks or so are going to be a struggle, but I am holding tight to a quote by Nobel Prize winner, Ilya Prigione.”
“The future is uncertain… but this uncertainty is at the very heart of human creativity.”
Nobel Prize winner, Ilya Prigione
She adds, “I believe we have an opportunity to take these new challenges, and rather than try to impose old solutions, we can create new solutions and potentially change the face of education. At the heart of uncertainty is the opportunity for growth.. all we need to do is get a little creative and not limit ourselves by our own limitations.”
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