Virtual, In-Person, or Hybrid: Oh My!
This past school year, many (or most) of our classrooms across the country (and the world) sat empty. Students are being required to stay home to work. As the title suggests (Virtual, In-Person, or Hybrid: Oh My!) this is about the options and how I see them.
First a little about me. I am a licensed high school English teacher. I hold a Master's degree in Teaching. I have been in the classroom for 5 years, but last year (2019-2020) and this year (2020-2021) I have been at home. Before becoming a teacher, I was a Sign Language interpreter for four years. These years in the education system were NOT consecutive, but, total, I have 9 full time years. I also have about 5-6 years of substitute teaching. I have a year of teaching English at a community college, and I have worked in a daycare as well.
I have been on most sides of the education system. I have been a student, and I still am (master's degree). I have been a teacher, interpreter, and substitute. I have been a parent, but my daughter is now homeschooled. That means I do not have to worry (much) about what the public schools do. It does not affect my child's education any longer.
I had Auntie Academy. My sister opted for virtual school for her littles, and I had them Monday through Friday for that. On Thursdays, I also had my great-niece. Most days, I had a 2nd grader and a 4th grader, but on Thursdays, I had a Kindergartener too.
Auntie Academy closed in June. All three of the girls did a great job this year.
By working with my nieces and great-niece at home this year, I saw again something I already knew. Children learn differently. Some students need to have the teacher in front of them so they can focus, ask questions, and grasp the information. Other students can work on their own and complete things. Other students, still, can do both. They can work with or without a teacher.
I think that this is a great time for school boards around the country to look at this and find a way to meet the students where they are.
Virtual:
Virtual students would be completely online, except possibly for State testing. These students should have all the same opportunities--clubs, outings, etc.--the in-person students have. They should also still have one-on-one access to their teachers. If these students have special needs or qualify for special services, these students should have those as well.
In-Person:
In-person students would be your "typical" students. They would attend class daily. They would have all the same classes and activities that we think of when we think of a school day.
Hybrid:
Hybrid students would do both. Some days they would be in class with a teacher. Some days they would work at home on assignments from their teachers, but with little access to the teachers. This is what students were doing at the beginning of the school year this past year. They had an A/B schedule and were off on Fridays. This could work for some students.
What's next?
My suggestions (for what they are worth):
1. Ask teachers if they have a preference. Yes, most of them are going to say that they want their students in the classroom with them every day. However, you will get some that will agree with either a Hybrid or Virtual schedule.
2. Allow the parents to choose. Let the parents have a voice in how they want their students to be taught. Most parents know how their students learn. Give the parents a chance to choose how they want their children to attend school.
3. Have all three options at every school. Once parents and teachers have made their decisions, work the schedule so that students are assigned to teachers based on their choice of attendance method. This is especially important at the high school level because some students want to be able to graduate from a school where their family attended before them, their friends are, or they are very involved with activities.
4. Make education about the students and not the politics. If all three options exist at every school, then students would all have access to the same education. They would not have to worry about the next school board vote about attendance. The students and teachers would be able to do what was needed instead of having to have a conversation every day about what may happen the following week, month, semester.
Who's with me? Who thinks that schools should support teachers and students and allow them to teach and learn the best way they can? Who feels like students and parents should have an option?
Comment below and/or share this out so that we can get more people in the conversation!
Comments