HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A TEACHER?
I think this is my 16th year. I taught for seven years, and then I stayed home with my two children. This will be my ninth year at Walnut Grove so...I taught for seven and then stayed home 11 years, but this is my ninth year back.
HOW HAS IT BEEN TEACHING IN A PANDEMIC?
I still love teaching, and I love the kids. Last spring was hard just because it was new for everyone and kind of a shock. Starting this school year, I was a Dragon Virtual Academy teacher. So for the first nine weeks, I taught online. That pushed me to grow in areas of technology. I felt like it was just important for the kids to see me every day and be there as a person.
WAS IT HARDER TO TEACH IN THE SPRING THAN IN THE FALL?
Definitely. I think in the spring, I wished I could have done what I did in the fall. But I don’t think we were all ready for that or even aware. When it all happened, my class would have live Zoom meetings, but even Zoom was kind of new for us. [Last] fall, I felt we truly had a digital classroom.
HOW SUPPORTIVE WAS CISD?
I definitely felt like CISD was supportive, even our administrators and PTO have been supportive. I felt like once a week we were getting treat cards or signs.
HOW HAVE THE KIDS FARED IN SCHOOL DURING THE PANDEMIC?
I had some students who were in my virtual class who I could just tell needed to be in person. Some struggled trying to turn in their work or be involved and engaged when they’re online. But now, they’re back in class, and they’re doing great. Others could be successful in person or online, and they’re just moving along and doing great. I feel like that option was important.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED WORKS BEST WHEN TEACHING IN A PANDEMIC?
I feel like human contact has been so important both online or in person. But it was especially important when I was teaching online. Seeing their faces and them getting to see mine, I felt like that interaction was so important for them to have.