Teachers receive new responsibilities related to supervision, technology
To accommodate students on distance learning and hybrid, teachers take on new responsibilities such as tackling issues with technology.
April 14, 2021
After more than four weeks of a hybrid learning model within-person classes, teachers have taken on more responsibilities but found the process of transitioning to classroom technology easier than expected.
Teachers’ new responsibilities have mainly been with supervision, technology and planning for lessons with some students on Zoom and others in person.
English teacher Christine Himmelfarb said that the supervision added another four structured hours to her day. However, that number has been reduced to two hours once two high school grades began attending in person on April 12. The supervision responsibilities have included sitting in on classes where the teachers are on Zoom, supervising students during lunch and roaming the hallways before and after school to ensure that students keep moving and leave the building on time.
My goal was to have the people in the classroom not on Zoom so that the experience of coming to school in person felt worth it and different from the experience of being at home in their individual rooms.
— Christine Himmelfarb
Science teacher Sharon Housinger said that she has also experienced an increase in workload but her main worries have been resolved.
“The biggest challenge was anticipation before we came back because there was zero communication,” Sharon Housinger, science teacher, said. “I don’t think that was the fault of anyone at Lab school. I think it was because the university kept changing what the parameters were going to be.”
Teachers have also had to ensure that their in-person students get the most out of being at school. Some teachers have even written separate plans for students on Zoom and those in the room.
“My goal was to have the people in the classroom not on Zoom so that the experience of coming to school in person felt worth it and different from the experience of being at home in their individual rooms,” Ms. Himmelfarb said.
Ms. Housinger said that, for science labs, she will start dividing the curriculum and dealing with the challenges of teaching the same material at the same pace to different groups.
With technology, teachers have had to make a setup that allows for both in-person and remote students to learn the same material.
“While it was a new thing we had to do, it wasn’t hard at all, Ms. Housinger said, “I think that was the thing I and most of my colleagues were most worried about, but it turned out it was set up for us and went really smoothly.”
