“Distance learning…”

 
Shared by Breanne Smedley

Today marks the first official day of “distance learning” for students and teachers in my district.

Ever since it was announced that we need to come up with a plan to deliver our instruction to students online, I’ve been racking my brain figuring out how to make this effective.

Immediately, lots of objections started popping up in my mind.

How will we know that students are actually completing the workouts (in PE)?
How should we deliver instruction? Live, written, videos?
How do we replicate the social/emotional aspects of PE from a distance?
In health, how do I make instruction interesting and engaging?
What if students aren’t getting the material?
What if students just don’t “show up” at all?

It was a challenge, for sure.
Tempting to think it is not possible. Not worth it.

But, as I continued to dive into how to make this work for my students, I realized what the greatest challenge of all was.

It wasn’t necessarily ensuring that the material was being processed and retained (although that’s important).

It was how to maintain my connections with students from a distance.
How to maintain the classroom culture that I worked to establish up until this point.

And I don’t have it figured out yet.

So, as we go into this first day, I’m not worried about whether or not my students will learn the material.

They will. And, whatever they don’t can be brought back on track (that’s what teachers are best at!)

What I’m still grappling with is how to ensure they feel connected.

How they can learn from their classmate’s stories and perspectives.

How they can feel seen and heard. Not just a grade in my gradebook.

Distance learning-happens all the time.
Distance connecting-harder.

I’m grateful for the challenge to figure it out, though.

Here’s to day 1!

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