Reaching the finish line on virtual teaching in this academic year: Goals and learning accomplished
I hope that for each educator involved in virtual teaching, the experience had become as strengthening and empowering as it was for me. From here on, I am not the same teacher... I grew professionally, I got inspired, and I engaged better and more profoundly with my students and their families. That is something I'm going to continue practicing and being aware of.
As a kindergarten teacher, I had beautiful and unforgettable moments with all students. I also understood each of their situations, conflicts, and how they deal to solve them which left me no other path than to do my best to support and help them. The true learning experience began working with the students in real-time despite the workshops and training educators took at the beginning of the academic year and most of us during summer vacations.
In this blog post, I want to list and discuss my learning experience as a kindergarten teacher in my country Puerto Rico.
Learning from the educational system
The Department of Education of Puerto Rico (DEPR) as any other educational system around the world was learning and facing many challenges. DEPR provided a variety of workshops and training for all educators and administrators and hired school nurses and mental health professionals to attend to the physical and socio-emotional aspects of children and families. An important fact that needs to be mentioned here is that students and families in Puerto Rico suffered traumas with the onslaught of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, at the beginning of 2020 with the earthquakes in the southwest of the island that damaged almost all of the public schools in the region, and later the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I expect that for the next academic year, the DEPR must continue providing physical and socio-emotional support for children and families even if the education begins in the classroom. Moreover, to be aware and interested in the socio-emotional aspect of educators and administrators as well. Education cannot work if its foundations are not well-established and cemented.
DEPR urges to plan accordingly with the exigencies of all the components that involve education: students, families, educators, administrators, curriculum, and infrastructure, among others. Efficient planning takes into consideration all components. Taking only some of them makes lose the efforts directly fail.
During this unusual instruction, the DEPR was required to make changes in education more accordingly to the circumstances, but it did not happen. Virtual teaching is quite different than in-person teaching. This situation was even equal for the families. It became clear the inequities in disabilities and socioeconomic status. For the educators, the workload is supposed to be considered. The DEPR intensified it during the pandemic. Their requests were equal or more than previous years without taking into consideration that we were also struggling from our homes, facing the same challenges as students' families, and attending to our children who were studying remotely at the same time we were working. Specifically, the Progress Report for Kindergarten included the exact criteria to evaluate used for classroom teaching and learning. That report was not updated according to virtual teaching and online learning. It required changes because the experiences were different. The same happened with other grades and subjects. This could be pointed out as an important factor in the academic failure of some students reported in Puerto Rico during this period of 2020-2021.
For the fiscal year 2021-2022, the recommended consolidated budget for the DEPR amounts to $ 415.3 million. These are not a few pennies, so educators, administrators, students, and families need to insist more on our claims to be addressed and attended to appropriately. Our education deserves better technology equipment and efficient internet and connectivity access in our homes, schools, and classrooms. Educators and administrators also suggest better working conditions and salaries. It is a truth that our salaries are the same as more than a decade ago, thirteen years to be exact.
Learning from students and families
Thinking about my kindergarteners and their families melts my heart. We did real connections and established positive relationships based on love and respect.
The DEPR provided digital devices for each student in the educational system. There were tablets for younger students and laptops for older ones. I was amazed at how young children managed and worked on their devices. Their technological ability is real and amazing. As early childhood educators, we need to keep these tools in our lessons. Technology is here to stay in our plans for teaching and learning.
I consider that I had a successful experience with my students. The academic achievement was evidenced in data collected from pre and post-tests, formative, and summative assessments. I knew how challenging it would be at the beginning. I decided to establish several plans to gain those families in real engagement, collaboration, and involvement in the learning process. From day one, I explained to them how important families are in the academic achievement of their children. I also explained that we all need to form a team with the same goals of success for the children.
Many families ignore how essential they are and how they can support and help their children with little actions. As educators, we need to explain to them that fact. Communication between families and educators entails honesty, respect, transparency, kindness, and precision. So we have to be able to answer their questions and make recommendations for them to execute. Communication is an important key to success!
Most of the time, I felt that these families were my teaching extensions at their homes, even with the working parents. And that's a great feeling! I supported non-working families who became teachers and tutors at home. For working families, I recorded my daily lessons for them to watch later with their children. It also implied answering questions and clarifying doubts after my working scheduled hours.
Every day I dealt with little students who demonstrated their desire to learn with responsibility and joy. They also demonstrated their capacity for resilience and adaptability overcoming technological situations, connectivity conflicts, and other challenges they faced.
What is next in education
Virtual teaching gave the reshaping and renewal that the education system needed for years. In my experience and opinion, educators must continue teaching practices including technology in their learning lessons making them pertinent to our real problems and situations. The opportunity of involving technology in our lessons is something we have to maintain. It will add excellent and competent skills to our students and their families improving their competencies in the real world.
What we know is that education will not be the same, and that's good news. The renewal it had was required a long time ago. We used technology in education for real at last! Education needs to go further beyond.
The educational system should count on the new role of families. Families are the support and collaborative partners of educators and administrators. So, training and workshops to perform better must be recommended. For example, providing more educational sources, technology, and connectivity availability.
The lesson learned here is that we are all humans with the capacity to succeed if we have the appropriate support. It includes families, students, educators, and administrators. That's the whole team. If one of these members fails, we all do!
_______________________
