Once students felt comfortable with their devices, Ms. Simon was able to resume science instruction. However, she found it extremely difficult to find ways to make science engaging and interesting in an environment that was not hands-on. She noticed that her students were also frustrated with this new style of learning.<\/p>\n
As far as science teaching, it was hard because I teach hands-on most of the time when I\u2019m in the science lab. So it was really hard trying to make science interesting when they are looking at the computer all day for every single subject. . . . So it was just me trying to figure out how to make science interesting while they\u2019re at home pouting and tired of just sitting and looking at the computer.<\/em><\/p>\n Because she and her students were struggling with online instruction, Ms. Simon took the initiative to implement well-being surveys and have regular check-ins with students so they had an outlet to talk about things that were going on in their lives.<\/p>\n We did a brief survey with students. \u201cHow are you feeling today? Do you need to talk to the teacher about a personal matter? Yes or no? If you typed yes, send an email to one of us.\u201d So we did that, just to set the tone.<\/em><\/p>\n Online instruction continued into the first half of the 2020\u201321 school year but shifted to a hybrid learning environment during the second semester of the year where small groups of students alternated between in-person and online learning on select days. Hybrid instruction brought its own set of challenges, as it required Ms. Simon and her students to adjust to new safety protocols and classroom procedures. These protocols made it difficult at times for Ms. Simon to even provide students with basic needs, such as water.<\/p>\n Sometimes the air wasn\u2019t working, and we\u2019re all sweaty with that mask and breathing and frustrated and angry with each other from that. So it was those little things. Or making sure they gave us water because, obviously, they can\u2019t use the water fountain. But it\u2019s hot, . . . so we would have to constantly remind custodial staff, we have legal documents that we need a certain amount of water in our classrooms . . . because we have five children with illnesses where they have to have constant water coming in and cool water at that. The simplest things like water were a challenge.<\/em><\/p>\n She noted that the safety protocols also hindered her ability to immerse students in hands-on science activities.<\/p>\n Our district mandated we had to do six feet [of distance] and we could only, at the most, fit 12 kids in each room. It was better being able to physically see each other, but we still couldn\u2019t do group work. So they had to do all of their lab work by themselves. And that\u2019s not too motivating. You can talk with each other, but you can\u2019t be close. So I was trying to teach them one-on-one, but for a science experiment where science should be group work.<\/em><\/p>\n However, Ms. Simon felt that it was important to talk to students about COVID and why the safety mandates were important. She regularly had informal discussions with students I had a partnership with a neighboring university, . . . and they have a STEM program for underrepresented communities and urban school districts for children of color. And one of the mentors my students had was working on her PhD in infectious disease. She did a bacteria growth lesson with them. She explained to them what a pandemic was, what it does, and what her job is studying infectious disease. She really broke it apart for them to understand.<\/em><\/p>\n Ms. Simon explained that her students were able to use this information to think through the pandemic more logically. She also found that discussing COVID helped calm student Even though it\u2019s a scary situation, we were able to relate it to what they learned from [the expert]. Because she talked about how many times we\u2019ll see a pandemic throughout our lifetime and how they mutate and all this type of stuff. And I mean, to see them use their knowledge to really understand how it really works and why it\u2019s spreading, you know, it was a good thing.<\/em><\/p>\n All students and teachers eventually returned to in-person instruction for the 2021\u201322 school year. Ms. Simon made sure that each science lesson included a hands-on element I made my entire science instruction hands-on. . . . And students were better than they were last year. And I think it was because they were happy to be physically together and talk to each other.<\/em><\/p>\n However, the stress and struggles that accompanied teaching during the pandemic eventually took their toll and Ms. Simon made the difficult decision to leave the field at the conclusion of the 2021\u201322 school year to pursue new opportunities. She reflected on this choice that she and so many others are now having to make.<\/p>\n I think the world is going to see an exodus of teachers leaving. I think COVID being here, it opened up to the doors to a lot of things. Teachers are looking at their options, and now it\u2019s going to humble a lot of people who think that teachers do not do anything. It\u2019s going to be a mass shortage of teachers. Which is sad, but it\u2019s a reality of what\u2019s going on now.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
\nabout these topics, and also brought in an expert to lead a lesson about infectious diseases.<\/p>\n
\nanxiety because they had access to unbiased facts from a trusted source.<\/p>\n
\nand opportunities for collaboration to make up for lost opportunities over the previous school years.<\/p>\n![\"Elementary\"](\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/RAPID\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/giovanni-gagliardi-fvT3t9iOaJI-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" "\\"Elementary\\"")
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![\"High](\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/RAPID\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/linkedin-sales-solutions-NpyF7rjqmq4-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" "\\"High")
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