With the startling total of low grades, this should provide plenty of evidence on how many kids are struggling with remote learning. If students don’t understand what is happening in class, how are they going to be able to take a test and get a passable grade?
Various students and teachers didn’t have a quiet place to sit and teach or listen because of siblings, parents, children, pets, etc. This made¬¬ it hard to focus on what your teacher or students are saying.
“When I was going online to do my classes, my siblings were also home going to their classes it made it difficult for me to focus or even want to join my classes,” freshmen Jocelyn Housley said.
For teachers who have not had to teach online before, this year has been harder for them to support their students and explain the assignment to them in detail. But when students were able to come into the building to learn, they had a better understanding of what they are supposed to be learning.
“Teachers online just tell us to do the work but not how to do it so it makes it harder to get it done and then you just give up but when I’m in person they actually try” freshmen Tristin Green said.
A large handful of teachers have reported that not even half of their classes haven’t been showing up to the live online classes that were being held on the Teams app. This caused many students to fail classes or drop the class.
“We are at about 50 to 60 percent attendance but in person, I know who is here and if you are here, I know if you are paying attention or not. When your online, I don’t know even though your logged into the meeting, I don’t know if you’re paying attention,” algebra teacher Robert Bagley said.
When DMPS had all students doing remote learning it caused students to lose some self-motivation. lots of students need motivation from their peers and teachers to feel like they can get their work done, but when doing online schooling it’s harder for students to feel like they have any motivation at all. Several students don’t even get out of bed to join class, they lay in bed and sometimes fall back asleep or join class and play video games or play music and zone out.
Now that students are back in the building full time, Des Moines Public Schools has started a night school program to provide students with extra help from teachers to help bring up their grades. It started February eighth, Mondays – Thursdays, 3:45-5:45 pm. This program is open to all students and is free. You can go into the cafeteria to sign in and then go into the classroom that fits your needs for the subject you are needing help in that day. Also, snacks will be provided by the school for students.
“I definitely prefer 100% in person, but also know that there are some students that 100% online is their preference and are really doing well. I think that the virtual classroom continues to evolve and will be a powerful resource and opportunity for a lot of students and families from here on out. I am happy we were able to make both a reality this year and am proud of our teachers and staff and their work in this endeavor,” associate principal Jill Versteeg said.
Lots of students feel like they have more motivation to get work done and come to school because of being in the building rather than at home doing remote learning. Being able to talk to teachers face to face is making learning much easier for many students.
“As a teacher, it has been great being back in the classroom. Teachers have been full-time for many weeks now, and most of us have more motivation now than we did virtually. Being a teacher is an emotional and physical job-meaning we need physical and emotional contact with students and other staff in order to be super effective. The disconnect I’m seeing right now is getting our students on that same level. Factors like distractions, phones, and attendance are causing this disconnect to get in the way of some students finding that motivation.
“I also deal mainly with freshmen; this means that some of my students don’t fully understand the consequences of them failing classes and the impact it will have on their future high school career. The class I teach is required for graduation, and I tell students every year if they don’t pass it then they will have to retake it. This is another reason I offer my time and support for night school,” algebra teacher Justine Rinker said.
Being back in the building full time has taken off a lot of stress for students and teachers for the most part.
“I’m not very good with technology so, I think I do a better job explaining to students when I have a whiteboard and draw, appose to using technology,” Bagley said.
Working online can be a struggle for many students but with Des Moines Public Schools having us do full in person has helped bring up student’s grades and their attendance.