The Lockdown

Lockdown came swiftly with an instant change of how I am to 'teach' my year one class. With trepidation, I wondered 'How do I do it?'. How do I create a class atmosphere and learning without physically coming together? Can I do it? Am I capable? OH MY ..... where do I start?

To find a beginning place in an attempt to answer these thoughts, I had to deeply reflect on what being a teacher means for me, in today's world, and decide what is important to keep, and what to let go of through the transition into home learning online.

What was important to me 

• students to engage with online learning
• trying to make it independent for the learners so that parents didn't have to be there all the time
• make it easy for parents to support child/ren
• make it interesting
• for students not to spend all day in front of a screen - need to be active and explorers
• make it easy to move around
• try to keep what happens in the classroom with learning similar to online

How am I going to do this?

• content to resemble what students know
• content to spark interest based on what I know of students interests outside of school
• apps - Reading eggs, Maths Buddy, Steps Web, Epic Reading,
• using my skills and knowledge of online tools to set up and create learning on the class site

How has this been? 

Sadly not all students have engaged with all the work on offer. However, there have been consistent learners sharing their learning and joining with the Goggle meetings. 

There have been around 6-8 students who have not engaged with anything available to them online. This could be due to home situations, internet access, time and parent educational skills, or other issues that I am not aware of. 

Students who have engaged in online learning topics have progressed in their skills, knowledge, and ability while away from school. Their maths, writing, and technology skills have grown, and I can see self-confidence with sharing what they can do, as being the most afforded learning. 

Time spent online at Goggle meets has been beneficial for smaller group learning, where the focus is on maths or writing times. 

Parents who have given feedback, have said positive things about the learning opportunities, and students have also remarked positively. 

The lockdown has been a positive growth and learning opportunity for me as a teacher. Although it has been hard ensuring that I take breaks and only work one day of the weekend, I have grown in confidence towards my ability to judge overall learning of students, think about and create learning opportunities online, and look outside the box when it comes to how I can be an effective teacher.

Here is the link to my class site ---------> Bethlehem Class Site