Saturday: I interview a first-year teacher who works in a bilingual (Spanish-English) third-grade class at a public grammar school (K-6) in the Bronx. I edited our 45-minute conversation for clarity.
Me: How did you decide on grammar school teaching?
Teacher: I’ve known for a long time that I have a passion for helping kids. I’ve been taking care of them since I was growing up, first in my family, then with neighbors’ kids, then with summer jobs, then as an after-school teacher. After college I worked at an agency for children with autism, but I wanted to work with children directly, not only on the back end. So I got my teaching credential.
Me: Describe your job before CoronaWorld.
Teacher: Up until the coronavirus, everything was going fine. Our school is majority Hispanic, predominantly low-income families. We have a bilingual program: one day we teach entirely in English, the next day in Spanish, proceeding throughout the week. I teach the core subjects, math and English language arts, plus science; students have “cluster” teachers for things like technology, art, and gym. I had a good group of 20 students in my classroom. I was getting the hang of things; I couldn’t complain about anything.
Me: Describe the transition when CoronaWorld descended.
Teacher: Oh my god. Where do I start? Chaos. It’s still chaotic. There’s so much uncertainty. I know that’s true worldwide, but it’s certainly reflected in our school. Before we shut down, first we had to change my morning greeting. Students coming in can give either a high five, a hug, or a dance; most choose the hug. They’re very attached to the ritual. So when things started we had to move to elbow bumps.
In the last week or so we were going day by day. There was no word from the [city Department of Education] or the principal. I had a lot of students out sick that last week. I think the news, all of the uncertainty, was affecting them mentally and physically. On the last Friday [March 13], only 10 of my 20 students attended. And all the kids left without knowing that we weren’t coming back. We sent them home without textbooks or materials.
Me: Mayor de Blasio decided that Sunday [March 15] to shut the schools. Then you had to come in for three days of training, right?
Teacher: Quote unquote “training.” What a waste of time. Our first meeting was Monday at 8 a.m. All the teachers met in the auditorium, sitting apart, practicing social distancing. They told us we’d have a speaker at 9 a.m.; there was no speaker. We were just staring at each other. Finally the principal said the administration was following the news and would update us; in the meantime we should try to figure out how to get work to the kids. On the third day we put together ELA and math textbooks to give to the families. But it was such short notice, and we were only open until 2 p.m., and a lot of parents couldn’t pick them up. Also that day they said, Let’s put work into Google Classroom. But my school is not equipped with technology. I think my students had used Google Classroom twice the whole year. And they’re not familiar with tablets.
My biggest frustration is that the DOE has said: We want to make students’ education continuous; we want to ensure they have iPads; we want to ensure they have internet service; we’re going to teach families how to use all of this. But I had five students who needed iPads, plus three who needed internet service, and they just received them this week [seven weeks after schools were closed]. And of course many of the students have to share equipment with their parents and siblings. It’s been frustrating and sad to listen to their stories.
Me: What has long-distance teaching been like?
Teacher: We’ve done nothing synchronous. We just had a meeting this week, and the administration is pushing for us to have virtual teaching. They want us to start with check-ins two times a week, just 10 to 15 minutes to see how kids are doing, so they can see us and put a face back to our voices.
But for now, I start the day taking attendance on Google Classroom. My method has been to ask a very simple question, like, How are you feeling today? And the students’ duty is to answer. I keep it simple so they can see each other responding.
From there, I post and label assignments of the day: ELA in the ELA section, science, math, social studies. I’m giving the same amount of work they’d have in school, and honestly, I’m adding more social studies and science. The administration has told us: The students are home, they’re doing nothing, you’re obliged to put up work for them every day in every subject. It’s usually five things a day from me, plus their library work, and art, and technology, and gym.
Many families have expressed that they don’t know where to begin, that work is piling up. And I’ve told them: as long as the student is working on something every day in the major topics, ELA and math, and then juggling science and social studies more like once a week, that’s perfect. I definitely feel like demand on the students is higher. And things are being monitored; the administration is checking Google Classroom to make sure kids are working.
And it’s been more difficult because a lot of the parents don’t speak English. We end up with a lot of calls back and forth, with them trying to figure out what their children have to do and how to submit it.
Me: So you’re spending a lot of time on the telephone?
Teacher: A lot. The final students only got tablets on Thursday, and I think Friday was the first time I had a full class of 20. But let’s be clear: even for students who had tablets earlier, a lot weren’t logging on. I started with six or seven students consistently every day; then it went to 10. So I’m constantly calling families, checking up: Is everyone OK? The administration has told us to be sensitive, but they still expect kids to complete their work.
I’ve had students with deaths in their immediate families. One boy’s grandfather and uncle died. Another family lives in one room of a three-room apartment, and in one of the other rooms is a couple with Covid. So they’re hibernating in their room, and every time they use the kitchen the mom’s wiping everything with Chlorox. And now one of her children has an illness, and she’s not sure if it’s Covid, and she’s afraid they’ll be kicked out of the apartment.
So how do I go around their fears to have a conversation about school? That’s hard. One day my morning question was, “Tell me how you’re feeling and why.” And one boy wrote, “Not happy. My mom’s friend just died of Covid.” So I called and said, Forget your work, forget everything, let’s just talk. I love you, and you’re OK.
One student’s mother had Covid-19. The first time I talked to her, she was wheezing, gasping for air. I was so scared. I said, Hang up, let’s just talk by text. She sent her three kids to her sister’s house; they were there for three weeks. Then the mother called yesterday; her sister was diagnosed positive, and the kids have to move back with her. I asked how she was doing, and she said, “Relatively better. But I’m still so tired.” She’s taking every medication under the sun, but she’s overwhelmed.
And then a lot of my time is with parents asking about Google Classroom. They text me: Hey, did my child submit that assignment? Did they do the right assignment? How are they supposed to submit the assignment? I can’t open the document. I can’t find the document. I spend a lot of time mirroring: Do you see this button? Click that. Copy this. Double-click that.
It’s not in my contract to be a mom, or a counselor, or an IT expert. But that’s what I’m doing.
Me: How are you handling grading?
Teacher: As long as they’re doing any work, they’ll get a good grade. For instance, we usually base writing grades on a rubric, but that’s hard to follow. Students are using technology they’re not familiar with. So if I understand what they’re trying to say, if they’re using capital letters, if they state three facts and add a few details, they’ll get a 100 percent. I’m not taking away points for improper grammar; I may note the problems in the comments.
Me: How have students reacted to online learning?
Teacher: They’re stressed about it. I think it’s been a shock for them, adjusting to not seeing my face at all. They’re trying to make the best of it. In our interactions on Google Classroom I try to use as many motivating words as I can: Great job, wonderful work. In the first few weeks, I didn’t get many responses. But around Week 3 or 4 I started to get a lot: I miss you so much. I wish we were in class. I miss my friends. And then messages from the parents: My kid misses you, she wishes she could talk to you every day. I’m pretty sure the children are overwhelmed.
Me: And how are you doing?
It’s been a rollercoaster ride. I want to be sensitive; I want to fulfill my duties as a teacher. But it’s also like: when do I have time to worry about me? I’ve been blessed, my family has not been directly impacted, everything is under control. But I wake up to my students. We’re supposed to be online from 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., our regular school day. I want them to know I’m online, that I’ll reply to every question. But some students don’t first log in until the afternoon. So the earliest I’ve logged off has been 3 p.m.; often it’s 5 p.m. And the phone calls are all hours; it can be 9 p.m. and they’re still texting me. So sometimes I’m working 12-hour days. I’m taking it day by day. But it’s been pretty overwhelming, honestly.
Me: What kind of guidance are you getting from administrators, from the DOE?
Teacher: Everyone is trying to figure it out. But there are no real guidelines. We’ve been told: Teach in Google Classroom; make sure you hear from your students; make sure the families are OK. We have a once-a-week professional development meeting; now that they’re pushing virtual teaching, they’re using the next one to teach us to use Google Meet. They’ll say, You’re doing a good job. Or, Trust your judgment. But we’re not getting real guidance, or any type of comfort, or any real understanding of our hard work. So we’re taking it day by day and trying our best.
Me: What do you lose by not working with students in the classroom?
If you want me to be honest, everything. Students need to socialize. They need to see their teacher. Being in school isn’t just about following textbooks. It’s about working together, collaborating, talking and playing and laughing with their friends. It’s about asking questions and getting immediate feedback. I can tell how students are from their expressions, from body language.
Now they’re just doing assignments and submitting them. They’re not asking questions; I can’t tell if they have misconceptions, or what was tricky for them. There’s a place in Google Classroom to write comments and questions. But the chance of them getting out of the assignment, finding the comment box, then writing their comment — I mean, these are third graders; by the time they get there they probably forgot why they had a comment in the first place. I’m losing them. I know a lot of parents are trying to help them, and I know some of them are getting help with answers. For some of them, their writing is different.
Me: Is there anything better about online teaching?
Teacher: I’m learning the Google Classroom platform; students are learning how to use tablets. Really, I’d say the only positive thing is that the school is realizing we should have these supplies throughout the year. It’s crazy that we had to have a pandemic to make that happen. That’s the only benefit. If you want to call that a benefit.
Me: What if you have to start teaching this way in the fall, for the new school year?
Teacher: I‘ll die. [Pause] For a long time teaching worldwide, especially for younger grades, has been about being able to help kids directly, to be hands-on with them and their projects. It’s about social encounters. And that’s taken from them online. We did an art activity recently where they had to create the word “Home.” It was fine. But the experience is not the same: it lacks interaction, emotion. And that’s where a lot of learning takes place.
We’d have to make it work. But how could they build a relationship with the teacher? It’s chaotic as it is now; that would be so much worse.
(New York state numbers on Saturday: 312,977 diagnosed with Covid-19, up 1.5 percent; 299 dead, to a total of 18,909 up 1.6 percent. Overall U.S. deaths: 1,610, to a total of 60,541, up 2.7 percent.)
I'm establishing an oral history of the pandemic; previous interviews include with a public college professor, a public middle school student, a private college dean, and a public high school teacher.
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