As we know teaching in 2020 will be different due to the pandemic, but what is it like to be a teacher?

Teachers all around the world are responsible for the education of their students and trying to make the students’ experiences more engaging. What some teachers are doing, like Jardy Santana, an English teacher, interviewed by The NY Times, is communicating with them emotionally, trying to connect with students on a personal level. They are also finding this effective for student’s mental health which helps them learn.

Mrs.Gross, from here at Colonia Middle School, also gave her opinion as to how she feels her teaching methods are and how she feels about this current situation. She answered, “None of the methods changed, mostly just how we do it. But I definitely like seeing the students’ faces and reactions, but the down side to this is that we can’t move around the classroom or go close to one another. How much screen time we are getting is another thing as well. I know that there is only so much we can do, there are certain things that can’t be done online, but we are getting it done for our students overall.”

For example, a teacher shared she has been helping students with some personal problems that have occurred in their lives and it proved to be beneficial. It’s been shown that empathizing with students is very helpful.

The NY Times article also stated about this teacher, “Ms. Santana was relieved to see her students’ moods lighten on spirit days. When getting internet was tough, the student could call Ms. Santana and dictate writing exercises to her over the phone.” This means that having fun once in a while helps their moods in having a better experience in school, helpIng them want to learn as well as enjoying it.

Another occasion where this happened would be, Sarah Pamperin, a bilingual teacher, from Green Bay, Wisconsin, also sharing in The NY Times article, “She worked with student services to deliver food, books and jump ropes to their porches. She texted and called them to see how their families were doing.”

These kind acts are what students need. Even if it is minor it will still be noticed and help everyone. Simply having friendly conversations will benefit the both of you, and we are glad to have our teachers around.