{"id":132301,"date":"2020-04-16T14:01:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T18:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=132301"},"modified":"2020-05-01T11:09:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T15:09:00","slug":"be-gentle-with-yourself-teaching-and-learning-in-troubled-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2020\/04\/16\/be-gentle-with-yourself-teaching-and-learning-in-troubled-times\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Be gentle with yourself\u2019: teaching and learning in troubled times"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Anita Charles, senior lecturer in education and director of secondary teacher education at Bates, likes to illustrate a key concept in education by holding one hand 6 inches above the other, representing the potential of teaching and learning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Above her hands, the material is too hard: A student might feel overwhelmed. Below is too easy, leading to boredom and complacency. In between her hands is what psychologists and education professionals call the \u201czone of proximal development,\u201d a complex and fluid space for growth.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As the coronavirus pandemic upends every aspect of life, and presents unique challenges to students, teachers, and parents, Charles reminds us that the zone of proximal development \u2014 the ability to learn something meaningful \u2014 exists outside the traditional classroom.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"Anita

Senior Lecturer in Education Anita Charles teaches a course in 2018. Also the director of secondary teacher education at Bates, Charles has been worried about the inequalities that remote learning might produce \u2014 but she’s confident that teachers can adapt to the new normal. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m learning new technologies, then I\u2019m stretching myself in the zone of proximal development,\u201d Charles says. \u201cIf I\u2019m at home, and I\u2019m working with a child, I may be learning new skills. A child may be learning a new routine that\u2019s unusual to them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cTeaching and learning don\u2019t stop. We\u2019re redefining them, we\u2019re recalibrating them, we\u2019re picking up and keeping on moving within that zone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Charles has spent the past weeks thinking about that recalibration.\u00a0Like many teachers and observers of education, she’s worried about whether and how the services that schools provide, like meals, technology, social interaction, and speech and occupational therapy, translate to a remote environment, particularly for poorer students and those with disabilities. But she’s confident that teachers and families are rising to the challenge.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For teachers and families who are now living that recalibration \u2014 making the massive adjustment to remote teaching while caring for themselves and their families \u2014 completing traditional coursework is often taking a back seat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

“We\u2019re redefining them, we\u2019re recalibrating them, we\u2019re picking up and keeping on moving.”<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

That\u2019s okay, Charles says. When school buildings close, teachers should be \u2014 and are \u2014 focusing more on maintaining connections with their students. \u201cRelationships take priority over academics right now, and I would say that\u2019s true always,\u201d Charles says. \u201cWe build the learning on those connections.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kylie Martin \u201919, a recent graduate of the Bates teacher education program, is an English teacher at Maine\u2019s Poland Regional High School. The school is part of a rural Maine district and is confronting many of the challenges facing rural schools across the United States<\/a>, such as accessing technology. In fact, a portion of one town in the district, Minot, which borders Lewiston-Auburn, still does not have access to high-speed internet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\u201cAs time progresses, the emotional toll\u201d of not going to a physical school deepens, Martin says. She video-chats with students, checking in and reminding them that they are resilient. \u201cI want to see their faces and let them know I’m thinking of them,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s not a perfect way to meet with her students \u2014 many of them don\u2019t like being on camera. Of all things, the social media app TikTok has proven quite effective.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI post random bits of my life and self-care tactics I’m doing at home, just to help kids feel connected through social media,\u201d she says. \u201cI’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Andrew Jarboe \u201905, a high school U.S. history teacher at Match, a pre-K\u201312 charter school in Boston, is also focusing on connections. Before the pandemic, he had plenty of face-to-face time with his students, including bringing some of them to a debate workshop at Bates<\/a>. The challenges that some of his students have always faced are now exponentially greater.<\/p>\r\n

\"Kylie<\/a>

Kylie Martin ’19, a first-year teacher at Poland (Maine) Regional High School, says that sharing “random bits of my life” \u2014 such as teaching from her home deck \u2014 with her students on social media has helped keep her connected to her students, and they with her. (Courtesy Kylie Martin).<\/p><\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Some have family members with COVID-19. Some are working to support the family or taking care of younger siblings.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cIt must be especially challenging for the child who is trying to figure out how to learn remotely while also juggling poverty, or sickness, or hunger, or childcare,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Jarboe says that the first week after the school building closed its doors, the faculty rushed to establish contact virtually with students and families, making sure they were ready for the new learning environment and handing out Chromebooks if they needed them.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cAcademics were secondary to connecting with kids, and rightly so,\u201d he says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Prioritizing relationships and connections doesn\u2019t mean students can\u2019t focus on traditional learning, Charles says. In fact, working on subjects like math and reading every day might offer students and parents a sense of structure and consistency.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\r\n

\u201cIt must be especially challenging for the child who is trying to figure out how to learn remotely while also juggling poverty, or sickness, or hunger, or childcare.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some truth to the position that we should not be putting pressure on kids to be doing academic learning,\u201d Charles says, \u201cbut there\u2019s a lot of value to continuing with what we perceive is classwork. It provides some routine. To sit down with a math worksheet is within kids\u2019 control.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Sunny Hong \u201916 is a Spanish teacher at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a magnet residential high school in Limestone. When the students went home and remote classes began, Hong quickly realized that certain practices \u2014 like asking students to do an assignment in an hour, when they have wildly different internet connections \u2014 were not going to work anymore.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Instead, she\u2019s been trying to get her students to learn as much Spanish as they can while enjoying themselves. She\u2019s having them listen to music, watch movies, play games, and learn about the histories of Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. If they learn some vocabulary and grammar along the way, all the better.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Sunny Hong \u201916 is a Spanish teacher at the Maine School for Science and Mathematics. (Courtesy of Sunny Hong)<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019m not worrying a whole lot about covering everything they\u2019re supposed to cover this year,\u201d Hong says. \u201cWe\u2019re all beyond that point. It\u2019s about, how can they get the most out of this experience?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Through trial and error, Jarboe and his colleagues at Match devised a system of remote learning using what have become ubiquitous terms in education: synchronous, or live, lessons; and asynchronous learning, using learning materials students can access anytime.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Jarboe\u2019s students, regardless of Advanced Placement or honors level, all have the opportunity to meet with him through Zoom in the mornings; most don\u2019t or can\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Otherwise, \u201cI\u2019ve done away with any sort of day-to-day updates or assignments,\u201d he says. \u201cKids can access our Google Classroom where they will find that week\u2019s work. They can complete the work whenever they want, and so long as it is turned in by the end of the week, I\u2019ll be satisfied.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe truth is, even if the work isn\u2019t turned in on time and arrives in my inbox much later, that\u2019s OK.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\r\n
\"(Grace

Andrew Jarboe \u201905, a high school teacher at Match in Boston, takes notes during a January 2019 debate workshop at Bates, which Jarboe and the Brooks Quimby Debate Council set up for Match students. (Grace Link \u201919\/Bates College)<\/p><\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Students and parents shouldn\u2019t put pressure on themselves to follow routines to the letter, Charles says.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cDo some reading and writing and math and then something fun, something creative,\u201d Charles says. \u201cMake Play-Doh. Plant some plants. Bake cookies. Find pockets of joy, and let those balance some of the frustrations and worries. Don\u2019t be so stuck in routines that you get frustrated when they don\u2019t get met.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Both because of her district\u2019s instructions and her own desire to provide as much leeway as possible, Kylie Martin has been giving her students two assignments a week on a pass\/fail basis.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\r\n

\u201cDo some reading and writing and math and then something fun, something creative.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019m passing students who make an honest effort to attempt the assignment, considering that many of them have so many barriers to remote learning,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m also emphasizing that they are resilient, and what resilience looks like during the pandemic: communicating with others about feelings, self-care, and giving the best effort to academics with what you have.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Balancing classwork and serene moments is good for teachers, too, particularly those who are still students themselves.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Anita Charles is working with seven Bates seniors in the college\u2019s teacher education program whose student-teaching placements have abruptly come to an end.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

In lieu of being in the classroom, the students are observing videos of past classroom lessons, developing lesson plans, and welcoming \u201cguests\u201d to their Zoom classes, including Martin and Hong.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Because of Charles\u2019 guidance, the students\u2019 own work, and the Maine Department of Education\u2019s flexibility, these students will still graduate from the program and be eligible for teacher certification. Charles thinks they might even have an advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\"\"\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

Anita Charles took this screenshot of students in the Bates teacher education program (as well as her co-teacher, Associate Professor of Education Mara Tieken) during their first Zoom meeting since the pandemic. Says Charles, top middle: \u201cWe checked in with how they were all feeling: \u2018Sad, distant, bored, patient, nervous, frustrated, impatient, uncertain, displaced, disappointed, optimistic.\u2019\u201d (Courtesy of Anita Charles)<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been reminding them they\u2019re going to be out there looking for jobs, and this draws on creativity, innovation, reflection, and problem solving,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re going to have some skills that employers will be looking for because they have gone through this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

At every step, Charles says, teachers, students, and parents should do the same as everyone else whose lives have been disrupted: acknowledge what they\u2019ve been able to achieve in trying circumstances, and cut themselves some slack when they need to.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\u201cTeachers are doing extraordinary work right now,\u201d she says. \u201cThe teachers that I know are truly missing their classrooms and their schoolchildren and are doing the very best they can to stay connected. Some are making personalized calls. Some are waving at kids from cars.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

At the same time, she says, \u201cwe need to be gentle on ourselves. We can\u2019t do everything. We need to take small steps. Pay attention. Keep learning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the routine of schoolwork can be good for kids, families and teachers should cut themselves a lot of slack, says education professor Anita Charles. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1005,"featured_media":132431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[10780,12135],"class_list":["post-132301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-life","category-alumni","tag-anita-charles","tag-covid-19"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132301"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132435,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132301\/revisions\/132435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}