When schools closed abruptly in March of 2020, what started as a temporary measure quickly became an ongoing reality as students and teachers alike adjusted to the emerging world of remote learning. Yet, the true challenge came the following year when schools began to reopen. With some students returning to school, and others continuing online, dual learning was born.
As the sole 8th Grade Math teacher at my school, I held the unique responsibility of teaching every student in the grade, regardless of whether they learned remotely or in person. I was challenged to balance my days between the physical classroom, engaging with in-person students, and the virtual world, attempting to achieve the same type of connection with those learning from home.
Responsible for all students, not just some or others, I felt a strong calling to ensure that every student, whether remote or in-person, had an equal opportunity to succeed. To accomplish this, I prioritized three core domains: Accountability, Transferability, and Culture.
Accountability
Holding students accountable in an online environment posed a unique challenge. Without being able to physically see if students were engaged with the material (and in some cases, without being able to physically see students at all), I had to create structures that would ensure the class remained on track. First, functional cameras and mics were a non-negotiable expectation and attendance in the lesson was contingent on being fully physically and audibly present on the call. This required collaboration with families (and a bit of money out of pocket on some inexpensive webcams) but was a return on investment that cannot be overstated.
However, simply seeing and hearing students wasn’t enough—I also needed to be able to monitor their understanding of Math. To this end, whether students were answering multiple choice questions or solving complex open responses, students were not permitted the opportunity to submit work by simply selecting or writing an answer choice. Instead, students were required to upload a photo of their work for every question on every assignment. Attendance for class was contingent on uploading a photo of the notes and credit for work was contingent on uploading a photo of the paper where it was completed.
Finally, it was necessary to ensure that students learning remotely were held accountable to abiding by the same classroom rules and procedures that students onsite were. Whether this was a universal expectation such as raising a hand, or an expectation specific to the online setting such as using the chat appropriately, it was necessary for students onsite and online to experience the same management system, with students receiving infractions and bonus points according to their behavior.
Transferability
A key challenge during this time was the constant shift between in-person and online learning, as in-person seat availability fluctuated with health concerns and trends in data, schools closures around breaks, and virus exposures frequently forcing individuals or entire grades to go remote. With this, it was not enough to merely create systems of accountability for students in the online space – if there was going to be crossover between the two cohorts, there needed to exist transferability between the two mediums of learning.
To that end, I made sure that all students, regardless of their mode of learning, had ongoing access to the online platform remote students used to submit work. I required this platform to submit work for students to use across the grade, online or not. The goal here was threefold: first, to create a seamless experience so students could move fluidly between remote and in-person learning; second, to ensure that whether students were at home for a day, or a week, or a year, they had the same access to lessons, assignments, and resources; and third, that I, as their teacher and supporter, had the tools and data to develop students whether they were at home or in my classroom.
Culture
While systems were seamless, this alone could never have been enough to create the most important thing of all: A love for school and learning. Developing relationships, not only between myself and students, but between students and their peers, was more necessary than any procedure or policy I could put in place. My remote students did not have snack or recess or study hall as an opportunity to build relationships or work productively with their peers. These are experiences that needed to be thoughtfully and strategically integrated into the online space.
During breaks in the schedule, I kept the call open and invited students to stay logged in and participate in games and activities with their remote classmates and teachers. We played popular remote games like “Among Us” – allowing the technology to be an aid, not a hurdle. In addition, during onsite recess, the computer was brought into the classroom so that remote students could see and interact with their onsite counterparts.
Creating an engaging space for students to learn and thrive in could not solely exist outside of the lesson, however. Ultimately, students still needed to learn and were deserving of a teacher online who prioritized joy and engagement in the lesson itself. For this purpose, I looked to those who had already paved the way in building an online community – a group of individuals known all too well by the students I taught: Twitch streamers. I researched what successful streamers and podcasters were doing to maintain interaction with their audience and applied some of those techniques to my own classroom.
Results
At the end of the year, students and families were asked whether they were interested in coming on-site to take the New York State Test. Despite all students spending weeks online throughout the year, and despite half of all students learning online for the entire year, all but two students in the grade chose to put their abilities to the test.
After a flexible, resilient, and fulfilling year, we achieved a 100% pass rate on the State Test.
This success was never about academic ability—it was the result of a commitment to accountability, equitable access, and culture for all students regardless of their circumstances. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, my students proved that with the right support and structure, all students could excel. This was a lesson learned that with dedication and creativity, teachers can overcome any obstacle, even a global pandemic, to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed.
