Editorials 

by Bella D.

We all know how students are feeling about Distance Learning, but what about teachers? Our teachers always have a smile on their face when we join our classes, but do they really feel like smiling, or are they overwhelmed with stress? I sent out a google form asking all my teachers to anonymously share their opinions on online classes and where they are in the world. Here's how three teachers responded. 

Teacher #1

How do you feel about distance learning? Distance learning is okay, but I prefer face-face. What are your thoughts on Distance learning? It is a great deal of work!  I miss having students in my room, I miss the interactions that have been lost because of ZOOM. When you are not teaching, planning, or grading what do you do to relax? Reading, walking my pug, and thinking about my yellow boat in the future. How much non-teaching time do you typically have in your school day? About an hour. Where have you spent the majority of Distance learning this school year? Mixed:Canada and the Philippines. How frequently do you exercise each week? 3-4 days. On a scale of 1-5 how stressful has distance been for you? 5 super stressful! In your opinion, what is the impact of Distance Learning on the amount of work that teachers and students are doing? It has increased the amount for everyone, as well as add too much screen time during the day. 

Teacher #2

How do you feel about distance learning? It's okay but I prefer face-to-face. What are your thoughts on distance learning? It is a LOT of screen time for kids and I think that they are spending too much time online. When you are not teaching, planning or grading what do you do to relax? I watch youTube and listen to music. How much non-teaching time do you typically have in your school day? One-two hours. How much time do you typically take to plan lessons for the week? 6-10 hours. How frequently do you exercise each week? 0 days.On a scale of 1-5, how stressful has Distance Learning been for you? 4. In your opinion, what is the impact of Distance Learning on the amount of work that teachers and students are doing? Students are working too much on their computers. But this is the best solution for you to still continue learning. Teachers, it is about the same amount of work as we normally do but converting lessons to DL takes more time and thought.

Teacher # 3

How do you feel about Distance Learning? Distance Learning is okay, but I prefer face-to-face. What are your thoughts on Distance Learning? Distance Learning is just what we have to do at the moment. Although I wish the pandemic were over and that we could get back to "normal" I'm also grateful that we are able to continue teaching and learning through Zoom and other online tools. I've realized that everything takes longer during Distance Learning--planning, teaching, conferencing with students--and so that's been an adjustment. It's helpful to get feedback from students, in class and from surveys, about what works and doesn't work for them so we can keep improving! When you are not teaching, planning or grading what do you do to relax? When I'm not working, I mostly read, listen to podcasts, exercise, cook/bake, connect with friends and family, and watch Netflix. How much non-teaching time do you typically have in your school day? More than two hours. How much time do you typically take to plan lessons for the week? 3-5 hours, depending. Where have you spent the majority of Distance Learning this school year? Manila. How frequently do you exercise each week? 5-7 days. On a scale of 1 -5, how stressful has Distance Learning been for you? 2. In your opinion, what is the impact of Distance Learning on the amount of work that teachers and students are doing? I think Distance Learning has increased the amount of work that teachers and students are doing. I think this is the case for two reasons. One, teachers and students have had to spend time learning a bunch of new tech tools. Two, it just takes so much more time to plan interactive lessons on Zoom or chat with students one-on-one. Before, teachers could easily check in on students during class, and students could easily collaborate with each other. Now, all of that takes more time to plan and execute.