Jordan-Matthews teacher makes the most of remote learning

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SILER CITY — When Sarah Harris arrives at Jordan-Matthews High School before 8 a.m. each day, her work day isn’t starting — not really.

More accurately put, it’s just continuing.

That’s because, like teachers all across the country, Harris is working diligently, often around the clock, to navigate teaching amid a pandemic.

At Chatham County Schools, that means adapting to remote learning for at least the school year’s opening nine weeks. For Harris, that means entering an empty classroom each morning, yes, but teaching and interacting with her students all day via the videoconferencing tool Zoom, email and live Google documents. And at the end of the school day, it means recording her lectures, posting modules online and sharing necessary instructions — as long as it takes.

It’s been tough, but one week after CCS’s Aug. 17 start of classes, she feels prepared.

“It’s going,” Harris said with a laugh. “It’s very, very, very different.”

A teacher for 10 years, starting her sixth at Jordan-Matthews, Harris teaches seven courses — various English, dual language and AVID classes — with one extra-than-normal English class for CCS’ Virtual Academy.

Even with the extra work, she thinks that she and her students are already having a better experience than when remote learning began in the district back in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

“I feel like the adjustment has gone very quickly,” Harris said. “It’s definitely still confusing because it’s different, but getting this first week in, definitely we are reaching a new normal for what we’re doing in this remote situation.”

‘There’s just a lot going on’

Under the CCS Board of Education’s current plan, announced this summer and then extended at its Aug. 10 meeting, the district has at least eight more weeks under the fully remote Plan C.

It’s a confusing time for many teachers. They wish to keep themselves and their families safe but also miss seeing and teaching their students in person.

For one CCS math teacher — who asked not to be identified because of the nature of the “controversial topic” — a particular concern is keeping his students engaged. Though he supported the board’s decision to start the year under Plan C, and thinks the district is much better prepared for remote learning now than in March, he still worries for students without adequate internet access or support.

“I just hope that that things will will get better and that after nine weeks we’re able to actually come back into the building, even if it’s Plan B and just hopefully maybe by second semester transition back into a regular routine, at least to some degree,” he said. “I don’t know how realistic it is, but that’s certainly my hope.”

Jordan-Matthews Principal Tripp Crayton hopes that whether or not the plan for remote instruction goes beyond the current nine-week period, students feel safe, cared for and on track with learning standards.

“There’s just a lot going on,” he said. “But I really feel like our teachers are meeting the expectations as well as meeting the challenges that are out there. I feel like the first week went very well. I felt like that we were able to reach out to a majority of our kids during that first week — and that was our goal.”

Crayton said teachers have been communicating with students and parents, checking in on them and discuss any potential barriers they might have to successful remote learning — namely, the lack of good internet access. At Jordan-Matthews, 7% of students are currently without reliable access, he said, adding that the school expects that number to go down slightly once all the district’s hotspots are distributed to families.

With online access and technical difficulties, the adjustment to remote learning can be difficult enough as students and teachers alike get used to the new platforms and channels of communication.

“We’re just trying to do everything we can to keep reaching for them while at the same time trying to keep up with all the instruction,” Crayton said.

‘We will definitely be ready to go’

Back in Harris’ classroom, during a “normal” year, she uses every part of it to teach her students.

Hanging all across the room are famous maps and works of art (shout-out, Mona Lisa), ranging from nature to architecture. Covering the myriad posters are various colors of Post-it Notes with reflections from students — “This inspired me,” one on a “Common Blue Bird” painting reads.

For some students, Harris said, walking in and seeing all the posters and books around the room is overwhelming on the first day.

“I tell them that my life is an explosion, so I needed them to see it,” she laughed.

Just the other day, she was brainstorming how to continue the Post-it activity virtually, landing for now with Padlet, a website that allows you to create digital “walls.” One of her goals during this time of remote learning is also to create videos of her favorite lectures that she can use in future years to send to absent students.

Inside Sarah Harris' classroom.

Crayton praised the work of his teachers, particularly their communication with one another to share helpful strategies they’ve tried.

“On top of that we have teachers like Mrs. Harris,” Crayton said, “who’s extremely positive and making the most out of the situation and really trying to ensure that kids are participating and are engaged throughout this entire process.”

Staying engaged in the process isn’t easy. It can mean 25 hours of extra work after the school day finishes, preparing virtual lesson plans, recording lectures and figuring out what worked from the day — and what didn’t.

“Right now, for the past week, I’ve been lucky to get to bed before 10 p.m. because I’ve been working well into the evening every day,” Harris said.

Though she expects the demands will calm down as she gets used to remote learning, she anticipates three to four extra hours of work each day to prepare videos.

“It’s probably easily double the work in remote,” she said.

But it’s rewarding, too, Harris says, because she still loves teaching, even remotely. She’s been encouraged by the opportunity to teach students digital skills — “things that in the past we sort of almost accidentally end up teaching” — and for their willingness to try different, sometimes challenging, things.

“Having had this week, sort of under our belts,” she said of the first week of classes, “I think we will definitely be ready to go.”

‘Doesn’t mean learning is not happening’

The earliest CCS can move to any form of in-person learning is during the second to last week of October, which coincides with many of the school’s end-of-grading quarters. At this time, fully in-person learning — known as Plan A — isn’t an option for any district in North Carolina.

Though a lot of progress was made since remote learning began last semester, educators are trying to remain flexible. Even for students who have internet access, Harris pointed out, their connectivity speed might not allow them to download videos. Others might need more help keeping up with their online work and scheduling.

“We’re educaters and we’re used to being flexible,” Crayton said. “The patience and flexibility that our teachers are having to show and our families are having to face, in the end, is for the ultimate goal is that our students are safe. They’re getting their needs met, and they’re learning from our teachers so they can be successful once they graduate.”

Harris is concerned about teaching her students collaboration remotely, but all in all, she wants to make the most of this time for her students. It may look really different from traditional school, she said, but students are still learning.

“Just because I’m not on Zoom with them the whole time doesn’t mean that instruction is not happening — It doesn’t mean that learning is not happening,” Harris said. “Just because they’re struggling and because it’s different and because it’s hard doesn’t mean that it’s not valuable.”

Even though it’s hard, even though it takes more work and more time — Sarah Harris is still teaching, whatever it takes.

Reporter Hannah McClellan can be reached at hannah@chathamnr.com.