Connecting in a New Way
Elementary teachers find creative approaches to teach students virtually
The COVID-19 Pandemic forced a
nearly 50-day school shut down.
While the school district was quick
to act to provide online instruction and
Chromebooks to those who needed
access to technology, the up-close
connection at the elementary level
between pupil and educator was absent.
Teachers missed their students and
students missed their teachers. Teachers
made efforts to keep in touch by sharing
videos, slideshows and reading stories
to encourage and support pupils in their
endeavor to learn outside the classroom.
Overall, there was an earnest desire on
the part of students and educators to
maintain some semblance of normalcy
amid the disruption caused by the
coronavirus outbreak.
The approach teachers would take to
connect to students was creatively varied.
Crafton Elementary third grade teacher
Jessica Bigler would produce daily
morning video messages for her students
to provide directions and offer shout outs
for positive things she saw in the virtual
classroom the previous day. “I aimed
to keep the assignments interactive,
interesting and meaningful to students, to
keep them engaged,” she said.
Mrs. Bigler and colleagues from both
elementary schools believe the online
learning platform made both the students
and the teachers appreciate one another,
adding “It brought us closer together,
despite being apart.”
Dan Hahn, a fourth grade teacher at
Carnegie Elementary, said his students
learned to use Google Classroom
quickly. “Students utilized technology
to create a lot of fantastic work. The
experience they gained using Google
Classroom will be very helpful as they use
the platform in classes over the coming
years,” Mr. Hahn said.
On April 28th, Carnegie Elementary
teachers gathered to decorate their cars
with balloons, signs and streamers. Led
by Carnegie Police Chief Jeff Kennedy and
members of the Carnegie Volunteer Fire
Department, they paraded through the
community to visit students at a distance
from their vehicles. Youngsters and
parents gathered along the parade route
with signs and waved eagerly as teachers
passed by.
In the same way, Crafton Elementary
teachers assembled May 14th to deck out
their vehicles. Escorted through Rosslyn
Farms and Crafton by Crafton Police Chief
Mark Sumpter, the teachers traveled and
waved from their cars as they passed
delighted students and families lining
the streets.
The Pandemic forced change in the lives
of everyone, causing people to acclimate to
a new way of living. Carnegie Elementary
second grade teacher Don Alexander said
he quickly realized that as an educator, he
needed to be able to adapt to any situation,
and went on to say, “The closure made
me pay closer attention to the materials
I used and how I could better meet the
educational needs of my students. More
importantly, it made me realize how much I
care about my students, and how I miss the
daily interactions with them.”
The disruption of the Coronavirus
outbreak may have interrupted the routine
of the educational system, but the teachers,
staff and students agree on one thing: the
experience provided a deeper appreciation
of school, community and one another.
arlynton-Montour
CARLYNTON SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
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1. During a virtual Teacher Appreciation Week sponsored by the Crafton Elementary PTA, third grader Olivia Colussy dressed as her teacher,
Jessica Bigler. Mrs. Bigler read daily to students as part of a novel study and used the stories in books to take students on virtual field trips.
2. Carnegie sixth grader Carlee Hughes welcomed teachers as they drove by her home with a sign that read “Carlynton is stronger than COVID-19.”
3. Crafton Elementary teacher Jordon Roussos used the sun roof in his car to peek out and wave to students.
4. The rain did not prevent families from lining the streets as teachers from Crafton Elementary drove by their homes.
5. Carnegie teacher Mary Campbell waved to a familiar face as she paraded with other teachers through the Carnegie neighborhood.
6. Students held a sign and cheered from the corner of Revere and Kings Highway in Rosslyn Farms as teachers drove by to say hello.
CARLYNTON-MONTOUR ❘ SUMMER 2020 43