Mars if it is traveling at a certain speed?
Teaching and learning online, however,
was challenging for teachers and students
alike.
“There was a misconception in the
spring when the schools closed that we
weren’t doing anything,” Matt said of the
teachers’ efforts. “I’ve been doing this 20
years and it felt like I was in my first year
of teaching.
“We weren’t just teaching the kids, we
were teaching ourselves how to use the
technology,” he said.
The Skovrans said what they do when
they are in the classroom with their students
is much more than teaching academic
lessons.
“Most of it is relationship based, and
since we didn’t see them so much, it was
really difficult,” Jamie said.
Matt agreed, saying he could tell some
students were struggling socially and emotionally
when they weren’t in class after
the schools closed.
“We had to teach them how to calm
down, especially since they’re going
through this and they already have challenges,”
he said.
Jamie said she assigned her students a
different subject each day of the week during
remote learning in the spring.
“One day was science, one day was
health, one day they exercised,” she said.
“The ones who showed up online, most of
the time they didn’t have questions about
the schoolwork; they just wanted to say,
‘hi.’
“The highlight of my day was when a
kid hopped on (online),” she said.
The couple feels so strongly about supporting
the social and emotional well-being
of children during the pandemic that
they plan to send their three children back
to school when and if it reopens.
“For our children, we are going to send
them back because we know how important
that connection is,” Jamie said.
Whether Danville schools would
reopen with an alternating A Day/B Day
schedule or morning and afternoon sessions
for the younger students was still
unknown at the beginning of August.
“Not knowing what the school year is
going to be like is difficult,” Jamie said.
“Everyone wants a concrete answer.”
Matt said the pandemic has made him
take a more critical look at safety in his
classroom.
“Pandemics have happened in the past
and they’re going to happen in the future,”
he said. “What can we do to prevent us
from bringing it (virus) home?”
The couple has relied on their faith and
exercise to soothe any worries during the
pandemic.
“I have faith,” Jamie said. “I don’t think
God will give is anything we can’t handle.”
They also have limited their media
consumption.
“We are relying on science and fact and
not what we see on TV or social media,”
Jamie said.
“Exercise has been a real go-to,” Matt
said, adding that he enjoys running while
Jamie likes to walk.
In addition, the couple said they are
using the historic pandemic as a teaching
moment for their students and their own
children.
“I will remember the range of emotions,
the different experiences and the
different reactions (to the pandemic) from
family and friends,” Matt said.
“Jamie is talking to our kids and her
students about how this will be something
they’ll always remember, like how I can
still remember where I was when the
Challenger blew up or when 9/11 happened,”
he said. “She’s encouraging them
to journal about this time in their life.”
If anything, the pandemic has slowed
down the couple’s normally hectic life,
which they say they honestly don’t mind.
Jamie said the past few month have
been “a nice break” that has allowed her to
solidify existing friendships.
“This spring the classroom was our
kitchen,” Matt said. “I noticed birds outside
our window I’ve never noticed before.
“It’s caused us to slow down and appreciate
life more,” he said.
OUR COMMUNITY 2020 25