Supporting Teachers to Support Students

Bridget Robinson, M.Ed., Technology Learning, Clear Creek Independent School District

Bridget Robinson, M.Ed., Technology Learning, Clear Creek Independent School District

Although early adopters of technology saw online learning as the disruptive force in education, the rest of the profession sat back at status quo, some times tinkering with assignments, but largely ignoring the power the internet has on our beloved institution. Unless you’re a reader of Dean Koonz, Sylvia Brown or one of the other authors that predicted the apocalyptic, contained state the world was in with COVID-19, you could have never imagined that a virus, not some new technology would be the force changing teaching and education.

No doubt teachers and students both are in new territory when it comes the entire nation learning online; however, teachers, technology support, principals and superintendents have the ability to apply the learnings from early adopters to create a rich, inclusive environment for learning available to all.

Teachers are still the driving force when it comes to student learning and engagement. It is the teacher who must create a place where the student is interested in their assignment and not the other billions of websites, games and activities that try to steal their learning time. It is the teacher that has been with their students and is the consistency the youth needto endurelearning online

Once CTO’s, superintendents, principals, and other support staff recognize it is the teacher who needs to be supported to ultimately reach student learning and achievements, the education community can begin to create the change and forward movement in our dystopian state. By supporting teachers, emotionally and technologically, students benefit.

Upper administration must create a caring milieu that is constructive and builds others up. Encouraging videos, phone calls and emails are a must in these times. Educators should change their black and white mentality to grayscale to recognize that what once was a “must”, just isn’t anymore. Mandates must be met with a more lenient structure and flexibility, as our new normal isn’t normal at all. Education agencies must take the flexibility of the teacher and learnto adapt for the good of all students and staff.

Secondly, administration must begin taking away some of the mandates they previously have on teachers and begin treating them as professionals. The people in administration, and special programs must learn to work smarter with technology, not harder. With technology, creating forms and getting feedback on students is easier, but not if it is duplicated by multiple people. Sending out multiple forms requesting a teacher to give feedback on a student is redundant and creates extra work for a teacher, cutting into their planning time. The time of sitting in a faculty meeting to watch a PowerPoint and listen to a figure head speak are over. If the communication can come in the form of an email, then an email should be sent. Teachers should be treated as any other professional and be responsible for the information they are given and held accountable if they do not comply with the direction they are given. If a leader feels they need to “speak” on a matter or give extra instruction, they should consider using technology to make that happen. Teachers would be much happier if they had the choice of when to listen and watch information, so principals should consider creating content in the form of a video to deliver their information. Another way to send out information would be in the form of an online tutorial. Take training for administering state exams. No teacher wants to listen to the should and should nots of conducting exams, so instead of listening and watching a PowerPoint at a meeting, a guided lesson or video with a quiz after to assess if the teacher understands what they are to do would be a better use of time. Teachers would appreciate being able to do their training on their own, not when mandated by administration.

Lastly, we all must think outside the box and do what has not been done before. We all must do whatever it takes to continue educating, but in a way that is not mandating, punitive and demanding. By creating an inclusive environment where support becomes intuitive and collective the education community will be resilient.