Interview with M.A., History 150 Spring 2021, Conducted by Carter Payne, March 9, 2021
Introduction to Interview
On March 13, 2020, it was announced that Henrico County schools would be moving to online schooling for at least two weeks to stop the spread of COVID-19–this relatively new term had dominated the news for weeks. Many people believed that the virus was not that big of a deal, and that the two-week break would be over soon, and that businesses and schools would open back up. This was not the case. Coronavirus cases rose in the United States at a very high rate, and it was announced across the country that schools would remain virtual for the rest of the school year. Cases were still high in the fall of 2020, so many counties and cities across the nation decided to keep their schools virtual or partially virtual to stop the spread. Overnight, teachers had to learn how to teach online and to come up with ways to keep their students engaged from another side of a computer screen. It was a challenging job, and many teachers have expressed their concern for their students’ education as online learning can be much more difficult than in-person learning.
This interview with M.A. focuses on what it is like to teach first-grade students completely virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains how she believes that online school has impacted her students and their education, and how she and other teachers have found ways to adapt their teaching to the new environment. While she misses her students and misses being in the classroom, she wants to stop the spread of the coronavirus and help keep her students and family safe. This interview was done almost a year after the initial stay-at-home orders were issued in Virginia. It explores what it is like to teach virtually during a pandemic and how this is impacting students and their education.
Biography
M.A. is an elementary school teacher at Tuckahoe Elementary School in Henrico County, Virginia. She also has a master’s degree in Counseling Education. She has been teaching for twenty years and has taught first through fifth grade at different schools all in Virginia. She taught at a Title One school for five years, where she focused on teaching reading, writing, and word work for students in K-5 classrooms. She has taught in person all of her career, but she has had to switch to online teaching this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The county she currently works in is switching back to partially in person, but she is one of the teachers who is remaining online.
Transcription
Carter Payne 0:02
Hi, I’m Carter Payne, and I’m interviewing M.A. today with a focus on what it’s like to teach during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, how are you today?
MA 0:11
Great, thank you.
Carter Payne 0:13
So, could you please tell me a little bit about your teaching background before the pandemic.
MA 0:18
So, I have been a classroom teacher for over 15 years, and in elementary, first grade through fifth grade. And I’ve also been a Title One teacher for five years, where I worked on reading, writing and word work for five years. And currently, I am a first-grade teacher.
[A Title One school is a school that receives funding from the federal government and has a high percentage of students from lower-income families.]
Carter Payne 0:54
So, what is it like to teach during a pandemic?
MA 0:59
So, I think it’s been pretty much a whirlwind. Personally, it’s been good because I’ve learned a lot, but I think the stressful part is [that] it consistently changes. So, when we started, we had to learn everything new, and we were doing it one way. And then, throughout the whole summer, we were having meetings and trainings to figure out how we were going to do things for the fall. Then in the fall, it’s figuring that out. And then, we’ve had a lot of students return to in person learning, but some stay virtual with me, so that was another change with a change in the schedule. We’ve used several different platforms, so I think probably the toughest part for most teachers is having to be that flexible and consistently changing, and really just the unknown, which is kind of the whole theme of COVID, I think to start with.
Carter Payne 2:08
So, how does teaching online differ from teaching in person?
MA 2:13
So, I would say teaching online, it is a little tricky because you, first of all, really need to hold the students’ attention and so keeping them engaged on a screen for hours is, especially the younger they are, I think that’s a lot. You have to be careful, certainly, of what you address as far as the pandemic is concerned. And then, also, you always have an audience, and you’re not even sure who the audience might be. There’s always eyes and ears on you at any given time, so I think some people did not feel comfortable with that, so they much prefer being in person. I think because I’ve been teaching for so long, I was fine with it, but you just never know what might happen. But, I guess being in classrooms is kind of similar; always expect the unexpected.
Carter Payne 3:19
What are some things you’ve had to change for teaching online or adapt?
MA 3:26
So, a lot about how we teach reading. First, learning the platforms, then how we actually instruct with reading in small groups, that was more of a challenge teaching first grade. And then, it’s also different programs. So, we had all these different apps and programs that we had to learn like Dreambox, Smarty Ants, Lexia. So, we had to have trainings on all those, become familiar with them, and then try to keep up with monitoring how the students are doing on those because they focus on their individual learning. Then, we also have really changed in our planning, so instead of filling out a lesson plan, we do Google Slides, and we make a slide for basically the whole day. And then, we embed different pictures and links to videos or activities that we want the kids to do. The other tricky, I think, interesting part from all of this is that it’s sort of forward and future with all the technology, but then also taking a step back because we also copy all of these learning packets, so that the kids do have some written work. But, it is worksheets and copies of packets that we also send home and have them do so that they have some paper-pencil for fine motor skills, but also less screen time. So, it’s sort of a mix of years ago and the future.
[Dreambox, Smarty Ants, and Lexia are programs that teachers are using during the pandemic for their students to do activities on to continue learning. These programs have activities on subjects, such as reading and math.]
Carter Payne 5:24
Do you do breaks in the day where part of it is on the screen and part of it is the written work?
MA 5:31
Yes, we try to do that, like with math, I try to usually gain their attention with some sort of brain teaser or See, Think, Wonder, that kind of thing, maybe a little video also to address or capture the new skill and then practice. We usually do a worksheet if we have one in the packet, and then, we also have become very familiar with a program called seesaw, which is [where] almost all the activities and assessments that we do, so that’s also been interesting how we assess has greatly changed.
Carter Payne 6:17
How do you think teaching online affects students and their learning?
MA 6:22
I think we’ve found it interesting that they are reading. They’re learning to read, [but] what we’re finding is that the math is not as strong, and I didn’t anticipate that. The math is not as strong. And then, what we really think we’re going to see across the board next year, maybe for the next couple of years, is the writing has suffered, because it’s difficult to monitor their writing. They submit pictures of it, and then record their voice on it, reading it, or even take a little video, but we can’t just walk around the room and stop and observe what they’re doing, make comments, and engage with their writing process quite the same
Carter Payne 7:19
Have you noticed any significant differences in your students’ learning since switching to online?
MA 7:28
No, I just think the reading, again, has been good, and the writing is the tricky part. I will say I think if someone is quiet, it’s really hard to pull them out of their shell. If it’s someone really outgoing, then they kind of come to life over the screen and bring the energy. I think we are missing an energy that is in the classroom that you just don’t feel when on that screen.
Carter Payne 8:10
How has teaching online impacted you as a teacher?
MA 8:14
Well, for me, it’s probably been a good thing, because I was a little behind with technology to start with, and because I was already into the groove, so experienced, I’ve been teaching first grade for eight years. There were a lot of things I just didn’t do because I had a different way of already doing it or didn’t really need to do that, so it has really forced me to figure a lot out. And, because I’m at home versus in the building, I can’t just hop across the hall or next door to ask a friend or a teammate how do you do this. I have to sit and figure out a lot on my own. Then, if I’m really struggling, I’ll make a call and usually someone can help me out, but it has forced me to learn more and to sit down and try a little harder with regards to technology, so that’s a good thing.
Carter Payne 9:22
So, what is it like to be the only first grade teacher still teaching online at your school since the county has switched back to partial in person learning?
MA 9:31
Well, in a sense, I guess because we were all home, it doesn’t feel that different. The only noticeable piece is that I’m having to do more of the planning all on my own now. So, before when we would create our Google Slides, we divided up the different subjects, social studies, science, language arts, math, and so it didn’t take quite as long. Now that the majority of my team is in person four days a week, I’m having to do a lot more work, creating my slides, or adapting what they’re doing to virtual. So, I am spending quite a bit more time on the slides in the evenings and so that’s been tough.
Carter Payne 10:25
What would you say you miss most about teaching in person?
MA 10:30
I really miss just seeing the kids walk down the hallway, even former students: their smiles, their hugs, and their artwork, seeing their artwork all over the classroom or even, giving them the opportunity to share with the class what they’ve created. I think that we try to do that online, and I will show their videos or share their work or share my screen so that they can see the classroom and they can see the presenter, but I don’t think it’s quite the same. I also miss seeing them collaborate with one another in working groups and playing games or read a story together and share books and learn from one another. They just learn so much from one another.
Carter Payne 11:34
So, what is it like to teach online and have a child doing online learning at home at the same time?
MA 11:41
Well, now that’s been the best part because we get to see each other all throughout the day and check in with each other. And before our schedules changed, we actually had lunch together every day, but now our schedules are very different, but we still check in with one another. And, I’ve actually even had the opportunity for Sophie to pop in on my meetings or come in and bring the dogs in so that I can get the kids engaged with all of that and keep their attention, but that’s really been, I guess, the best part of it all. We got this year that we never would have anticipated having.
Carter Payne 12:29
Well, thank you so much for letting me interview you today.
MA 12:32
No, thank you for asking. I appreciate it, and I’ve enjoyed it.
Carter Payne 12:38
I hope you have a good day.
MA 12:39
You too. Thanks.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Research
The outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020 caused most schools to be forced into online learning to prevent the spread of the disease. Many schools chose to stay online in the fall of 2020, and many are still online. I researched the effects that online learning has had on teachers and students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. I found multiple articles that interviewed many different teachers on their thoughts about teaching online and how they were feeling about it. Many teachers expressed their worry for their students and their learning, especially for students who did not have access to a stable or secure internet connection for school, or who were having to work during school hours to help support their families. While most of the teachers believed that it was good that they were staying socially distanced and online to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, they were still worried about their students and want to get back into the classroom as soon as it is safe. I also researched what impact the pandemic is having on students. These sites and articles discussed the negative effects that the pandemic is having on students, such as increasing their stress and causing a rise in depression due to the impact isolation during the pandemic has had on these students. Additionally, I provided the source that helped me define what a Title One school is for people who may not be familiar with what that means. My interview covered how teaching online has affected students and teachers, so I felt that it was important for me to learn how other teachers across the country felt about the situation and how they thought it was impacting their students.
Bibliography
Einhorn, Erin. “Covid Is Having a Devastating Impact on Children – and the Vaccine Won’t Fix Everything.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 16 Dec. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/education/covid-having-devastating-impact-children-vaccine-won-t-fix-everything-n1251172.
Heim, Joe. “Pandemic Teaching, in Their Words.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Oct. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/10/06/teacher-pandemic-essays/?arc404=true.
Kamenetz, Anya. “5 Things We’ve Learned About Virtual School In 2020.” NPR, NPR, 4 Dec. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/12/04/938050723/5-things-weve-learned-about-virtual-school-in-2020.
Reilly, Katie. “What It’s Like to Be a Teacher During Coronavirus Pandemic.” Time, Time, 26 Aug. 2020, time.com/5883384/teachers-coronavirus/.
“The NCES Fast Facts Tool Provides Quick Answers to Many Education Questions (National Center for Education Statistics).” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=158.
Follow Up Commentary
M.A. approved the transcript on March 28, 2021.
How the Interview was Recorded
This interview was conducted over Zoom. The video was then converted into an MP3 using online audio converter. After that, I used otter.ai to transcribe the MP3 file, and I went back through the transcription and listened to the audio to make sure that everything was transcribed correctly.
Transcription Process
After reading the citation guideline, I chose to remove any repetitions to make reading the transcript easier. When I or M.A. repeated something or restated something to make it clearer, I removed the words that were rephrased to make reading the transcript more smooth. I also chose to remove any filler words that I felt distracted from reading the transcript. Additionally, I included brackets around words that I added that made the transcript easier to understand and made the sentences make more sense if they were needed. I kept most of the sentences the same, even if they were run-on sentences or had lots of conjunctions because I felt that this makes it easier to understand the interviewee’s message and her point. I also felt that it made it easier to read the transcript in her voice, instead of making it all sound perfect with no grammatical mistakes. I did not fix any of the grammatical errors that were spoken, unless it made it difficult to understand what we were saying. I also included brackets underneath some sections to provide further explanation of what some of the things mentioned in the interview were, in case anyone is unsure.