Giving Compass' Take:

· Although the current situation has made it difficult, Kimberly Rues explains how educators are handling teaching throughout the coronavirus pandemic and supporting their students with the resources available.

· How has education changed throughout this pandemic?  How has this situation impacted students and their ability to learn?  How are teacher supporting their students throughout this time?

· Check out these students perspectives on remote learning during COVID-19. 

This week, I walked back into the library I abandoned in a chaotic rush in mid-March.

It was at the same time eerie, surreal, and intensely sad.

Sure, in the past I’ve been in the library many times when no one else was around. I’ve spent weeks away in the summertime, but it’s never been like this. Like walking back into a time capsule. The newspapers hanging on the rack sporting headlines like: “First Coronavirus death reported in KC area” and “Panic over Coronavirus empties shelves of sanitizer and toilet paper.”

I remember the chaos of the week leading up to our mid-March spring break. I spent the better part of that week in district-level meetings trying to determine how to shift to AMI (Alternate Methods of Instruction)—in a nutshell, to teach and learn virtually. And then the call came as spring break was wrapping up. School closed for at least three weeks. Then, as that three week date edged closer, the closure was extended to the remainder of the school year.

It was incredible, really, how quickly the shift from in-person instruction to online learning happened. We scrambled, we thought outside the proverbial box, we delivered instruction. We got it done.

One of the most profound insights I have garnered from my personal reflection during this unusual time is that it’s difficult to have a solid grasp on every angle, all the layers and the incredible complexity of education. It isn’t just about the lessons. It’s about the lunches, the careful observation of children who may be in dangerous situations when they’re not at school, and the lack of equity when it comes to access.

Read the full article about teaching during the coronavirus pandemic by Kimberly Rues at EdSurge.