By Jack Krampitz

With school kids at home–either yours or someone you know– 24 hours a day, seven days a week, now going into our third month, we all know how, well, things can get challenging.

The posts on Facebook and other sites about this topic have been both touching and humorous.  It is safe to say that everyone wants life to return to normal.

For a Bristol teacher, the challenges are doubled, for not only do many teachers have children at home, but they are also expected to educate the students they saw every day in their classes.

Thanks to the “miracle of technology,” Bristol teachers are reaching their students each week through something called “distance learning.” The definition is different, depending on the town or city.

In Bristol, distance learning means that teachers are responsible for instruction through some means, a video or a posted document, for each class. After instruction of this sort, teachers assign work from their homes, and the students turn it in electronically from their homes.

Simple enough.

Not necessarily.

In my informal survey of teachers at different grade levels in our school system, the feeling is that things are going well, but much of the process depends on access and familiarity with technology. 

Bristol teachers are used to creating assignments and worksheets on the Microsoft platform, that is, Word, Excel, and other presentation programs. Now they are being asked to convert the Microsoft documents to a Google platform.

One real drawback to distance learning as it is defined in Bristol is that it denies teachers and students any live video instruction time. 

Other cities and towns have set up virtual classrooms for their teachers. Google Meet provides an app that allows for virtual classrooms, however, it is not one that is being used in Bristol.

Other towns and cities provide their distance learners with programs like Zoom, where all the students get to hear and see the teacher, and the teacher can converse with students, questioning/answering, giving feedback to answers, doing things that are done in a regular classroom every day of the year. 

As one teacher told me, “there is a great deal to be said for the social and emotional benefits of seeing and talking to teachers and classmates.”

Overall, teachers manage, but they are finding that these adjustments and limitations take time.

As another teacher told me, “I am a lot busier than I thought I would be. I know we are allowed ‘office hours’ so that we don’t work too much, but when a panicked kid contacts me near midnight because they are having trouble turning in their work, am I just supposed to say that I am available at 10:00 AM the next day?  I feel very bad for the students, and I am trying my best to help them.”

The bottom line for teachers is that they understand the situation and are coping the best that they can. At the same time, it is the best Bristol can do under the circumstances.

The arrangement is there to ensure that students across the school system meet a standard for equity. There is no guarantee that every student has a device or internet access. In this system all of the work assigned can be completed at any time by the students.  That is the fairest way to proceed.

As far as the students of Bristol, it is safe to say they would rather be in school.  Teachers that have surveyed their students on whether they miss school or not have found more than 80% of the students would love to return to school.

Students tell their teachers that they miss their friends most of all, but they also miss their teachers, their classes, and not surprisingly for many students, extra-curriculars and sports.

According to the teachers I talked with, many students are giving the distance learning system high grades. They say that they feel what the teachers are putting on-line for them is working well, they are able to complete the work assigned, and their questions are few.

Some teachers reported that about 5% of the students e-mailed them with questions. The majority are completing the assignments without needing additional help.

Teachers also share anecdotally that the students who are having the most difficulty not surprisingly come from challenging environments. 

For instance, one teacher told me a student has several brothers and sisters, and they all share one computer. They have to take turns doing their schoolwork. The oldest has to get her work done before the others get up in the morning or late at night after her siblings go to bed.

Distance learning is even more difficult for students who are special needs or who usually need extra help. Some teachers report spending a lot of time e-mailing back and forth or trying to explain things over the phone.

Sometimes nothing can take the place of face-to-face instruction.

To sum up, Bristol teachers are trying their best to make this unfortunate circumstance a positive experience for their students, but it is not easy.  And the kids long for the day they can roam the halls again, go to their classes again, play their sports again, and be school kids again.

Jack Krampitz is a retired Bristol teacher and TBE contributing editor.