Teachers have had to adapt and change as a result of the pandemic and hybrid learning.  From last year to this year, Greeley West teachers have been forced to learn to not use as much paper, teach some students over a screen, how to use Schoology, change the way they did collaborative work, and so much more.

One big difference from last year to this year is teaching two classes at the same time: one over a screen and one in person. American Literature teacher Mr. Garrett Leal said, “It felt like juggling – which I’ve never been good at.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I forgot to turn my mic back on until a virtual student finally got brave enough to shout it over the speaker,” Leal added.

Science teacher Mr. Anthony Scott was prepared for Schoology uses, but found challenges elsewhere.  “The biggest one was going paperless and doing everything through Google Drive,” Scott said. ”Having students take a picture of things in their notebooks to email me to grade was kind of strange.”.

Another problem teachers are faced with is building relationships over the internet.  Math teacher Ms.  Jane Burke said, “It is hard having some students that I never see. I always worry that they are missing out on little things that can’t be done online.”

With the teacher-student relationship tough, it’s also been difficult to have students interact with one another. Whether there were tables, glass barriers, or simply smaller classes meeting in person and online, communication was a problem.  Burke said, “I had tables last year that students sat at and talked…this year it is extremely hard to get students to talk to each other”.

For Leal, the screen was the barrier. He said, “Even some of the most talkative in-person students become dead-silent during the Zoom sessions, simply because of the glass screen between them and and the rest of there peers”.