PEORIA, Ill. — Students had to adjust to remote learning on a whim due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and teachers also had to adjust and find new ways to teach.
Peoria High School teacher, Jane Aldridge, said student surprised her after the first few weeks of remote learning.
“They surprised me with how much they had been missing school,” Aldridge said.
She was also surprised with the amount of communication with her students.
“I’ve been surprised at the number of students who are reaching out, who want to connect, who want to me, who want to talk to each other,” Aldridge said.
Keeping the communication between the students has been an important element to remote learning.
“Some of them aren’t working and so they are feeling very isolated,” Aldridge said. “So, having that way to connect even if even if it’s in a chat, even if it’s not video or even audio, but just to have words going back and forth saying I miss you and I’m here for you,” Aldridge said.
The class of 2020 is missing out on the classic senior activities such as prom and walking across the stage to get the diploma. But, Aldridge said the seniors are handling the changes well.
“And as a teacher, that’s the worst part of it is the last quarter of the year is like that sweet spot. You’ve really made connections and gotten real tight with your students, and you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, [and] they see it,” Aldridge said.
Seeing those landmark events taken away from students is terrible, according to Aldridge.
“This is what we as teacher, this is what we do it for,” Aldridge said.
A bright side to remote learning is that students have to take their education into their own hands.
“It’s helped them be a little more responsible and in control of their own learning. Sometimes they have a tendency, especially senior year to be a little passive about it. That will really serve them well in the fall,” Aldridge said.
For her students, Aldridge encourages that they will get through this rough patch.
“It’s been such an honor and a privilege to get to know them, and to teach them, and to work with them,” Aldridge said. “No matter how uncertain their future might seem that they’ve got this, they’re going to make it, they’re to be okay, they’re going to be successful,” Aldridge said.
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