Background
True stories and some ruminations from a long career that has taken some interesting twists and turns.
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It has been almost a year since most of our students have had face-to-face instruction in a school setting. Students in specialized programs attended school twice a week until the second week of December 2020 and have only attended once a week since.
In a memo dated February 12, 2021, Superintendent Gordon informed staff that the Suffolk City Public School Board voted on Thursday, February 11, 2021, for all students to return to school through what has been named the Educate and Innovate learning plan. As such, students. PreK-5th grade (Elementary) students will return on March 15, 2021, and students in 6th-12th grade will return on March 22, 2021. Our students in specialized programs will also return to face-to-face instruction four days a week beginning March 15, 2021.
Our student population will be divided into three cohorts for instruction: Cohort A-students in the face-to-face setting on Mondays and Wednesdays, Cohort B-students in the face-to-face setting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Cohort V-for those students who will remain in virtual instruction.
Instruction has been outlined as follows:
Hybrid Instruction Model
As a reminder we have three Hybrid Instructional Models (Hybrid 3) for Secondary Instruction:
Hybrid 45: Teachers will instruct hybrid students during the first 45 minutes of the period and instruct virtual students live during the second half of the period.
Hybrid Flipped: Teachers will provide recorded direct instruction and activities prior to the class meeting. Live instruction will include applied, collaborative practice with hybrid and virtual students in small groups. Student groups (hybrid and virtual) may be brought together to close the class.
Hybrid Sync: Teachers will instruct virtual and hybrid students simultaneously utilizing the technologies currently available. Teachers will monitor and respond to hybrid and virtual students during the designated learning period.
It is the expectation that all secondary instructional staff clearly communicates with both students and parents which model of instruction will be used each period. Later today, the Teaching and Learning Team will re-share the videos explaining these options in further detail, and next week you will receive the Hybrid Learning Handbook for your reference.
Division Work Schedule
Beginning March 8, 2021, all instructional staff will be expected to return to their buildings for five (5) days per week. Fridays will continue to be enrichment, remediation, and support days for students, and we will continue with our professional learning series for staff.
Sad to say, the five-day workweek is going to rock some (small percentage) teachers' boats as they have not been providing what they should on Fridays and have regarded it as the start of their three-day weekend. Most teachers have only been required to work in their buildings 1 -- 2 days a week all year, although some of us prefer to work in the building because that's where all our supplies are.
Don't tell me you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I have spent more hours learning how to perform new tasks that will both help me teach my students at their level while holding their attention online than I have on any other objective in my 49-year career.
Most teachers are working harder than they ever have -- and that's about to get harder still -- at every level. Why do we do it? Because we love our kids and they deserve the very best we have to offer in the midst of this crazy mess we are in.
New first day of school? March 22, 2021!!!
Author Notes
The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests in Virginia is finally on a two-week downhill slide. Our governor is pushing for our students to be back in school. Unfortunately, we still can't have them all back at once and meet the COVID-19 regulations, but this is a start. Keeping my fingers crossed. I have so much missed my kids!!! A special thanks to VMarguarite for the use of 'Back to School Time" for the perfect picture to enhance this work.
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