Welcome to the first edition of Ask WeAreTeachers, a weekly advice column weâre launching this year! Weâll take your most pressing questions and run them by our group of experienced, no-nonsense teachers, as well as experts in the field. Look for a new column each Friday, and be sure to send your questions to askweareteachers@weareteachers.com. This week, Ask WeAreTeachers tackles mentoring a student teacher during a pandemic, pronouns, Zoom fatigue, and more.
A Rough Time for Student Teachers
Iâve been teaching for eight years now, and this has been by far my most challenging year. Weâre 100% virtual, and to be honest, Iâm struggling. On top of everything, I just found out Iâm getting a student teacher. They start Monday. I just donât know how to make this experience valuable for them when I donât even know what Iâm doing myself. Help! âThe Worst Mentor Teacher
Dear T.W.M.T.,
I feel for you. Itâs hard to mentor a preservice teacher when you yourself feel unmoored. And youâre not the worst, because itâs clear that you care. So, take this one step at a time. Try to focus on the stuff you can do, like using breakout rooms (now you have two adults to run groups!) and planning collaboratively on shared documents. And donât throw too much at your student teacher too soon.
Fourth grade teacher Richard Kennedy was in your exact position last fall. Hereâs how he handled it: âI followed a gradual release model, where she started with a couple of lessons a week, then a few lessons a day, then multiple lessons a day. I also included her in lesson plan writing. If she was correcting or redirecting a student, I stayed out of the way.â
Make sure youâre touching base with your student teacher regularly, just like you would if you were in person. Schedule a regular virtual check-in (daily, at least a first) for questions and reflections and to make sure theyâre able to check all the boxes of their programâs requirements.
A Problem with Pronouns
One of my high school students approached me after class earlier this week to tell me that they are now using they/them pronouns. Iâm trying to get used to it, but Iâve been using she/her for this student all year, and itâs really hard for me. I keep messing up, and I feel terrible about it. âTrying to Do The Right Thing
Dear T.T.D.T.R.T.,
First of all, thank you. You are doing the right thing for your student. Research shows that calling transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive students their affirmed names and pronouns significantly reduces their risk of suicide and depression. So just know that your efforts will make a difference in the life of this student.
Now for what to do. First of all, itâs important not to make a big deal out of it when you do make a mistake. Donât dwell on how bad you feel or how difficult it is for you. That puts the focus on you instead of the impacted individual. I spoke to gender expert Michele Hatchell, who suggests the following course of action: âApologize, correct yourself, move on.â That might sound something like this: âSheâs a pleasure to have in class. Sorry, I meant to say they. They are a great student.â
Now that youâve made the correction, youâll want to take some steps to make sure you get it right the next time. Hatchell recommends practicing the new pronouns when youâre not with the student. You can also conduct a bit of a âself-auditâ and try to identify what structures trip you up.
All Zoomed Out
Teaching virtual kindergarten is no joke. Iâm trying to keep my little learners engaged via a screen, and itâs exhausting. On top of that, we just had three days of professional development over Zoom, and we had to keep our cameras on. Iâm so tired of it! How can I beat this Zoom fatigue? âCoffee Isnât Cutting It
Dear C.I.C.I.,
Yep. Zoom fatigue is real. Itâs because video calls require more mental processing. Thatâs all well and good, but you want to know what to do about it. Start with the technology. Make sure thereâs no glare on your screen. Use speaker view instead of gallery view. Try blue light glasses.
Next, itâs all about you. You need to enforce breaks for yourself. I recommend blocking out some daily âsacred timeâ to get outside and away from the screen. If your schedule doesnât allow that, try doing some stretches at your desk or a brain break with your kids (they need it, too!).
Still not any better? Consider that your Zoom fatigue is likely part of a larger fatigue overâwell, just about everything. Youâre not just exhausted from being in front of a screen. Be kind to yourself.
Extra Credit? Try Regular Credit
A student of mine turned in a project a month late. Iâve refused to grade it as it is outside the parameters of the rubric. Now they want extra credit to get their grade up, and frankly, I donât think a kid whoâs been slacking off all quarter deserves the opportunity. Am I being unreasonable? âFed Up in Middle School
Dear F.U.I.M.S,
Honestly, in the middle of a pandemic, yes. You are being unreasonable. Your frustration is understandable, but these are not normal times. We do not know what is going on in this studentâs life, and they are making an effort.
Itâs OK to set limits about what you are and are not willing to do, but itâs not acceptable to shut them out of any chance to improve. Extra credit is more work for you, so maybe you open up the late assignments. At the very least, provide some encouragement going forward to let them know youâre on their side and want to see them succeed.
This is a good time to rethink your overall grading practices. The current situation demands more flexibility in both grading and assignments. Additional time to complete content and demonstrate mastery is the very least we can do. If you can move to proficiency-based grading, all the better.