LR student teachers adapt to teaching remotely

With classes moving to online delivery, two different groups have had to find a new way to complete important work - teachers and students.

Education students at Lenoir-Rhyne University find themselves part of each category.

Senior Jordan Young was in the final stages of her post-secondary career as a student when classes moved to online delivery, which forced her to do an about-face as a student teacher at HM Arndt Middle School in Hickory.

"It has definitely been interesting," she said. "It's not what I expected of my student teaching experience going into it. I'm sure a lot of people are looking into it, wondering if we're getting the experience we were planning on getting, but this is definitely preparing us for being teachers.

"This has prepared us with the ability to quickly adapt to situations. Our county gave us a week to get our lessons together, then we started teaching everything online. I think we've definitely done well with that."

Young has been helping Courtney Branch teach language arts for the eighth-grade class at Arndt, which has gone to online format over the last month. But she has made a larger impact than just at the chalkboard.

"Our students have really gone to work supporting the teachers in their building with tools for virtual learning and learning packets to send home with parents," said Alyssa Reinhardt, director of teacher education for LR. "They've even helped put together meals to send home for kids."

Young and Branch are in contact daily to set up lesson plans, check in on their students and go over assignments.

"They get a lot of instruction in their program for using online and virtual instructional resources," Reinhardt said. "A lot of what they are doing is applying teaching and learning strategies they've learned in their coursework to meet the needs of their students at a distance. Also, the districts have provided a lot of professional development for distance learning."

Young said one course she's leaned on during the transition is entitled "Technology in the Classroom" taught by Jessica O'Brien, coordinator of instructional technology at LR.

"One scenario we had in that class was a natural disaster and, for the next few weeks, we had to teach online," Young said. "We had to prepare lessons to teach in an online platform. That's given me everything I need."

She said they've been using Google classroom to connect with students, and they're using a program called Flipgrid where students post interactive videos of themselves completing school work. Young and Branch then review the material for approval and post it to a communal area for other members of the class to see.

"I think they're enjoying that as a chance to see each other and talk to each other," she said.

Young's focus as an educator has been on her students making sure they don't fall behind, but she's also had to focus on her own status as a senior preparing to graduate and join a school full-time in the fall.

In addition to all this, they also have to complete their senior seminar and complete professional development requirements.

"We're using NC TeacherMatch and other virtual job fairs to look for work," Young said. "The state is still doing a good job letting us know where the jobs are. Pretty much all over Carolina, there is a teaching shortage. (Career and Professional Development Director) Katie Wohlman has helped me a lot with my resume. LR is doing a great job giving us those tools we'd have if we were on campus to help us prepare for our job search."