As Schools Shut Down from COVID-19, Teachers Revolutionize Teaching Strategies

The switch to online learning has caused many issues for students. But teachers are rising to the occasion to help them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to quickly adjust to a new normal, like the sudden switch to online learning. From kindergarten to college classes, students and educators found themselves taking their remaining semester plans and trading them out for virtual learning plans. While many obstacles have come up, teachers have been making an effort to make the most out of the situation.

Kids with disabilities experience a harmful impact with the switch to remote learning, educators and parents told NBC News.

When schools were forced to temporarily shut down due to the coronavirus, some schools considered not offering any remote learning tools at all. School officials were concerned they would not be able to effectively serve kids with special education needs and they wanted to avoid any possible lawsuits.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires schools to provide a free and appropriate education tailored to the needs of children with disabilities. But civil rights advocates are concerned that the recently passed coronavirus package the U.S.Congress passed last week neglects to hold some school districts accountable for providing learning services to their students with disabilities.

Some districts made an effort to assist parents and their children with disabilities. They have been holding online meetings with the parents to discuss the child’s individual education plans, said Denise Marshall, executive director of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, in an interview with NBC News.

Arts and science classes are also experiencing a negative impact from the current pandemic. Students in arts and science classes benefit more from in-person instruction, so the immediate switch to online learning left educators scrambling for lesson plans and students unsatisfied with their new education.

NBC News interviewed multiple students about the switch to online learning and many of them felt they weren’t receiving the education that they paid for. Science students lost vital hands-on experience when their in-person lab classes got canceled with the rest of university classes. Film students lost important networking opportunities when their film presentations, where professionals come to critique, got canceled.

Educators remain optimistic about overcoming the challenge of moving to online learning.

“We’re trying to keep a semblance of order and sense of tradition, but then in other places, trying to be super inventive and rethink what is remote learning and how does it push us forward and kind of inspire new ways of doing,” said Seàn Curran, director of New York University’s dance studies program, in an interview with NBC News.

College educators realize the importance of engagement with their students. To avoid adding stress to students’ life during this stressful time, many instructors simplified the content and coursework for the remainder of their classes.

Students also need to feel supported during this time. Campus life provides a “supportive accountability” that is harder to provide online. Students have lost their peers, extracurriculars and their “home” when universities were forced to shut down their campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

College instructors have been making an effort to make sure their students still feel supported. According to Southern New Hampshire University president Paul LeBlanc, when students feel supported, they are more likely to do better work.

Educators in Colorado used their previous experience with online learning days, such as snow days, to help students with the emergency switch to online learning. Teachers also emphasized the importance of just getting students together to talk with them. They have also found fun ways to engage their students by throwing “virtual pet parties” where students can show their pets on screen.

“It’s not perfect, but they will still get something out of it,” said Ethan Clotfelter, a professor of biology and environmental studies at Amherst College in Massachusetts, in an interview with NBC News.