BACK TO SCHOOL: CDC Guidelines, Hybrid Model, and How Teachers are Feeling
Back to school and the use of hybrid models
CDC guidelines for schools in the pandemic
How teachers are feeling and what you can do!
Going Back to School During the Pandemic: 2021
Sending your child back to school for in-person learning during COVID-19 can be confusing and stressful. In this video, Alyssa covers what going back to school actually looks like during the pandemic. She also covers information about the hybrid learning model, CDC guidelines, how teachers are feeling about all of this, and what you can do to make learning better for both your child and your teacher.
Back to School & Hybrid Models
Perhaps you’ve been waiting for the day to finally come when your child can learn in-person again. If and when that does happen, things are going to look a lot different than years past, at least until COVID-19 is completely under control. The good news is that the Biden Administration does want kids back in school as soon as possible, while taking into account all the necessary precautions and safety measures.
“Back to School” likely won’t mean full days and weeks in the school right away. Rather, schools across the United States have opted for a hybrid model. The hybrid model typically takes the form of 2-3 days per week of online instruction in which students will be at home, and 2-3 days per week of in-person instruction in which students will be able to come to the school for the day. While teachers and school staff understand that online instruction poses unique challenges to students, particularly ones of a younger age, a hybrid model to teaching is still the safest way to educate students and still get them into school for parts of the week. With this in mind, teachers are doing their best to make online learning as engaging as possible for your children.
CDC Guidelines
The Center for Disease Control or CDC has done their best to provide schools with an outline for how to determine if their district is ready to reopen for any in person instruction, and how to do that safely. This work has allowed schools to transition to the type of hybrid model discussed above. Here is a bit of what that will looks like for your child based on what the CDC recommends:
Less Movement: Schools cannot allow their students to move about the building to several different classrooms throughout the day right now. Rather, movement throughout the building is as limited as possible, oftentimes students will stay in one classroom for the entire day. This allows for mitigated risk of transmission across the student body.
Cohorts: On a similar note, students aren’t able to mingle freely with peers all day long and in different classes. Instead, schools must group students into cohorts. These cohorts keep students isolated from the rest of the school population except for their small group, thus decreasing the risk of transmission and safeguarding in case there is an outbreak at school. Students will be able to be contact traced most effectively with the use of cohorts.
Additional Measures: The CDC also encourages schools to take additional safety and health measures, including increased hand and respiratory hygiene, no sharing objects in the classroom, physical distancing, mask wearing, improved ventilation when possible, and as little mixing of students as possible. All of these measures are employed to keep students and staff as safe as possible while still providing an in-person learning environment.
Additional Considerations: Remember, teachers and staff are doing their best. Schools have had to increase spending in order to hire enough cleaning staff and pay for cleaning supplies and hand sanitizers. Teachers have had to grapple with this sudden change the same way we all have. Everyone is working as hard as possible to provide your child with a safe and effective learning experience.
How Teachers Are Feeling & What You Can Do
It is essential to remember that teachers are learning to cope with the pandemic just like everyone else. They are under a lot of pressure trying to navigate an unprecedented time in education, prepare a curriculum that is as engaging and rich as possible, and change their teaching to suit virtual settings. They are under the demands of their department and schools, as well as the demands of parents. They are walking the line of giving students enough work to keep up with standards, and not too much work that students will be unsuccessful. Most of all, they’re trying to engage students, many young children, online. Their job has likely never been so complex, but still they are committed to your child’s education. It is important to remember that they are under immense pressure just like everyone else, and to communicate with them accordingly.
So, how might you best support your child’s teachers? First, try to explain your child’s teacher’s position and job right now to your child. Talking with your child about how difficult it is to teach right now and why students should give their teachers their attention, even if it is hard online. This is going to be beneficial to both your child’s teachers and your child, and hopefully increase engagement. Encourage your child to be attentive and responsive when working online, whether that is through using the chat feature or keeping their camera on and their focus up. It means a lot to teachers, and will better engage your child.
If your child has expressed that they feel as though they aren’t getting enough out of online learning, rather than let them take that as a reason to disengage, make that a reason to engage further! For example, encourage your child to engage in a book challenge, reading X amount of books per month to supplement where they might feel disengaged in their online work. Feel free to keep your child’s teacher updated on any supplemental work.
At the end of the day, we are ALL trying to get through this together, and should be banding together accordingly to best support children and students right now. Keep an open line of communication between yourself, your child, and your child’s teachers. Be prepared to have to adapt and be flexible, but look forward to the progress. If your child is returning to school for in-person learning, celebrate that milestone! During a global pandemic, it’s the little things that can bring the most joy right now. Let it be appreciating the baby steps, or working to support those around you and in your community. We will get through this together!
Take a look at the CDC website for more information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html
This webpage from the CDC includes information for parents and teachers on guidelines for in person learning during COVID-19, including:
Operating Schools during COVID-19
Reopening: Decision Making Indicators
Daily Operations
Testing and Contact Tracing
Returning to In-Person Learning
Teachers and Staff Information
Monitoring and Evaluation
Printable Posters and Graphics for Schools
For more back to school information, check out our tips for sophomores and juniors! Want to know how to prepare for college during your summer break? Read this article!
