Wednesday started out like any other; I left my house at 7 am to drive to my school campus, where I teach bilingual early childhood special education. Out of nowhere, I burst into tears. I thought to myself, I don’t know if I can do this anymore. Not just today. I don’t know if I can do this any day,…
Tag: remote teaching
If CPS and CTU Can’t Get Their Act Together, Parents Should Get Their Money Back
The pandemic-related tensions between Chicago’s school district and teachers union are boiling over. Chicago Public Schools says the Chicago Teachers Union’s January 24 vote to not teach in-person classes until teachers are vaccinated is potentially “an illegal strike.” “Our collective bargaining agreement includes a no-strike clause, and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board has ruled a strike of this nature…
Noble Charter Schools Share Tips for Remote Learning
How did your first week of school go? How was your connection? Did you have any hiccups? If you had issues, you might be interested to see what the Noble Network of Charter Schools had on tap for their students and faculty at the start of this bizarre, upside-down, pandemic-laden school year. Calling it #NobleReadyForRemote, this morning Noble shared on…
Digital Learning Will Never Replace Human Teachers
[Editor’s note: Names have been changed to protect the privacy of teachers and students.] Before the pandemic, I had so many wonderful opportunities to watch wise teachers make strategic, in-the-moment decisions to support students. Our ninth-grade English teacher, Ms. Watkins, is one of those wise teachers. Ms. Watkins has a glow about her that radiates to kids. Her warmth is…
CPS Remote Learning Appears Remarkably Reasonable
Starting April 13, Chicago Public Schools will provide remote learning while schools remain closed due to the viral pandemic. Their plans for remote learning sound very reasonable given the huge challenges ahead.
Tales from the Front Lines of Teaching Remotely: Lara Elementary
Editor’s note: Chicago Unheard is inviting teachers and parents to share their stories of learning while coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Patricia Hernández teaches English Language Arts at Lara Academy in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. Lara is a high-achieving neighborhood school serving a predominantly low-income, Latinx population. More than half of the students are still learning English and 16 percent…