With the up and coming coronavirus pandemic, a lot of regular routines have been changed for safety reasons. While some students stay at home and do connect, others go face-to-face.

Connect students use the app Webex to watch their classes through a screen. Are these new changes making it more difficult for teachers to teach? How can they make sure the connect students are actually participating in class?

I interviewed a few teachers to see their responses:

Do you make connect students keep their cameras on during class?

“At times, it depends on what we’re doing, sometimes that causes more issues than it prevents. So when we’re doing classwork assignments, or I’m lecturing they don’t have to but if we’re doing a test or a seminar or something where they have to participate more than once, then I’ll have them keep their cameras on. It just depends on the situation” -Mrs. Gaudreau, English and leadership teacher.

“I do not, partially because it’s a distraction to meet see everybody on their screen and have to look at what they’re doing versus all of my students in classes, it’s just easier to manage.” -Mrs. Troia, chemistry and biology teacher.

Are tests more difficult to manage with connect?

“It’s just more work because I can’t just collect them all at once, I have to collect them in a different way for the connect students, who have to submit them in a different way in a different area.” -Gaudreau

“Tests are more difficult to do in general, because I don’t normally do take home tests, but I haven’t had any issues with connect students.” -Troia

Are there any activities you do in class that make it more difficult for connect students to participate?

“In English no, they can pretty much do anything we’re doing. In my leadership class, peer connectors, yes because we do out of the classroom projects and we do like service projects for other teachers, for groups… So yeah, for that class it is very difficult and I have to come up with extra assignments for them to do, which is again more work.” -Gaudreau

“I try not to make it that way. There are some things for chemistry and AP bio that I have to demo because they can’t do it here, but I try to make all of my activities as equal as possible.” -Troia

Do you feel the connect kids get the same attention as face to face kids?

“In my class they do, I think it’s just how you manage it” – Gaudreau

“For me, I like to think so. It’s hard because I can’t see them but they know that if they need something they can type in the chat box and I’ll answer right away, or email me, or they can unmute themselves and ask a question.” -Troia