Springtime in local schools is often a blur of activities with field trips, talent shows, the Kindergarten Circus, end-of-the-year performances, sports, dances and the list goes on. This spring, students and teachers instead have found themselves isolated from their friends and coworkers, but making the best of remote learning and connecting through technology.

“This was not an eventuality that any of us saw coming,” said Superintendent Jay Curtis.

But Powell educators are becoming “absolute professionals” at online instruction, he said.

For Westside Elementary School teacher Brittany Mollett, she never imagined she would be teaching kindergartners online.

“I keep thinking how difficult online class could get as a
college student and I think, how could I expect anything from a 5- or 6-year-old?” Mollett said. She called parents “the rockstars in this process.”

“It has been a huge team effort with the parents running the frontline,” she said. “They have been learning and taking all this slow with us.”

Mollett uses Zoom to connect with her class, as well as Google Classroom for support and enrichment resources.

Mollett set the same class expectations for the online classroom time. While not being in class together “weighs on our hearts,” Mollett said they continue to encourage one another and celebrate accomplishments.

Kids are resilient, she said, but they’re dealing with many emotions.

“The less stressed I can be, the less stressed they can be,” Mollett said. “We discuss and draw our feelings. We talk about ways to calm down and to be our best at home now. We also encourage the kiddos to be big helpers at home.”

It’s important to still respect screen time limitations.

“... So we hope to give them a little learning, a little activity, and all our love on our Zoom time,” Mollett said. “The rest of the day should be spent playing, writing, reading, doing art … this is what I encourage my families to do.”

Mollett said she’s sad about the lost time with her students, especially at the end of the year when they have so much fun. She loves being in the classroom with her students, and is frustrated they can’t be together.

“I am scared of what the future looks like, but I am using this time to reflect on how to make the most out of the time I have to spend with anyone,” Mollett said. “I hope everyone is staying healthy and we can kick this and return to the normal we now miss.”

‘It’s not quite the same’

Math teacher Dale Estes is in his 36th year of teaching at Powell Middle School, and has seen a lot of changes in education — from chalkboards and pencils to Smartboards and Chromebooks.

Middle school principal Kyle Rohrer said Estes “flourishes with the technology and never shies away from trying something new.”

In recent years, Estes helped develop online courses at Powell Middle School, so he expected he may teach a few students virtually.

“But not my entire population,” he said. “... Now we’re really doing it.”

Estes teaches in an empty classroom, using a Smartboard as he records lessons for his students. He reteaches lessons on a livestream, where students can ask questions. Estes also meets virtually with kids one-on-one via Zoom if they need additional help.

He said the transition to remote learning has gone “pretty well, all things considered.”

Estes and fellow Powell Middle School teachers already used a learning management system called Canvas, so students were familiar with the technology prior to the closure.

Estes already used Canvas to post assignments and share instructional videos.

“So if kids are absent or whatever, they can get on there and find out what we’re missing,” he said. “They’re already familiar with where to find the stuff, and how that works, so that’s really helped.”

In addition, each Powell student has their own electronic device.

“We do have a lot of tools available; that’s really made this work out nicely,” Estes said.

His eighth-graders miss their friends and the social parts of school, he said.

For Estes, he continues to go to work each day in an empty school building. He’s been working with fellow math teacher Zack Coombs — who is across the empty hall — as they collaborate and teach the same things.

“There’s not very many people; most of the teachers are teaching from home,” Estes said, adding, “we’re pretty much in our rooms by ourselves all of the time.”

While he sees his students via the livestream, “it’s not quite the same.”