Teachers ask for ‘time and help’ with hybrid learning

Lake Central educators feeling burden of managing online and in-person classes

Teachers at Lake Central School Corp. attended a school board meeting Monday night to express concerns about teaching both e-learning and in-person and to ask for one thing: time.

At the meeting, Superintendent Larry Veracco brought up exploring options to give teachers more preparation time for school, among them an early dismissal, late arrival or a whole or near whole day of passive learning, a decision for which will be made at a board meeting Sept. 28.

“We need time and help,” Allison Castle, an eighth grade teacher at Clark Middle School, told the board. “What does that look like? Dr. Veracco has given some great suggestions for that, and we are here to say please listen to his recommendations and realize they are much needed for the sake of the students and teachers in this district.”

Teachers are running on empty, Castle told the board. With the stress of teaching online and in-person, she said COVID is something that is rarely thought about.

“We are stretched far too thin — it’s so disheartening that I am seriously contemplating what else I can do after 20 years of teaching,” Castle said, getting choked up. “The answer remains that I do not see myself anywhere but in the classroom. That is where I belong. I just need time and help.”

Some teachers at the meeting said they are working 12-hour days, trying to balance their attention during the school day between in-person and e-learners before going home to grade both in-person and online work, create work for upcoming days and work on getting things ready for in-person learners while also uploading content to Canvas for online learners.

“Many people that are not in our profession see this situation with an easy solution: just flip on a webcam. I can tell you it’s so much more than that, beyond what any of you can even imagine.” Castle said. “We are not only burning our candles at both ends, we are burning at every which way to make this work.”

On top of the extra work, Kahler Middle School teacher Colette Lambert told the board she feels like she needs to choose between two different classes.

“Do I make my in class kids sit in the classroom and do everything in front of a screen — something we know is bad for kids — so it can be equal to e-learners? Or do I give them the variety they need and leave e-learners behind?” Lambert said. “By doing two jobs at once, all students are getting a barely acceptable education.”

After listening to the teachers address the board, Vice President Sandy Lessentine, who attended the meeting via Zoom, told teachers she thought they were super humans.

“They need time,” Lessentine said. “Whatever we have to do, we have to give these teachers time, and we have to do it immediately.”

Superintendent Veracco said he wanted the board and public to know they value student instructional time and don’t take cutting any school day short lightly, but he recognizes teacher’s need for assistance.

“We’re in a situation where things are really very different and the amount of extra work required to pull this off is really wearing our people down,” Veracco said. “We have to take that into consideration.”

The board will explore options for giving teachers more time and make a decision Monday night at a special board meeting.