Teachers told to increase contact with students
TDSB memo says parents and education minister want more involvement
Toronto teachers have been told to make sure they have live contact with students at least twice a week — either online or by phone.
An email sent to parents noted that Education Minister Stephen Lecce recently advised boards to ensure educators are using “synchronous” — or realtime — virtual connections as students continue to learn from home during the COVID-19 shutdown. The Toronto District School Board has also received feedback from parents requesting the same to help keep their kids engaged and connected.
“For the remainder of this school year, and as we transition into September, teachers and (early childhood educators) will begin to connect with students and families in a variety of ways. We have stated in the revised expectations that there should be a minimum of two interactions per week, if this was not already being done,” the Toronto board said Friday.
“We know that not all students can engage in learning at a specific time so educators are encouraged to find a variety of ways to connect with their students, have students connect with each other, and to celebrate student learning in the last few weeks of school” as well as help prepare in the event online learning continues in the fall.
The issue has proved controversial with teacher unions, who have expressed concerns about privacy, security and hacking, as well as equity.
Toronto educators were informed of the new expectations by associate directors Colleen Russell-Rawlins and Kathy Witherow, who wrote that synchronous learning helps in “connecting, communicating, collaborating, celebrating.”
The associate directors said it also “heard about the importance of the establishment of a routine or schedule as well as protocols for online sessions” and said such sessions should be recorded for students who miss them.
“We acknowledge the importance of professional judgment and online safety and have included considerations for keeping both educators and students safe in this environment,” they wrote. “The mental health and well-being of all students and staff remains our priority. Opportunities to connect or reconnect through synchronous learning will, in many situations, improve students’ wellbeing.”
Leslie Wolfe, president of the Toronto local of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, said video conferencing does not work well for all kids, and said “the teachers who work directly with students know best which students will benefit from this and which ones will not.”
Some students might not have internet access or feel comfortable with others seeing the inside of their homes, and teachers might not have private space at home to host live lessons.
NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles said she empathizes with both teachers and parents, adding “they are all doing their best in a really difficult moment.”
“Teachers have been working really hard to find the best ways to connect with students — but at the same time, for a lot of parents, it’s been an extraordinarily difficult time. And it’s hard when you also see your child missing those opportunities to connect in person with their teacher.”
Stiles said the education ministry should consult with boards and education workers on home-schooling plans rather than simply dictating changes.
Wolfe noted that more than 4,000 Toronto teachers have taken part in training on how to use online platforms.
“It feels like this has been going on for a long time, in terms of changing over an entire instructional style and process,” she said of the move from inperson to online teaching that began shortly after the spring break. “It’s a very short period of time.
“Every single high school teacher has done their absolute best to engage their students and to ensure there is continuity of learning.”
Last week in the legislature, Lecce said that while online learning “will not emulate the in-class experience,” which is “best,” it is now “incumbent on all of us to give (students) every option, using every opportunity, every tool and every technology to aid them in learning while they are home.”
Lecce’s directive about live contact was also communicated to staff in the Peel public board, while the York board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board sent out resources to teachers about synchronous learning.
The Durham public board, which also asked families for feedback, said that they “appreciate both live learning and flexible opportunities that allow students to engage with teachers and access materials on their own time” and is going to provide teachers with more supports for both methods of learning.
Boards have also been providing students with devices — laptops or iPads that in some cases have built-in Wi-Fi — to help address equity concerns.
The York Region branch of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has taken the toughest stance against video conferencing, warning that “abuse of the live feed exposes teachers to potential allegations of misconduct” and that “the environment and expectations that we collectively create during the pandemic crisis will live on after.”