I’ve been watching teachers talk about their successful zoom sessions and feeling like a total fail. The max # of kids I’ve gotten to see at one time is 10. Kids are literally working at every possible hour of the day and night, and thus, my work is largely 1-on-1 right now.

I spend my days creating curriculum and giving individualized feedback, and supporting kids + families via text, email, & phone. I meet with my colleagues multiple times a week to strategize about the 25% of kids who are showing up sporadically, and the 15% not showing up at all.

We ask ourselves: How do we help kids engage more consistently? How do we support the kids and families who are still not connected at all? Whose basic needs aren’t being met fully? Who are struggling with anxiety and depression? Who don’t have access to internet 4+ weeks in?

If the vision for “remote learning” means me sitting in front of zoom calls with handfuls of students for multiple hours a day, then those are hours I’m not spending focused on reaching my most vulnerable kids. And if I’m not focused on them, then the question becomes: who is?

If the vision includes the answer to that question, I’m down to hear it. But if the vision excludes a clear plan + identified staff who are going to take on that work, then it isn’t rooted in the reality of what I, at least, am seeing in my “remote learning” world.