Faculty Reflections: Harnessing Creativity During a Pandemic
At the end of our first trimester, amidst a global pandemic, GUS faculty share how they're finding creative ways to keep learning alive for all GUS students.
Maureen Twombly, Interim Director of Instruction + Distance Learning
At the beginning of the summer, I was spending a significant amount of time trying to look for best practices for online teaching and collaborating with faculty to create a schedule designed for distance teaching and learning. Then, DESE released its guidelines for in-person teaching, and all of my planning switched.
I was thrilled to be working toward a solution to welcome students back to campus, and to assure those who needed to stay home when they were sick, quarantining, or compromised, that they could still actively participate. The Upper School Distance Learning Team spent time thinking about the best ways to bring students remotely into the classroom. We tested computers, iPads, microphones, speakers, and a variety of virtual meeting platforms. Chris Draper and I spent many mornings in August setting up mock classes to test out all our options. IPads seemed to offer the most flexibility and portability. Google Meet allowed us to create a live stream that was safe and easily accessible. Black markers show up best for our virtual learners. Hundred-foot ethernet cables allowed us to extend our wi-fi to our classrooms that had shifted to outdoor spaces. We found microphone sets for teachers to help project voices that were muffled by masks. Long extension cords and sturdy weatherproof iPad cases became essential supplies.
This was a true team effort that included support from Beth Riley, Director of Technology, the Upper School Distance Learning Team, and the GUS faculty who have been so willing to try out this new way of reaching our students. It made for a busy August and lots of early arrivals to school in the beginning, but every time I get an email from a family that needs their child to stay home, I take great satisfaction and joy in assuring them that their child won’t have to miss-out. One person staying home could make all the difference in our ability to stay in-person. I am glad I can help make that decision easier.
Amy Billings, First Grade Teacher
In July, if you asked me how I was feeling about coming back to school, I would have probably hesitated a bit, gave a little worried face and said, “I’m not quite sure how I feel about it yet.” Up until that point we were pretty isolated in our little bubble at home. Then I came to school in August and saw my room set up and thought, “Ok, everyone is 6 feet apart and if I was a first grade student, I would LOVE to have a giant desk all to myself.” Then the ideas started to flow. Howda chairs, clipboards and caddies for outdoor learning. Individual setups at each table. Cute little name cards and stuffies on every desk to make it feel office-like and cozy. I was excited for a new curriculum in first grade, I was grateful to have the same students and families that I had last year and I felt safe and prepared in my classroom space.
The students have rolled right into this year like nothing new was happening. They seem comfortable in their masks, they have gotten used to the in and out of chairs and materials, we are getting a lot of good work done and most importantly, everyone is happy and healthy. That was my number one goal coming into this year. If we can keep everyone happy and healthy, then the learning will come. We even got to go on a field trip to The Butterfly Place! Things have changed, but much has stayed the same.
One thing I was reluctant to give up on was singing Happy Birthday. Such a small moment, but yet a big one too! We tried singing at a distance outside, but then together with the students we came up with a new idea. In science the students are learning about the five senses. During a lesson about hearing and hearing loss we were talking about communicating with sign language. We then decided to learn how to sign the happy birthday song and the rest is history. We now hum and sign the Happy Birthday song for each celebration. This is something I will keep doing each year whether we are humming or singing. We have adapted in many ways and this is a fun example of how we’ve kept a tradition alive despite the restrictions.
Laura Doyle + Kelly Zaval, Fourth Grade Teachers
When friends and family ask “how’s it going” with in-person learning during covid, we have a lot to say! There is no doubt that some things are different - people like to hear about the strange and wacky - like Mrs. Doyle’s rechargeable hand warmers to keep her fingers warm, Mrs. Zaval’s new fanny pack in order to travel between cohort rooms, or kids with “offices” on their desks with every material they could ever need for fourth grade.
However, what we like to talk about even more is what we have been able to keep the same - our study of The Sea. We have taken the students on five field trips so far this fall and have a few more in store. With the help of our contacts at places like the Trustees of Reservations, 7Seas Whale Watch, Brackenbury Beach and Tucks Point, we have been getting out into the field! We also have the help of our fourth-grade families and GUS faculty chaperones and drivers - all willing to do a pickup at Gloucester Harbor or a drop-off at Crane Beach. Plus, our GUS greenhouse has been incredibly useful for our fish dissection and a recent squid dissection with naturalist Cynde McInnis. It takes some extra planning, coordination, and safety checks - but once we are out in the field and we see the students learning about The Sea -- examining sea pickles, touching local shipwrecks, sketching the breathtaking seascapes of the North Shore, catching crabs in nets and letting them go in a crab race -- it is all worth it. The students are still getting opportunities to experience our place-based curriculum, and we are especially filled with joy this fall when we see them make those connections to our theme out in the field.
Sarah Bailes, Upper School Music Teacher
As a music teacher, the thought of not being able to sing this fall with the Upper School students was hard to fathom. However, instead dwelling on what I couldn’t do, I decided to look at this fall as an opportunity to teach something new.
From Boomwhackers and Tone Chimes in 6th grade, to composing original music and learning to play the piano in 7th grade, students are embracing this new normal and have impressed me with their resilience, creativity, and musicianship. Their musical achievements have far surpassed any expectations I had going into this year. After some reflection, I have realized that our students have not only put theory and musicianship to practice, but they have also learned to pivot and make the most of their musical experience at GUS. As their teacher, I am proud to partner with them in class, and look forward to their continued success as aspiring musicians.