FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 24, 2020 • KIDS & EDUCATION • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
kids & education
How to help teachers in your area during the pandemic
Our nation’s teachers are facing unprecedented
challenges this year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Some teachers are implementing new
rules, procedures and classroom confi gurations
to limit the spread of the illness.
Others are creating entirely new online
curricula for students who are learning
from home. Many teachers are tasked
with doing both at the same time, oft en
without additional fi nancial resources to
make it all happen.
A recent survey of 1,000 U.S. teachers
by the education nonprofi t DonorsChoose
found that 42% of teachers were planning
to teach in a hybrid format this fall,
with students undergoing a combination
of online learning and in-person learning.
Th irty-fi ve percent were set to teach entirely
remotely, with 8% teaching in person
and 14% unsure at survey time. Eighty-six
percent of teachers reported feeling uncertain,
anxious and overwhelmed as they prepared
for the school year, and 81% expect
that their schools will be forced to go online
only at some point this school year.
“I feel like waiting for answers is the
hardest part,” notes one teacher who
responded to the survey. “It is a wait-andsee
with the health and safety of students,
families and staff members always in the
forefront.”
In the survey, teachers also revealed the
resources they most need.
Teachers in the classroom:
Cleaning supplies and PPE
Of those teachers who returned to the
classroom, 79% said they need cleaning
supplies and personal protective equipment
(PPE) to keep their students healthy
and safe. In fact, DonorsChoose - which
allows teachers to create requests for
school resources that the public can help
fund - has seen a surge in teacher requests
for hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes and air
fi lters. Teachers have also been quick to
request basic supplies like glue, scissors,
crayons and pencils, since 72% of teachers
report their schools are no longer allowing
students to share materials.
Teachers online:
Instructional technology
Many teachers began teaching online at
the end of last school year. As school started
this fall, 52% of teachers reported feeling
more prepared to teach online than
they did last spring, but there are still several
challenges. Th e hardest part of teaching
online, teachers report, is keeping students
engaged. To do so, their greatest
need is for instructional technology: laptops,
tablets, document cameras and other
technology to help them do demonstrations
and keep their students interested in
the content. Fift y-three percent of teachers
also reported a greater need for technology
for their students, so they can follow
along at home.
All teachers: Professional
development
For experienced teachers, the lessons
they’ve built and refi ned over years are
being recreated to work for online or
socially distanced learning. In the survey,
41% of teachers said the professional
development they need most is for online
instruction techniques; 20% were interested
in learning more about online tools
and technology to help them become
stronger at remote teaching.
All of these resource needs can add
up quickly for teachers. “Th ere will be
a much greater need for classroom supplies
as teachers have to change many
things in their classrooms to keep materials,
belongings and children separated,”
said another teacher who responded to
the survey. “Th is expense will fall on the
teachers.”
Since July, over 350,000 people have
helped fund more than 110,000 teacher
requests on DonorsChoose to help
teachers to have a strong year, whether
they’re teaching at home or in the classroom.
Still, there are nearly 50,000 teacher
requests awaiting support.
To fi nd a teacher request to support,
visit www.donorschoose.org.
— Courtesy of BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.donorschoose.org
