Virtual Classroom Challenges Amid Pandemic for Future Teachers
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The Gonzaga Bulletin A student publication of Gonzaga University DECEMBER 3, 2020 www.gonzagabulletin.com VOL. 132 ISSUE 15 Virtual classroom challenges amid pandemic for future teachers By NATALIE RIETH ue to COVID-19 restrictions, Gonzaga Dstudents enrolled in the special education classroom placement and classroom management courses have had to face a delayed classroom placement within schools local to the Spokane area. This set- back has given students the unique opportunity of observing challenges faced by students and teachers within the special education classroom as a result of the pandemic. Before receiving their placement, students were required to complete a virtual module, where they were introduced to online teaching styles and virtual educational platforms, as a part of the 30 hours they must complete observing their assigned classroom. With a mix of students placed in in-person and remote classrooms, students have been able to reflect on the effects the pandemic has had within special education classrooms in each COVID-19 learning environment. Sarah Merlino, a student enrolled in both special education courses, attends BULLETIN FILE PHOTO SEE TEACHERS PAGE 2 GU grad, Lexi Rutherford, student teaches a second grade classroom at St. Aloysius Catholic School in 2016. Gonzaga says goodbye to three key staff members By KAYLA FREIDRICH During the last couple of months, Gonzaga University has seen the resignation of many high positions in multiple offices and is left with the task of figuring out what to do with these positions moving forward. Kelly Alvarado-Young, Amy Swank and Richard Menard have all made significant contributions to their respective departments during their time at GU. Alvarado-Young stated resignation of her position as director of First Year Experience programs back in July and is now moving on to Washington State University where she will be the director of new student programs. In an email to the GU community, Vice Provost of Student Affairs Kent Porterfield addressed her resignation with appreciation. “She has overseen seven New Student Orientation cycles at Gonzaga," Porterfield said. "Kelly brought organization and vision to new student transitions at Gonzaga, and her passion for equity, inclusion and Gonzaga's mission is embedded in all the programs her office has coordinated." SOPHIE CROSBY IG:@sophie__crosby David Gracon, a professor at GU, went to western Ukraine as a Fulbright Scholar where he SEE RESIGN PAGE 2 taught media literacy. 'Fulbrighters' put GU mission into practice around the world By ALEX BHAYANI to be a part of my students’ “I continue to be flexible journey in reaching for their and resilient,” Lara said. “I Gonzaga University has dreams and aspirations in am teaching remotely [from hosted multiple professors life.” home in Iloilo] for the fall from the prestigious Lara is a foreign and am optimistic that I can Fulbright Scholars program, language teaching assistant travel to GU soon.” a cultural exchange for the 2020-21 academic To stay connected with initiative of the United year. He chose GU because campus news and events, States Department of of its focus on developing Lara is an avid reader of State in which American the whole person. The Gonzaga Bulletin and COURTESY OF KATIE DAY students, academics and “The FLTA Program is Morning Mail. other professionals earn a full scholarship program Lara is teaching GU grad, Katie Day, beat Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer after months long battle. grants to travel abroad and for early career English- Elementary Tagalog within share their passions with language teachers to work as GU's Modern Languages different cultures. Citizens Filipino-language teaching and Literature Department. Overcoming cancer of foreign countries come assistants in America for He offers free classes on to the U.S. for the same one year," Lara said. "Its Thursdays, for which 11 By ASHER ALI adversity. purpose. objective is to 'strengthen students have signed up this “I’m not going to let cancer affect me Reymund Lara is a fifth- foreign language instruction semester. After being announced officially cancer free on Nov. 19, former Gonzaga tennis and I’m going to control it,” Day said. and sixth-grade teacher in at U.S. colleges while In addition, Lara has “Like when I was first diagnosed, I knew Iloilo, a city in the central enabling foreign teachers shared other aspects of player Katie Day compared her nine- month-long battle with Non-Hodgkin I was going to lose my hair so I cut it Philippines where he to increase their English his Filipino culture with all off during my first round of chemo attended West Visayas State language proficiency, refine colleagues and students. lymphoma to a three set tennis match. The first set consisted of the first because I didn’t want to go through the University and completed their teaching skills and “I am a member of the process of having it come out on its own.” his bachelor’s degree in extend their knowledge of Filipino American Student three rounds of chemotherapy she fought through after initially being She had to get a picc line inserted 2012. the culture and customs of Union (FASU) and the into her arm to be administered the “I am teaching English, the United States.'” Asian American Union diagnosed with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma on Jan. 10. These first chemo, meaning that Day couldn’t work social studies and Tagalog,” Unfortunately, however, (AAU) [taking] every out during the entire 18 week treatment Lara said. “I have been a the pandemic foiled his opportunity to share about few rounds posed many new challenges teacher for the past seven hopes to physically come to to Day as she had to imbue her body years and my main goal is Spokane. SEE FULBRIGHT PAGE 3 and mind to overcome the unfamiliar SEE DAY PAGE 7 INDEX OPINION A&E SPORTS News...............................................1-3 Harry Styles made the cover of Vogue Spokane has a plethora of concert The hype might not be in the Kennel Opinion...............................................4 Arts & Entertainment........................5-6 Magazine in style, by wearing a dress. venues. Which ones have survived this season but it's still with the cheer Sports.............................................7-8 PAGE 4 COVID-19? PAGE 5 team. PAGE 8 2 DECEMBER 3, 2020 fb.com/GonzagaBulletin NEWS @gonzagabulletin www.gonzagabulletin.com TEACHERS Continued from Page 1 a virtual learning classroom of seventh and eighth grade middle school students on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. They focus on mastering simple, everyday skills, like days of the week and introductory reading. Merlino said changes to classroom placements have set her back in comparison to other students studying education who have experienced the placement experience in the typical classroom setting. “I feel that [classroom placements] is just so important within education,” Merlino said. “You can’t just learn about it and then be teaching having known how it works.” For students within special education programs, attempting to continue the typical classroom routine has been a big challenge. “You want to try and have them have as much independence as possible because you’re trying to teach them functional skills that will help them develop into a functional adult,” Merlino said. “With COVID-19 there are so many precautions that you have to take that independence away from them.” Another challenge for special education facilitators and students with online teaching platforms is relationship building. “I honestly think that what these places are about is creating those relationships with kids and that was so hard this semester because we are all online,” Merlino said. “It’s a totally different environment than you would have if you were in person and actually getting to know the kids is difficult over a virtual platform.” She has found it has been easiest to establish 2016 BULLETIN FILE PHOTO connections with the students while in reading break out groups. In the reading group, Merlino alternates reading A large challenge for special education facilitators and GU students with online teaching platforms is relationship building. sentences of a story and rereads portions with the students three students learn from the main classroom, the show a picture of a cat, Mathews said. to practice comprehension skills. remaining two students are with their paraeducators in a Merlino said that she is focusing her project on an Merlino said she noticed that students seem to feel a lot neighboring classroom. academic behavior of a student she was able to make a less comfortable with the online, at-home learning style As expected, both students and educators are required strong connection with in her reading group. Her project then they would in a traditional classroom. Students now to wear face masks in the classroom, which is a challenge is a reading intervention with a goal of decreasing the have to face various distractions that may be happening at for ABLES students. Teachers must wear both a face percentage of errors in the student’s cold read of a story. home while focusing on their schoolwork. mask and a shield while in contact with students in the Despite the frustration this semester has brought “I know that home life isn’t always great in some classroom. for GU students seeking experience in the classroom, areas of Spokane, and so I think that there’s also this “It has been a challenge to teach the students to both Merlino and Mathews agree that these challenges fear that sometimes you will hear parents arguing in the properly wear a face masks, since they are students with have brought to light how important it is for teachers to background or siblings fighting,” Merlino said. severe autism,” Mathews said. “So, they either wear it for prioritize their students’ individual educational success.