How long have you been a teacher? 

I have been teaching for 18 years.

What grade do you teach? How old are your students? 

I teach first grade — my students are 6 and 7 years old.

What is your school's procedure in regard to continuing education during COVID-19? 

We used something called "remote learning." It was a combination of paper packets distributed using social distancing and online learning activities. We also hosted Zoom meetings where we focused on social-emotional learning.

What is the protocol if you (or another teach) show signs of infection? 

We would have to go get tested and could not return to work, remotely or in-person, until we were cleared by our doctor.

What is the biggest change your day-to-day has faced because of COVID-19? 

I have not been able to have in-person contact with my students at all nor have I been able to be at school in my classroom every day. I also have not been able to interact in-person with my coworkers, administration, and the students' parents. I've had to completely reimagine and implement the curriculum. Additionally, I've had to learn a variety of new online platforms to interact with and teach my students.

What has been the hardest part of teaching young students during the COVID-19 pandemic? 

I have to rely on parents to learn how to use the technology and have their children available for Zoom meetings, FaceTime calls, etc. Once we on these calls/meetings, it's difficult keeping the kids' attention remotely with the distractions of home and not having our regular classroom management system available. Also, I have not been able to meet with students in small groups to continue with guided reading and small group math lessons. I have to rely on parents to step in where I can't. A lot of the responsibility falls on the parents and a lot of them were still working remotely or out of the house. Several students have been unable to complete all of the remote work due to family circumstances.

How do you feel about the national news coverage of education during COVID-19? 

It's been very accurate. We've gotten lots of accolades and recognition nationally from the media, the politicians, and the general population for the hard work that we put in on a daily basis. Everyone seems to be supportive and thankful for the work we do.

What is one thing you wish you could tell the country about education during COVID-19? 

When things return to a new normal, please remember to support educators through funding, professional development, and respect. Continue to look at education as a joint effort between all of us — that's exactly what it is.

How is your personal life impacted by COVID-19? 

My college students moved back home. I had to "homeschool" my teenager, which was quite a challenge due to the lack of motivation from both of us. On a positive note, we have had many homecooked family meals, quality time together, and a much less fast-paced, stressful day-to-day. However, at times this was overshadowed by fear, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and social isolation.

Are there any stories of hope that you can share with us? 

It was heartwarming to see our staff come together to support our students and families. Our principal posted a daily morning message video for students on our Facebook page. Teachers recorded read-alouds for students daily. Teachers also went above and beyond to prepare packets and lessons for their students, along with special activities such as a social distancing egg hunt — where students, teachers, and community members colored pictures of eggs and hung them in their windows for families to drive around and count, a backyard scavenger hunt for families to do, and a Flat Teacher (like "Flat Stanley") project. We also created a digital book hunt for students and their families to do throughout the summer.

Support staff prepared sack meals for any family that requested them to pick up several times a week, and this will continue through the summer. Home deliveries were made if families could not make it to the pick-up times for meals and packets.

Finally, we celebrated the great job students did with remote learning with an end of the year teacher parade where 65+ teachers and support staff drove in a parade through the students' neighborhoods. Students and families safely lined the streets, wishing everyone a great summer and a big thank you.