KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Older students in North Kansas City Schools are nearly one month into a hybrid learning model.
When school started in early September, students in grades six through 12 began with hybrid learning, splitting their time between virtual learning and two days a week at school. In the district, 25% of students are fully virtual.
"We are prepping a lesson that we are going to teach in-person and we are creating it all digitally," said Chelsey Chandler, a teacher at Gateway 6th Grade Center. "We are typing out directions, we are making videos of lessons, videos of directions."
To help limit the spread of COVID-19, the district is limiting the movement of students. At Gateway, only teachers move between classrooms.
"The kids do stay, but I as the teacher actually have to move. I have to move to my teaching partner's room twice a day and then work with her students in their assigned seats," said Lauren Blackwell, another teacher at Gateway 6th Grade Center.
With other districts, such as the Shawnee Mission School District, about to move to a hybrid model for some students, teachers in the North Kansas City district have some advice.
"Give your students and yourself grace," Blackwell said. "We are all learning something new, we are all trying our best and we just have to remember why we do it."
Chandler said it's important to set boundaries and take time for yourself.
"I had a kid message me like 9:30 last night and was like, 'Can you please respond? I have a question,'" Chandler said. "It killed me and it was so hard. But setting aside time for yourself, you need to have some time at home. You don't need to be working at 10 at night."
It's a whole new normal for everyone, but these teachers said they want to make learning during a pandemic as enjoyable as possible.
"They will 100% remember this sixth-grade year with me," Blackwell said. "I just want to try my best to make it a year that they look back on and they don't think, 'oh my gosh that was terrible, that was so hard' ... that they really see we all worked together and were trying new things. Made it memorable and made it fun."
