KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least 10 districts in our viewing area opted to engage in virtual or alternative methods of instruction (AMI) learning for Wednesday.
One of those districts included the Excelsior Springs School District.
“We know ahead of time, those first four or five days — those are going to be AMI days, so we can kind of get that in, and we’re not adding in days that would be in late May or even after Memorial Day,” said Mark Bullimore, deputy superintendent for the Excelsior Springs School District.
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Bullimore says multiple factors go into the decision to have an AMI learning day instead of use a traditional snow day.
“Attendance days, and learning in the middle of May or June aren't always great,” he said. “Sometimes, even being able to continue our practice learning through an AMI or virtual learning day is better than trying to make those days up in late May or June.”
Ultimately, the district’s decision comes down to one question.
“Can students and staff safely get to school first,” Bullimore said.
When the answer’s no, kids like Andrea Marsh’s stay home and learn virtually.
As a teacher in the Excelsior Springs School District as well, she’s mastered multi-tasking on virtual days like Wednesday.
“Usually, we'll sit side by side and work together,” Marsh said. “While they're working on theirs, I'll be working on mine.”
Marsh has been teaching second grade for the past 22 years.
Over the years, she’s learned virtual learning’s setbacks.
“I’m not able to give that direct instruction with new content and those types of things two days in a row, especially like we’ve had yesterday and today,” she said. “I sometimes feel a little bit behind because if we’re not adding those days to the end of the year, all that has to be done, done somehow.”
From a teaching perspective, she tries to keep in mind that students still want to enjoy themselves.
“I try to limit the number of assignments, you know, and make sure it’s something that’s not going to take a long time,” Marsh said. “I know my own kiddos were done with their work within the first couple hours of the morning and then had plenty of time to go out and play by the time it got to the warmest part of the day.”
Bullimore says the district is aware that majority of the assignments are a review for the students so they have practice with material they’ve already learned.
“I think that we have achieved that balance of being able to do the learning part of it and making sure that they get what they need academically but also being able to be a kid and enjoy the snow days,” Marsh said.
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