The Revolving Door of Independent Study - Facing Its Challenges

     

Have you recently received an email from your attendance clerk similar to this?

     "Student ###### has been signed up for short term Independent Study and will be out for a minimum of three days."

     I have and I have lost count of exactly how many.  Initially, I was of the mindset - no problem.  I simply excused the student in my gradebook for those days' assignments - no harm, no foul.  These students can just jump right in with the rest of the class when they return. . . 

     

     Then it hit me!  I teach Math and the lessons are sequenced to build upon each other.  A student is present for a couple days and then is out on Independent Study for three to ten days because of COVID-19 District protocols.  The student comes back to class and is totally lost.  I am also realizing that this is going to be occurring for the rest of the year.  Struggling students in any subject - Math, ELA, SS, Science, Foreign Language, Reading, etc. - may not be willing to put in the extra time and effort to catch up on what they missed while they were out.  

     So what can we do to support them during these extraordinary times where school looks totally different than when we were in school - wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart, washing hands constantly, being exposed to a known virus, teachers wearing masks, etc.?

So, I have started to develop a plan to support these students in an effort to fill those learning gaps they missed and to keep them motivated so that they can be successful during these trying times.

Start using Zoom recordings again (just when I thought I was done with that, I know).  Start a personal Zoom meeting and record the notes you give to students who are in class.  Download the video and post it into your Google Classroom for students to access.  (Right now these videos may be unedited as there is not a lot of time to make them 'pretty' but the idea being that students have access to the same material as students who are in class - try and hit stop recording during class to shorten the video).  Attach the notes to the Google Classroom as an additional resource for students.

Use a Station Rotation Model to interact with students in a smaller group setting.  The idea being here
that you meet with students who need additional support (absent students or struggling students) and
reinforce the skills through some intervention time.  The other students are working in groups on activities that can reinforce their skills as well or extend their skills through challenge problems, etc.  The Math Team that I am on has gone through two of these Station Rotation Models since the beginning of the school year and it really has offered a great opportunity to meet with struggling students 'between the bells' - while at the same time offering meaningful work for other students in the class.

I also use Khan Academy, for a few reasons, to support these students who are moving in & out of independent study.  Khan Academy is aligned with our Eureka Math Program in that the Khan lessons are set up in the same order as Eureka Math.  I realize that the Khan Academy problems are not to the same rigor as Eureka Math but it offers an option for students to get practice and at the same time Khan Academy gives students immediate feedback as to answers be correct or not.  In addition, Khan Academy offers videos for students to watch that support each skill.  I understand that 'Quality First Teaching' is the goal for teachers but when students miss this opportunity in class I want all my students to still be able and access the curriculum.  Khan Academy is also relevant for struggling students as it does provide that immediate feedback and supportive videos.

I am still struggling with this new found realization this year - supporting students who are in & out of class at any point during the school year.  Life is not easy for our students and I do not want them to feel defeated after being out of school for a short amount of time when they return to class and they have no idea what is going on.  My ideas and plans will most likely evolve over the year as I strive to support all my students through these difficult times.  I do not want my students to become unmotivated and to that end I must constantly remind myself to find ways that make students 'feel' safe when they have been out of school to no vault of their own.

Obviously, my ideas are driven by a math mindset - but I wonder if this starts you thinking of ideas for your own content area?  For starting a conversation with a colleague?  For have a PLC meeting about other ideas?  I struggle with giving ideas for other content areas but the hope is that the conversation begins or continues depending on your own individual situation.

Please feel free to add other ideas or thoughts in the comment section - as I am trying to find better ways to support our students.

And remember to give yourself grace - and then give yourself more grace as we navigate another unforgettable year.

Teaching and still loving it,

  Kevin Stott                          

De Anza Middle School      

Math 8 & Integrated Math I