Learning new ways to teach

Coronavirus: a word that changed the lives of people everywhere. At Patrick M .Villano School, some students opted to remain on virtual instruction for most of the school year. The pandemic forced students and teachers to navigate a new virtual educational world where lessons were mostly taught on the Google platform. Teachers such as sixth grade Science instructor Liz McClafferty learned to be creative with their content.

“During this year I have had to change how I teach to work both virtually and in-person. Honestly, it’s been really challenging,” McClafferty said. “This year has been hard for everyone, and I am so proud of all of my students for doing what they did.”

McClafferty developed new ways to make Science fun and educational because her students couldn’t do hands-on labs or experiments.

“Some of the new ideas I’ve come up with are great,” she explained. “For example, having students in different classes work together virtually on some assignments.”

During the final marking period in 6th grade, many students who opted for virtual instruction earlier in the year returned to the classroom. Plexiglass remained between desks and masks were on at all times indoors.

“With all of the uncertainty of this school year, it was another change and every change felt scary at first,” McClafferty said. “However, I loved having more of my students in the room with me. It makes me happy to be able to see their faces and have them talk to each other easily.”

McClafferty keeps a positive attitude about this unforgettable school year.

“If you had asked me a year ago if I thought I could handle all of this, I would have said no way, but I did.  We all did. We should remember that the next time we are faced with a challenge in our lives, we can do incredible things!”