Many Amador students are enrolled in classes where showing their face is necessary. Some students are struggling with this new format of learning. Teachers around campus have shared their tips and tricks on how to successfully deal with online classes. 

“I’m not telling [students] to put your camera on because I want to be mean. I’m telling [students] i need [their] camera to be on so that I can feel like I’m making connections with [them]…it’s those connections with students that give me the energy to keep going,” said ASL teacher Shannon Heller.

Staying connected with teachers is vital. They are also trying to adapt to this new learning environment, so being connected means they can help meet students’ needs. One way in which this is done is through office hours.

“It’s so important that students are reaching out to teachers during their office hours, but I also think it’s important for them to just have communication in general,” said Heller.

Adjusting to online learning also involves another key trick: patience. Students and teachers face problems like bad internet or turning in wrong documents, so patience is incredibly important when it comes to online learning.

“The main struggle is that you can’t give instant feedback like you normally would,” said orchestra and choir teacher Mark Aubel.

For music classes, it is imperative for teachers to be able to see their students.

“If I can’t see you, I can’t help you. The problem for us is that so much of what I do is based on what I hear. But if I can’t hear you, then I have to be able to see you in order to help you. Otherwise, I can’t help you,” said Aubel.

Though students and teachers are all stuck in zoom classes, everyone is on the same team when it comes to working together and moving forward. 

To read the first part of the article series, click here for Part One and here for Part Two.