Russel Milder is a teacher at G.S. Lakie Middle School in Lethbridge, Canada. Since the pandemic hit, he has been teaching students from grade 6 both online and in school. His response to the Palette Magz’ Learning and Teaching during COVID survey illustrates how school life has evolved during this period.
Here are some of the obstacles Russel Milder went through during the pandemic:
“During COVID I found that as a teacher, there is a lot of stress in helping the in-person students feel safe. I try my best every day to make sure that class surfaces are clean, social distancing recommendations are being considered, and of course, regular use of hand sanitizer! Additionally, the mask wearing was extremely difficult at first. Thankfully we all seem to be accustomed to it by now!”
These are the things that were successful for him:
“I did not work from home, but there has been one major positive to come from this strange time as a teacher… I have learned to stay flexible and adaptable! In the past months, I have learned to teach online to try and best meet the needs of students. It is not always perfect, and is still a work in progress. Thankfully, my students are willing to “roll with it” and try new things, and have remained SO patient in this journey!”
Here are some of the impacts COVID-19 had on Russel Milder outside of teaching:
“The biggest impact I have felt from this pandemic has been socially. It has been difficult. It has been hard not to see family members or friends for extended periods of time. However, thanks to modern technology (zoom, facetime, etc.) I have still been able to have regular chats with my loved ones!”
The technologies he used for his online teaching experience:
“Teams, Laptop, Headphones, Microsoft OneDrive, Webcam.”
