Part 8 of a new series: 'Live and Learn: Education in a COVID-19 World'
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The coronavirus pandemic has presented all sorts of new obstacles to traditional forms of education. This year is all about adapting. One challenge unique to teachers with kids is how to fulfill both their parental and professional obligations.
"Teaching from home is definitely a challenge," said Liz Motley, a teacher and mother of two from Montgomery County.
She says there's simply no way to keep work and home from colliding.
"Right from the beginning, I told my students, 'I'm teaching from home. My kids are here with me. You might hear them. They might pop in. You might hear my dog,'" she said.
"I mean, the dog barks right in the middle of a class and, you know, I just quickly mute it if I can or not and just let the kids know I'm in the same situation they're in."
Motley says teachers and students have had all sorts of technical issues, including poor internet connectivity, creating disruptions to online learning -- and everyone seems to be over it.
"Even the kids that don't like school are like, 'I'd rather go to school than do it this way,'" she said.
Jessica Smith is also a mother of two, but she's in class every day in Camden County, and her kids are on a hybrid schedule with a mix of in-school and remote learning.
"So that means I have to find child care for three days and two afternoons, so that's definitely been difficult," she said.
She says being a teacher does really help with getting her kids to stay on top of their work, and she sympathizes with working parents who don't teach and are trying to make sure their kids don't fall behind.
"I've even said to my own friends who have children in our school district to just relax," she said. "It will get done. If it doesn't get done, email the teacher. They will understand. I think everyone understands that everyone is trying their best."
Smith says it's pretty easy to tell when a parent is doing more of the kid's work than they probably should be doing.
"One of the most obvious signs is in their writing. When it's properly punctuated and there are capital letters where they're supposed to be and no run-on sentences -- that's kind of obvious, an easy tell, like 'They didn't write that.'"
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The coronavirus pandemic has altered life in many ways for most of us, including the way students are learning. Over the next few weeks, KYW Newsradio is taking a look at the impact of COVID-19 on education with "Live and Learn: Education in a COVID-19 World."
