BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Pandemic guidelines and remote learning was never in the handbook for teachers as they went through their preparations in their careers.
Teachers this week are now in their second week of instruction amid the fluid circumstances caused by the pandemic and the government regulations.
Few, if any, teachers have perfected their online instruction. Most are still ironing out the nuances with their respective programs and classroom operations. Still, there will be some elements that simply cannot be taught digitally.
"On the elementary level, to show a student how to hold a pencil or a crayon," West Seneca Teacher's Association President and high school social studies teacher Joe Cantafio said. "On a high school level, to just work with students in different activities. This is not what we wanted but this is the hand that we've been dealt and we're making the best of it. I'm very proud of the creativity the teachers have used to connect with the students."
West Seneca Schools, and other districts, began their school year in a fully remote model. Cantafio said teachers in the district are "cautiously optimistic" about the future of education this year.
He stressed that teachers are following the plans to the best of their ability and said in-classroom learning is not like what people imagine.
"(Hybrid teaching is teaching) in a very different way," he said. "Everyone can only be in the classroom. You can't go to the cafeterias. You can't do certain things. You have to make sure you have mask breaks. All of these different things are making it not what school was like prior COVID. Every school is doing the best they can...Regardless of the model, 75 percent of it is remote learning. We're really focused on that remote learning and that daily contact with students to make sure they have the social and emotional support they need."
Multiple people we spoke with compared learning this year to a spare tire on a car. Educators are simply trying to get by until there is additional guidance.
"The plan is to bring students back," Cantafio said. "Whatever format that looks like, we're going to get to that point where we're going to start targeting students and bringing students back so we can have them back in the building as long its safe."
But how long are teachers willing to wait? Six weeks? Or should they expect it to be for the foreseeable future?
"There's no deadline," NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said. "Some districts are starting beginning in October. I've heard of some districts that are starting in November. Some districts that may not have the funds to even go totally in person at all because they have layoffs in their districts. Definitely no deadline to when we need to be back in person. It has to be a safe and healthy return."
Cantafio said a decision on classroom education is up to the state.
"If the government wanted us to truly have kids back in school, they would make those things happen," Cantafio said. "This cannot go on long term but none of us want it to go on long term."
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