In less than two weeks, Southwest Florida students will head back to the classroom.
Teachers across the state are expressing a new concern when it comes to that return.
It has to do with the way some will have to teach, to accommodate the different learning models due to COVID-19.
YOUR AMAZON ECHO OR ALEXADEVICES.THE D-N-C RUNS THROUGH THURSDAY.WE’RE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS FROMTHE START OF SCHOOL HERE INSOUTHWEST FLORIDA.TEACHERS ACROSS OUR STATE AREEXPRESSING A NEW CONCERN WHEN ITCOMES TO THAT RETURN TO THECLASSROOM.IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WAYTHEY’LL HAVE TO TEACH, TOACCOMMODATE THE DIFFERENTLEARNING MODELJESSICA ALPERN IS LOOKING INTOTHAT STORY.THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT THOSEWHO’LL HAVE TO TEACH VIRTUAL ANDIN-PERSON STUDENTS AT THE SAMETIME.IT’S WHAT TEACHERS REFER TO AS"SIMULTANEOUS TEACHING."AND AS THEY PUT IT... EVERYONEGETS SHORTCHANGED.PART OF THE REASON IS HOWDIFFERENT IN-PERSON LEARNINGWILL BE THIS YEAR, WITH ALL OFTHE COVID-19 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.TEACHERS WILL NEED TO FOCUEXTRA TIME AND ATTENTION ONMAKING SURE EVERYONE IN THECLASSROOM IS KEPT SAFE.AND SOME FEAR SIMULTANEOUSTEACHING WILL MEAN STUDENTSSIMPLY WON’T GET THE PROPERATTENTION THEY DESERVE.Patrick Mugan, Teacher, PinellaCounty08:54 "If I’m teaching face toface, I can give all my studentsall the attention I possiblycan.
If I’m teaching my studentsonline, I can give them all theattention and everything thatthey need to the best of myability from a distance, :06 butif I’m doing both of thosethings at once, it’s askingteachers to wear a ridiculousamount of hats."WE CHECKED TO SEE WHETHERSIMULTANEOUS TEACHING ISSOMETHING WE CAN EXPECT TO SEEHERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LEECOUNTY SAYS IT IS POSSIBLE THATSOME MIGHT(I FORWARDED YOU THIS EMAIL FORVIDEO).IT SAYS THE GOAL IS TO HAVE ASFEW AS POSSIBLE TEACHING BOTHLEE HOME CONNECT AND AFACE-TO-FACE CLASS AT THE SAMETIMTHE MOST COMMON EXAMPLE GIVEN ISAT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLLEVEL... WHERE THERE COULD BE ANELECTIVE OFFERED FOR ONLY ACOUPLE PERIODS EACH SEMESTER.THE DISTRICT SAYS THE TEACHER OFTHAT CLASS COULD HAVE BOTHSTUDENTS IN FRONT OF THEM ANDWATCHING THEM AT HOME THROUGHZOOM, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTYIN SCHEDULING SEPARATE PERIODSFOR A LIMITED NUMBER OFSTUDENTS.WE’RE WORKING TO FIND OUT IFTHIS IS SOMETHING THAT
