HELENA — It has been a challenging time for teachers and students since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for teachers of hands-on subjects such as science.
“The parents and the kids, and this makes me teary-eyed, they are working so hard…I just want parents and students to know we know how hard they’re working," said Megan Lane who teaches Life Science at C.R. Anderson Middle School as she fought back tears.
It has been a hard year, but teachers are giving it their very best.
“It’s definitely been a unique year, it's one we will never forget both students and teachers," said Christina Sieminski who teaches Biology at Capital High School.
“I don’t tell funny jokes, but normally I will get the pity laugh, or the oh my gosh, hard eye roll, Mrs. Lane is at it again, but I don’t get any of that this year," Lane added.
Sieminski and Lane have been teaching for a combined 35 plus years, and they admit, this year is different.
Lane questioned how she would be able to connect with her students through a computer screen, and how would she still conduct hands-on science lessons, remotely.
“Almost everything we do is hands-on, or has a hands-on component," Lane said.
But like everyone else, teachers have had to adapt and find unique ways to teach lessons online.
“There’s some really cool virtual labs out there, where they can take a slide and look at it under a microscope, which is pretty similar to what we do in the class," Sieminski said.
Communication between teachers and students is key, and in some ways, Sieminski says, the online format has improved communication.
“I didn’t get many student emails in the past about how to do an assignment, but kids are really reaching out and I think that’s good because it is teaching them to advocate for themselves.”
One of the biggest differences this year is the positive relationships teachers have built not only with students, but with their parents.
“I have worked a lot more with parents than I normally would with high school aged students, and their parents have been overall really great to work with, and supportive," Sieminski told MTN News.
Both teachers says they’ve grown exponentially as educators, but they’re looking forward to normalcy.
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