Teaching and learning continues at Bluff Academy
The efforts put in by the teachers are not going unnoticed as evidenced by some of the e-mails sent to the principal by some parents as a token of their appreciation.
CLASS is still in session at the Bluff Christian Academy thanks to the proactive teachers who are ensuring that their learners are at an advantage with their curriculum including exercises. Social media and a teaching app is bridging social distancing and is allowing learners to be back in class again. Teachers at this local school shared some of their experiences with their new teaching environment.
“My teaching experience at home has been very different from what I expected online teaching to be. It has been stressful but very interesting and I have learned so many new things. I miss the children more and more as each day goes by. What helps me are the messages from them and the hard work I can see they put in even though they are not at school,” said Grade 7 educator, Miss Bald.
“Lockdown has been extremely overwhelming as teaching online is a whole different ball game. The positivity and the voice notes from my little class keep me going daily,” Grade R educator, Mrs Venter.
Grade 6 educator, Miss Smith, said working from home is never the same as working from her classroom.
“Setting up at home figuring out how the Seesaw App operates. I’m feeling confident to make this work. It has taught me to make the best out of the situation we are facing. I may not see my learners every day, I may not hear their voices and their laughter, but I have moments with them to cherish until we meet again. Stay positive. Stay focused and stay safe,” she said.
GRADE 2 educator, Sarah Bencie said remote teaching has been a learning curve for her. “And it is probably out of my comfort zone. I miss the interaction with my learners and teaching face-to-face. I enjoy using Seesaw as a platform for remote teaching but it is nothing like real teaching. I wasn’t meant to be in a desk job. I can’t wait for school to open,” she said.
The efforts put in by the teachers are not going unnoticed as evidenced by some of the e-mails sent to the principal by some parents as a token of their appreciation.
“We are thankful and grateful that BCA has taken the initiative of online teaching since the lockdown” read one e-mail.
“Thank you, Mrs Ross and the entire staff, for all your efforts and hard work in ensuring fluidity of this term,” reads another e-mail.
“My son dearly misses school. The storybook links and the app to interact with his teachers is great. God Bless you and your staff,” one parent wrote.
The ‘new classroom’ may be fun and exciting but some learners are starting to miss their actual classes.
“He loves the feedback and the videos of his teacher teaching. But none of this is ‘normal’ and he’s really missing school and the interaction and fun of it. This all feels quite mundane to him, I try to make it fun. We feel so very blessed to have the backing and support of BCA and their teachers. They’ve taken it all very seriously and made sure that our children remain connected to their school community and remain up to date with their academics. Very comforting in these trying times. We are extremely proud of our school and so very grateful,” wrote a parent to a Grade 4 learner.
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