A real jerk.
Teachers Move Goalposts, Now Worried About Online Learning, Too: ‘You Couldn’t Make This Stuff Up’
According to The New York Times, educators in the hard-hit states of Florida and California might be “wary of returning to class” this back-to-school season, but that concern hasn’t stopped them from shooting down alternatives such as virtual learning.
Widely promoted as the logical alternative to traditional learning, online video instruction was a go-to for many public institutions when coronavirus-related lockdowns first took effect in late March. Several major teachers unions now argue, however, that the practice was stressful, distracting and detrimental to learning — and they want to see their educators provided with alternatives or a reduction in labor hours this fall should virtual learning become the standard.
Presented as a primary concern among educators in the Times’ report was the potential for lessons via video conference to give way to student distractions or technical difficulties.
Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles — a major union in the nation’s second-largest school district — told the outlet that she believes students will “turn off” far more quickly to live virtual lessons than they would for in-person learning. She has advocated against a traditional eight-hour school day this fall as a result.
Meanwhile, other teachers apparently suggested in union listening sessions that the prospect of a full day of live video lessons had left them with feelings of “anxiety about how they and their homes would look on camera during live teaching.”
“If a teacher does not feel comfortable, and the teacher is not secure in the modality, they are not going to flourish and give the best of themselves,” said Karla Hernandez-Mats, a teachers union president in Miami-Dade County.
https://www.westernjournal.com/wary-teachers-now-opposed-online-person-classes-threaten-strike/