Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1337485
New Guide for Educators CTA's Instruction and Professional Development Department (IPD) has created a new distance/hybrid learning guide, "An Overview: Distance and Hybrid Teaching Practices." In addition to a practical, classroom-level review of distance and hybrid instructional practices for all educators, the guide contains suggestions for chapter leaders to consider when discussing hybrid schedules with schools and districts — core principles for balanced, pedagogicall y sound and physically safe hybrid schedules that meet all state requirements, plus sample hybrid schedules for grades TK-12. The guide and many other useful distance and hybrid teaching resources are available for download on the updated and improved CTA IPD website at cta.org/ipd. I H A V E A document camera that projects onto the Promethean board, and I "carry " my virtual kids around the room with me on an iPad so they can see on Zoom what the in-person students are seeing. I have a plastic partition I also carry when I need to get close to students to help them. I feel like an octopus. When my school closed, I was concerned about health issues and also the loss of learning from students not being in the classroom. It was hard teaching them at home while competing with television, computer games and extra tabs open on their computers. Because of this, I was happy to come back. There are two fifth grade teachers at our school, and we decided to split the work. I teach math, and she teaches language arts. Instead of each of us having 32 kids, we have 64 and are responsible for all the kids. When she is teaching English con- currently to live and online students in morning and afternoon student cohorts, I'm monitoring the virtual kids she is instructing and making sure they pay attention. I am also monitoring a separate group of children that log in for extra support. When it's my turn, she does the same for me. I would call it a well-run three-ring circus. We made it work because we agreed to work together. We take time to connect with students on an emotional level through community circle time, and we invite everyone to log in during lunch to hang out together. We are building relationships in this crazy environment and focusing on what we can do instead of what we can't. "We are building relationships in this crazy environment and focusing on what we can do instead of what we can't." I feel like an octopus COREY MORTON, Napa Valley Educators Association, is a fifth grade teacher at Willow Elementary School. She teaches in person and virtually at the same time. Students attend in person on alternating days to allow for fewer students in class and social distancing. 30 cta.org Feature Corey Morton