When Massachusetts schools closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, our HiSET teachers Hayley Murphy and Marjory Zaik didn’t miss a beat. In addition to creating packets of work for students to take home, Hayley and Marjory quickly established a virtual space to connect with students using Google Classroom. In the “classroom,” the teachers post daily assignments and host group activities. They are working to create meaningful assignments that will be simple yet effective for students to do on their phones, as most students, if not all, do not have computer access. Marjory shares, “Our goals are to keep them thinking, reading, writing and learning without adding stress to their already busy and stressful lives, and, most importantly, keeping them connected to us and to each other and supported. In this time of uncertainty, we want to provide a sense of stability, continuity and support—as we do everyday, in person, at The Care Center.”
For example, Hayley recreated our Community Circle activity, which typically takes place at The Care Center on Monday and Thursday mornings. Just as they do in-person, participants share how they are feeling by stating a recent “high” and “low”—something that makes them feel good and a challenge they are experiencing. This activity creates and sustains community and offers a safe space for sharing. “It has been wonderful to connect with our students through Google Classroom,” Hayley explains. “It helps to restore a bit of normalcy in this unprecedented situation. I am proud of our students for continuing their education while The Care Center is unable to have our doors open. It shows just how dedicated they are!”
Marjory assigned a journaling prompt: “We are living through history. History is remembered by those who lived it. Keep a journal. Document your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Explain who you are (who you are impacts your experience.)” This exercise helps students think about their personal experience as well as their role in history. It is also therapeutic.
Right now Marjory is working on streamlining an English Language Arts assignment that includes a written response to a TedED video that animates a poem by Aracelis Girmay (a poet who has visited The Care Center.) Hayley is investigating math assignments that are adaptable to our new format.
In the words of one of the students, Angie, “It feels good for us to still be in touch even though we are not physically connected.”
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