Teachers Grapple With Hidden Workload as E-Learning Persists

It’s human nature to think that other folks have it easier than we do, especially when mired in stress, confusion, and isolation. As such, COVID-19 has been a source of frustration for many, a frustration that has manifested as passive-aggressive accusations against other members of the community. Those who fled Beijing seem to think that those who stayed are lounging around the house in pajamas, basking in the glory of quarantine, whereas those who stayed think that those who left are traipsing about America, SE Asia, or Europe.

Unfortunately, this scapegoating also rings true for teachers, with some parents doubting the workload that educators and school administrators are carrying. However, the fact of the matter is that most school personnel are working overtime, trying to ensure that their lessons are planned with limited resources, that students are getting the feedback and support they need, and that everyone is well-equipped to get the most out of online learning as possible.

One of the biggest problems is that teachers don’t have access to the usual tools of their trade, and have had to learn new skills, well beyond merely operating an online learning platform.

“I don’t think people realize how long it takes to make a video lesson,” says Rebekah Lorraine, an author and third-grade teacher at House of Knowledge (HoK). “The editing and shooting for B-roll, voice over, adding graphics and sound effects takes so much time. If you send a ten to 15 minute video you made yourself, people don’t realize that took you like six hours to make.”

Rebekah Lorraine

Lorraine admits, “I like tech and have played around with recording videos before, but some teachers are having to learn all this stuff first hand. It’s a lot of work.”

Even for those teachers who don’t have the time or technology to make their own videos, the process of scouring the Internet for something well-made and applicable to a lesson is no easy task. As Lorraine explains, “if you don’t make your own, but research and watch other videos trying to find a good one, people don’t realize that took a long time too, and they think you’re not working hard enough if you send someone else’s video.”

Simply put, it’s a lose-lose situation.

Technology isn’t the only problem facing teachers. In fact, it’s literally faces not facing teachers that’s making it harder for them to do their jobs.

Sharee Hebert has been a secondary math teacher at the Yew Chung International School Beijing (YCIS Beijing) for eight years, and over that time she’s gotten to know her students really well. So well in fact that she can tell if they’re understanding a lesson or not just be looking at their facial expressions. Unfortunately however, it’s not as simple as that online.

Sharee Hebert

“I don’t know any teacher who doesn’t move around the classroom frequently,” Hebert tells beijingkids. “You can easily see who’s working and who’s not when you’re in the classroom. But when you’re online it’s impossible to see that. So much of teaching is also seeing facial expressions, and when you really get to know the kids, you can look at their face and know when they’re confused. I can’t just walk up to them and say, ‘I see you’re having trouble, let me help you.’”

Whereas working with limited resources is tough enough for teachers, they also have to be mindful of what their students have access to at home, while trying to limit screen time as much as possible.

“There’s a pressure to create meaningful experiences that don’t use too much screen time,” says Hebert. “Our kids are complaining of headaches, but we’re also limited to what they have available to them. I teach math, but I don’t know how many students have printers, so I can’t send worksheets that they can print out and work on.”

Likewise, HoK places a heavy emphasis on project-based learning, a model that isn’t very conducive to screens.

“My school has a heavy focus on project-based learning and that is very difficult to do online,” says Lorraine. “We usually have a lot of hands-on activities with lots of supplies, crafts and experiments. Because now we are limited to only what kids have at home, it is very hard to plan lessons like this.” 

Rebekah Lorraine conducting an online class

Despite the inherent problems though, Lorraine lauded the efforts of her colleagues. “Some of our teachers have been super creative about it. I think we are trying our best, but hands-on learning is for sure easier in person.“

When asked if the pressures of working online are different from those in the classroom, both Hebert and Lorraine struck a similar chord, citing an increased pressure to perform knowing that parents may be watching at any given time.

Lorraine is certainly confident in her abilities as a teacher, however she admits that having a group of parents in the “classroom” is still a source of anxiety. “Teaching with parents in the classroom is like driving with a cop car behind you; you know you’re doing what you’re supposed to, but it just makes you nervous.”

On the other hand, Hebert puts the onus on herself when talking about her six-year-old daughter’s online classes.

“I can’t even imagine how my daughter’s teachers feel doing their live Zoom calls with the class, knowing that the parents are sitting right next to the kid,” says Hebert. “They’re six years old and most kids are not going to be allowed to do a Zoom call with no supervision. So there’s a lot of pressure with feeling the need to perform.”

Whether they feel an extra sense of duty to perform or not, both teachers are thankful for the support they’ve gotten from their parents.

One of Lorraine’s self-produced videos

According to Lorraine, “Overall the parents have been great and the kids are working hard. I do feel like people who don’t know how much time goes into making videos might think that I’m not doing enough. We’re doing video calls, giving feedback on work, making videos and it’s a lot, but I think some people don’t think it’s enough.”

However in a moment of reflection, she adds, “I think online classes are hard for parents too. They have to help their kids, especially in elementary when kids aren’t great at using the computer yet. Parents are being very supportive, but I’m sure it’s hard for them too.“

As for Hebert, “I haven’t had any pressure from parents, though I can’t speak for anyone else in my school. They’ve been super supportive and there’s a sense of togetherness, nobody wants to be in this situation. Both I and the kids just want to be back at school, because this is so hard.”

Photos: irishtimes.com, Courtesy of Sharee Hebert, Courtesy of Rebekah Lorraine