Navigating NTI: One Tiger Paw at A Time

When the 2020-21 school year was approaching back in August, the fate of in-person learning became more questionable as Covid-19 cases  continued to grow. In this new world of social distancing, thousands of schools across the country shut down in-person learning to keep students and staff safe. JCPS decided that school would start on August 25th, almost two weeks after the original start date with a plan to re-evaluate public health in the county every six weeks. As a result, students had to make the switch to online school and adapt to a whole different kind of learning through computers. School looks completely different for both students and educators as the normal “classroom” setting is all at home virtually.

“This year many teachers likely feel like a first year teacher.” -Lauren Niemann (FC Biology and Environmental Science teacher)

Online school is not only a new concept for students, it’s new for teachers as well. Educators have had to basically learn how to teach all over again and navigate through technology and online learning tools to best suit the students. Everything they knew with in-person instruction has had to be completely altered and switched up in a way that will come across to students efficiently through a computer screen. “This year many teachers likely feel like a first year teacher.” said Lauren Niemann, Fern Creek biology and environmental science teacher. Teachers can’t use the same methods they used in a classroom setting especially for classes that require specific materials and environment that aren’t accessible to students at home. “NTI has been such a challenge. Especially being an art teacher. I used to be very hands-on with my students, now that’s obviously not possible. I have to be more specific in the way I teach, making sure each presentation and material I give my students is detailed and fool-proof.” said Kaitlyn Jones, Fern Creek art and photography teacher.

“NTI has been such a challenge. Especially being an art teacher. I used to be very hands-on with my students, now that’s obviously not possible. I have to be more specific in the way I teach, making sure each presentation and material I give my students is detailed and fool-proof.” -Kaitlyn Jones (FC Art and Photography teacher)

Being in the classroom allowed students to interact with both teachers and their classmates. They were used to seeing their teachers everyday, becoming comfortable with the class, and it allowed for teachers to get to know students and build relationships with them. Unfortunately, in this year of isolation, the social aspect of school is much harder to experience through computers. By now, teachers and students would know each other relatively well but it’s hard to get to know someone when live instruction occurs only one hour a week for each class. “I love one-on-one conversations and hands-on teaching and that’s just not possible with NTI.” said Jones. “Mostly I miss getting to know my students on a deeper level than what online teaching can offer.”  

“I love one-on-one conversations and hands-on teaching and that’s just not possible with NTI. Mostly I miss getting to know my students on a deeper level than what online teaching can offer.”  -Kaitlyn Jones (FC Art and Photography teacher)

Without the physical interaction between teachers and students, it’s very easy to feel like one can’t talk to a teacher when they’re struggling or need help. Students may feel disconnected from the class and alone because they don’t have that connection to others like they did in school. Virtual learning requires a lot of responsibility from students to be more accountable for their learning and assignments and it’s very easy to get unmotivated to participate in class and do work when the teacher isn’t right there to push them and be a motivator. To make up for lack of interaction, teachers have had to take on a great deal of responsibility to help keep students connected and engaged in their classrooms. They are almost like a guidance counselor in the ways that they check on students daily, ask them if they need help, asking for feedback about the effectiveness of their lessons or the work-load they are getting, etc. 

Teachers are constantly adjusting their lesson plans and finding new ways to teach subjects and there’s no better way to effectively figure this out than to ask the students themselves what works best for them. Despite not being able to interact in person, teachers have made the most out of virtual communication to make every class time, assignment, and discussion catered to the students and giving them the support that they need. “We are working so hard to make the NTI experience as positive as possible, and even though you may not realize it, we are struggling too.” said Niemann. 

“We are working so hard to make the NTI experience as positive as possible, and even though you may not realize it, we are struggling too.” -Lauren Niemann (FC Biology and Environmental science teacher)

This is the school year of many firsts and everyone has had to re-evaluate all that they’ve known about school. Whether it be back to school dates getting pushed back constantly, technology issues, stress, or covid cases rising, this school year hasn’t been easy for anyone in the education world and the first semester isn’t even over yet! While the time everyone gets to go back to school to see friends, teachers, and staff is still uncertain, students and teachers have the strength and ability to push through online school till the end. 

All of the teachers at Fern Creek High School have the students’ backs and will continue to give everyone support and encouragement at this difficult time. NTI truly wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work and dedication that teachers put in every single day to give student’s support and help them learn as effectively as possible while adjusting to teaching virtually. The Fern Creek Community is here for all students and staff no matter what. Everyone will power through online learning to make the most out of these crazy times together, never alone.