Today I was able to observe John’s class. It was a nice experience to be in a school again. However, with the pandemic, the energy of a normal school was not there. It felt like I was walking through a ghost town.
With being back in the hybrid model, John’s goal is to reconnect with his regular students and form new connections with his new students.
In class, I really appreciate the one on one time that he gives to each of his students. He makes sure if his students are ok and that they are on track with their assignments.
I also like how casual his classroom environment is. His students are free to have casual conversation and story time with John. It builds up a sense of community.
In my personal opinion, I like the smaller environment that hybrid gives. For the students who choose to stay online, they can work on their own time and for the students who choose to attend in person class. They have the chance to work closely with the instructor to get the support they need.
I was also privileged to observe Julie’s animation class room. Her approach to the class is more personal. I like how she can read the students body language to know if her students’ needs help or not. I think I would like to try to do that in my teaching practice.
A challenge that I have noticed with both John and Julie is that they have to divide their attention between the online session and in class session at the same time but they say that it comes with the territory. They will try their best to overcome it.