How long have you been teaching here at your USD116 school?
This is my 2nd year working at Urbana Middle School and my 5th year as a teacher.
As the second quarter comes to a close and remote learning continues, Urbana School District #116 (USD116) students and teachers are continuing to go above and beyond during remote learning to provide USD116 children with the best learning experience possible. Over at Urbana Middle School, teacher Bob Jacobs is working hard to cement positive relationships with his students to ensure their academic success. Jacobs sat down with us this week to briefly speak about his experiences with online teaching so far, why he thinks remote learning helps several students improve their learning experience, and the advice he’d give to fellow teachers who are teaching from home.
Well, welcome back to another year at UMS. How would you describe your experience so far as a teacher at such a great school?
I have loved my experience at Urbana Middle School. I have grown to love this community and the people I am blessed to work with. I can’t really say much more than that. This place makes me feel valued.
Now, we’ve started remote learning earlier in the year and we’ve continued that throughout the semester. As a teacher, what have you found is the most difficult for yourself during remote learning?
There are a few challenges here and there. I have students that I have a hard time motivating, whose families are going through tough times, who feel overwhelmed by the content, etc… But, those are challenges I faced with in-person teaching as well. Every teacher pulls out their hair from time to time. But, I try not to dwell on that stuff. Some of my students are going through much worse than I am, so I try to keep a level head for them.
We need to support one another in these times. This is hard for everyone. You just need to do a little better than yesterday, every day.
Bob Jacobs
How have you worked past that to make sure that you are still giving your students the best learning experience possible?
Honestly, I have taken to online learning very well. I feel comfortable with it. I have a small group of students. It’s been easier for me to keep in touch with parents, cause I don’t have 80 students like some teachers. I hold my students to the same standard I hold myself, just find some way to get better every day. Celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes.
On the other hand, what have you found that you enjoyed when it comes to remote learning?
I very much enjoy being able to work from home. I get to see my wife during the day. I have been in much better contact with my kids’ parents. And we just decided to pull our daughter from daycare, so I’ll get to see my 3 year old more often.
What about your student experiences? What have you seen them both struggle and excel in during this remote learning experience?
I would say that most students have challenges with assignments, navigating the endless web-based activities, and asynchronous work. Those are common. But, to me, the biggest challenge has been getting students to ask for help. Our Office Hours in 8th grade have been very successful. When students actually use our help, they are much more successful and a lot less stressed. An extra 30 minutes a day with a teacher can sometimes make all the difference. One thing that’s become very apparent is that while some students really do need that in-person experience, there are some students that are flourishing! I’ve had parents say that the environment in a school causes them stress. And as a person that went through middle school myself, I can totally relate to that. I feel like I’ve really gotten to know my students better because they don’t have to wear a mask all the time. Middle school is a confusing time where you are trying desperately to fit in and in that setting, you’re not always yourself. Without that pressure from the group, I feel like they’re giving me their authentic selves.
As I’m sure you know, it’s sometimes hard to keep someone’s attention over the computer. How have you kept class fun and engaging during remote learning?
I try to make the class as personable as possible. I am big on relationships. I care about how you’re feeling first, then your academic success. But, I try to ask engaging questions to my students. I have 6 students I see in my resource and instructional math class combined. I can get to know those 6 really well and we have a good rapport. When I co-teach, I’m usually engaging students in the chat. I send private messages to them trying to gauge their understanding, see how they’re feeling, encouraging them, stuff like that.
What about technology and the other tools for engagement? Can you explain how you’ve used technology to elevate the classroom experience during remote learning?
A few programs I use are Zoom, Peardeck, Loom to record asynchronous videos, IReady, Math games, Xtra Math, OneDer Academy, Delta Math, and more. I spend quite a bit of time trying to find online interactive sites that will engage my students. A lot of the programs I use are designed to track your participation. These programs can tell when you are not engaged, going too fast, guessing, and more. Whatever I use needs to be able to allow me to hold my students accountable.
What advice would you give a teacher, whether inside or outside of our community, who is struggling with keeping students engaged during online learning?
As long as you are putting in an effort to engage these students, don’t dwell on the failures. Remote learning is difficult for everyone. Even though we are getting 0% engagement from a few students, you need to celebrate the successes. I have heard from several parents and students that they love remote learning. Some people believe that students need that in-person experience. If this situation has taught me anything, it’s that that statement is not true. We are seeing significant gains from some students. From my experience, it’s students that deal with bullying. They are so relieved to be in a setting where they can give their education the focus it requires to be successful. I actually think a remote option might become a permanent option for some students. How many adults do you know that post on their social media something to the tune of “I would rather just never be around people”? I feel like that may extend to students. This is a time of major change in education and we as teachers have an opportunity to fundamentally change how we teach students.
What about parents and students? What advice would you give them to help them succeed during this time?
First and foremost, we know that not every home situation is ideal. We have seen all sorts of living situations that have made it hard to be successful in class. Fortunately, we have incredibly dedicated and supportive staff members that go the extra mile to help students be successful. So, every opportunity you get, reach out to a teacher when you need support. We know some of you are struggling. If your child were in the building, we could see what they are doing and modify our instruction, procedures, and more to meet your needs. If we never see you outside of your 60 minutes a week with us, we can’t possibly know how to support you. Communicate with us what you need. We want to help and we won’t know how if you don’t communicate with us. At times, we can’t help, but you’ll never know if you don’t reach out. And believe me, I can’t think of a single teacher that doesn’t wish they had better Office Hours attendance. I know that I personally reach out to at least one parent/student a day. We need to support one another in these times. This is hard for everyone. You just need to do a little better than yesterday, every day.
To close, of course, you know we have this campaign called Urbana Better Together. And it seems as though you’re doing your part to make our community better. From your perspective, how do you hope to see Urbana continue to become better?
Just like I tell my students, nobody needs to ascend to greatness immediately. We just need to be a little better every day. Recognize your mistakes, learn from them, change, and celebrate your successes.