With remote learning continuing in The District, Urbana School District #116 (USD116) students and teachers are continuing to look for ways to stay engaged during remote learning. Over at Urbana Middle School, first-year teacher Stephanie Thulen is incorporating popular technology like Instagram and TikTok to keep her lessons not only engaging but student-centered. Thulen sat down with us this week to briefly speak about her experiences with online teaching so far, how she helps students decide how they want to learn, and why she loves being a part of the USD116 family.
Stephanie, how long have you been teaching here at your USD116 school?
This is actually my first year here!
Welcome to USD116! How would you describe your experience as a teacher at UMS so far?
So far, the job has been very exciting and meaningful. And everyone here is extremely supportive. I initially came to be a teacher here because I had faith in the leadership here and I wanted to be a part of a district that upholds values related to diversity, culture, and language acquisition.
Of course, 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?
I actually miss my students ad the accidental conversations we would have. The most important part of school is helping students be good people before they’re good students and there’s less downtime with remote learning. That, on top of making time to take care of myself, has taken some adjusting.
We can become better by teaching our students that they are the agents of change and that they don’t have to wait until they’re adults to be writers, scientists, leaders, and activists. They are the future of our world and they can start now.
Stephanie Thulen
Could you actually walk us through your day of remote learning as a teacher?
I usually wake up around 7 a.m. to spend about an hour just for myself in the morning. After getting up and getting me and my dog ready for the day, I start working by catching up on emails. As the day progresses, I typically attend team meetings, work on grading and prep before I walk over to the school with lunch to get ready for my two classes. After having that time with my students, I spend more time grading and planning, and I hold office hours. My days usually end around 5 and that’s when I go home and spend time with my dog. From there, I do a little more work until around 8.
That sounds like a pretty busy day. When it comes time to actually teach online, how do you make sure that you are still giving your students the best learning experience possible?
I try to get on Zoom as early as possible so I can give them a little time to chat before class as they would in person. I also make sure to set aside time to work one-on-one at least once a week.
On the other hand, what have you found that you, yourself, enjoyed when it comes to remote learning?
School-wide, we’ve really been pushing social-emotional learning (SEL) and I love that. I also like that remote learning allows opportunities for students to use assets that they might not normally get to use during classroom learning, so it really brings learning into their technology-centered realm.
What about your student experiences? What have you seen them both struggle and excel in during this remote learning experience?
Of course, they definitely miss their friends and seeing them on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they’ve also had to adjust to the logistics of remote learning, like navigating Google Classroom, making documents, managing their time, and having self-discipline while having to learn completely online. However, they’ve really gained some independence, especially when it comes to asking for help. Remote learning has also helped them participate in some meaningful learning surrounding social issues,
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 make sure that I am teaching in a way that makes it real in their life- not just something that happens on a screen. For example, if we are talking about characters in a reading, we relate that to their lives and maybe their own personal relationship issues. I also tell them about my life a lot to keep them engaged. And we also incorporate a lot of technology that they are all familiar with, like Instagram and TikTok, and interactive tools like Peardeck and Loom. I have to remind myself that with remote learning, it’s not just the medium of instruction that has to change- instructional technique has to change too.
What about technology and the other tools for engagement?
Again, I like to use a lot of tools that they like and are already familiar with. Right now, I’ve made use of TikTok, Social Flipgrids, Instagram, and Loom. I like to keep them engaged on these platforms with things like Family Reading Night on TikTok, and services like Loom and Book Livestream Google Slides that allows them to leave reactions with emojis.
What advice would you give a teacher, whether inside or outside of our community, who is struggling with keeping students engaged during online learning?
We have to be willing to set the curriculum aside to build the community first. With my teaching, I try to ask myself, “Is this going to build community?”
What about parents and students? What advice would you give them to help them succeed during this time?
Work on creating a schedule and building a learning space that works for you. But most importantly, come to office hours!
And lastly, we have this campaign called Urbana Better Together. From your perspective, how do you hope to see Urbana become better? We can become better by teaching our students that they are the agents of change and that they don’t have to wait until they’re adults to be writers, scientists, leaders, and activists. They are the future of our world and they can start now.
Stay tuned next week as Stephanie walks us through a day as a remote learning teacher. Watch the video on our Facebook and don’t forget to follow us on all our social media platforms! #UrbanaBetterTogether