Katie Olson teaches multiple “literary” courses at our school. With the Covid epidemic going on during the school year, Olson has to take on the challenge of teaching students both in person and virtually during the epidemic. 

“I am planning twice as much and feel like everything fails,” Olson said, “Some classes get less attention and that is something I am disappointed in within myself. There is a lot more work being done on the weekends and weeknights than I have ever done before.” 

All teachers at Glenn Highschool have been faced with a challenge in how they have to teach. Teachers have to educate both virtually and in-person during school days. Olson mentions that Teaching virtually brought up its own troubles as well.

“The most important part of teaching is relationships,” Olson said, “So, if you are building those online or in person, you still have a good foundation for your teaching. But, also, before students had peer pressure to participate in your silly getting to know you games or whatever the teacher wants them to do. Now, they can just turn their cameras off.”

Olson then explains another challenge of teaching both in person and on Zoom, as well as the struggles she faces. 

“I wish that students would be able to talk more. To reach out and say, ‘I need help.’ It is hard to read minds over Zoom!”

Olson then brings up both the positives and negatives of teaching during the CoronaVirus virtually.

“It has been quite a mixture of emotions,” Olson said, “I have missed working, but have loved spending so much extra time with my son. I am frustrated with teaching virtually and online, but I am seeing how it is benefitting some students.”

At the end of the day, she is really impressed over how much her students have been able to persevere through the challenge of being taught during the CoronaVirus. 

“I wish it were all different but that I see the work they are doing and I am sincerely impressed at their ability to persevere. They will be much more able to handle these big changes than we have been.”