Amplify podcast host and science teacher Eric Cross explores the challenges鈥攁nd wins鈥攊n schools
In this episode of Science Connections: The Podcast, host Eric Cross does things a little differently. Rather than chatting with a guest, Cross takes the mic solo to answer the questions he usually asks his guests.
First, he recounts his own journey to teaching鈥攆rom brief homelessness to finance to the science classroom. Then, he shares his answers to a current burning question:
How has teaching changed as a result of the pandemic?
There are lots of answers, says Cross. 鈥淭his could be several podcasts in and of itself. It鈥檚 also regional, because everybody鈥檚 experienced it differently. Some places have innovated and pivoted. Some places just did what they needed to and they are trying to go back to business as usual. And we鈥檙e still experiencing it!鈥�
Read this recap鈥攁nd listen to the episode鈥攖o learn how Cross and his peers see the future of hybrid and personalized learning. You鈥檒l also hear his thoughts on how to go from teacher burnout to teacher inspiration.
Current shifts and revelations in education, from the perspective of a science teacher:
1. More than ever, schools are going beyond content learning.
This has been true for a while, but the pandemic revealed and even increased schools鈥� ever-expanding role. 鈥淔or many students, school is where they have their only community, their structure, their emotional wellness,鈥� notes Cross. 鈥淭hey get regular meals, access to tech, and adults that care about them that are outside of their family.鈥�
2. Educator workload is even more intense.
More than ever, says Cross, 鈥淵ou need to be a content expert, a counselor, a trauma-care specialist, a coach, an encourager, a tech expert.鈥� The role of mental health in learning has become even more evident. 鈥淗ow a child feels about themselves, their safety, and their security impacts their ability to learn. So the more comfortable and safe a student feels, the better they learn. And, ultimately, the higher they鈥檙e gonna be able to achieve. You can鈥檛 have one without the other.鈥�
3. Fewer teachers see themselves teaching forever.
鈥淚 read these articles about 鈥榯eacher shortages鈥� and I think the reality is it鈥檚 鈥榯eacher exodus,鈥� says Cross. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 been difficult. I got a text three days ago from a teacher who said, 鈥楳y goal this year is to just not resign.鈥� And that鈥檚 how a lot of teachers are feeling right now, isolated, challenged, and under-appreciated.鈥�
4. Educational inequity has become more obvious.
鈥淣ow the public can see how our kids don鈥檛 receive the same quality of education,鈥� says Cross. 鈥淥nce you see on Zoom or on the news that students in different areas, whether it鈥檚 rural South or a suburb in Seattle, are not getting equitable educations, ultimately that impacts all of us.鈥�
5. We鈥檙e closing some of the technology gap.
鈥淎 lot of schools and districts did an amazing job with deploying hardware, sending out buses with wifi, putting lessons and videos on USB sticks and dropping them off to parents in sparsely populated areas. I鈥檝e heard so many stories about schools and teachers going above and beyond on behalf of kids.鈥�
6. Students and families have more options for personalized learning.
鈥淪ome families have said, 鈥楾his hybrid model is better for my child.鈥� And you know, we talk about personalized learning, but it鈥檚 not exactly personalized when everybody has the same schedule, goes to the same classroom of up to 40 kids, and does the same lesson. We have to be honest about our limitations with personalizing learning. So when we can provide more options and we give teachers the infrastructure to use different platforms, we鈥檙e able to personalize learning a lot more.”
7. We鈥檝e increased emphasis on whole-child wellness.
鈥淐ounseling teams, social workers, school psychologists, I think more than ever we鈥檝e realized the value they bring to the schools. We鈥檙e realizing how much we need to honor and support them, and also recruit more. Because as we recognize how our brains are impacted by all things we鈥檙e dealing with, we鈥檙e also seeing how that鈥檚 going to impact student performance.鈥�
8. We鈥檙e working to innovate lesson design and assessment.
Cross says that, especially given new challenges in reaching and engaging students, 鈥淲e鈥檝e been asking, 鈥楬ow do we assess what a student knows? How do we make what a student does at school relevant to real life? So there鈥檚 been some great conversation around 鈥楬ow do we rethink what education looks like?鈥欌��
It鈥檚 crucial, especially now, for teachers to ask and answer those questions, says Cross鈥攅specially together. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us as teachers to stay connected to those people who are pushing the boundaries and thinking outside the box. When we get siloed, it鈥檚 easy to get calcified and cynical. But when we鈥檙e around people who have fresh ideas, it inspires us.鈥�
Listen to the whole podcast episode here聽and subscribe to Science Connections: The Podcast here.听
About Amplify鈥檚 Science Connections: The Podcast
Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So how do we help kids figure that out? How are we preparing students to be the next generation of 21st-century scientists?
Join host Eric Cross as he sits down with educators, scientists, and knowledge experts to discuss how we can best support students in science classrooms. Listen to hear how you can inspire kids across the country to love learning science, and bring that magic into your classroom for your students.
