'The excruciating hour' and other adventures in online schooling for young kids

When historians write the history of the coronavirus pandemic, they might want to add this description of online learning from Niwot Elementary School teacher Dale Peterson, who does Google Hangouts with his first graders.

"It's like if you go to a pet shop and let all the pets out of the cages and you spend the rest of the time trying to put them back in the cages," Peterson said. "I have 23 little boxes. One might have his feet in the air or his bottom in front of the camera, another is holding a cat for the camera, one kid is wandering off, one might be jumping on the bed. I've seen all of that.

"They're like that when they're in the classroom with you, but you have a little more control when they are under your feet," he said. He jokingly added, "The only positive thing is I can mute everybody online, which I can't do in the classroom."

It's not like teaching six-year-olds was ever easy, but doing it all by computer has presented unique challenges for elementary school teachers, parents and kids. It's like everyone is going to school, not just the students. "It's been a steep learning curve for all of us, but I can throw together a video in ways that I wouldn't have been able to do before," Peterson said.

He and the other first-grade teachers create videos every day for read-alongs, phonics, reading and other subjects. The videos provide something of a human connection in a time of isolation. The students regularly see the familiar face of their teachers.

Curriculum is delivered on a learning platform called Seesaw. Asking a six-year-old to stay focused on lessons delivered via computer can be a challenge, but Niwot principal Nancy Pitz said the school has a 99% participation rate, "which is amazing and a credit to our students, staff, and families." The entire St. Vrain School District is also at 99%.

But in an online environment, Peterson can't tell whether the kids are fully engaged with the material. "You lose some of the interaction when some of the real learning takes place. When kids are asking questions, you know when they're really with you," he said.

Monitoring engagement is now part of the parents' responsibility. "The parents are the heroes here. They are having to work with their kids and make sure they need to be doing what they're doing and doing their job working from home," Peterson said. "We try to be very patient and give a lot of leeway. We understand the burden being placed on parents."

Jane Roberts said she and her husband Dave tag team to help their six-year-old daughter Ava do her lessons. They are both working from home. There are plenty of interruptions to their work day, but Jane Roberts said they also see a big positive. "I think it's a great bonding experience. She spends a lot of time with us. We're completely engaged in her lessons and her learning."

One way they've limited the distractions is to teach Ava to use Siri for things such as how to spell words instead of Ava having to ask her parents multiple times a day. She's also learned to Google some of her questions.

Roberts said it's been fun learning along with Ava. Roberts herself now knows a lot more about planets and continents. "You never know when that could come in handy," she said. It's fun, but she also worries that Ava isn't learning all she could. "Being directly responsible for her learning is a great thing and a bad thing. On one hand, I'm not a teacher. I hope I'm doing the right thing. But it is also very satisfying to be part of her learning and directly contribute to it," she said.

Ava's parents say the lessons have been pretty easy for their daughter, who is a good student and loves to learn. So they take advantage of extra credit assignments and do their own enrichment projects.

Pitz said the school tries to accommodate kids wherever they are in their learning process by adding support for those who need more help and extension activities for those who want to do more. She said teachers are working hard to make sure kids finish the year at grade level, so there isn't remedial work necessary next year. "Our entire staff have been rock stars throughout the entire online learning," Pitz said.

Roberts said she has been impressed. "Honestly we feel so grateful to have teachers like Mr. Peterson and Miss Moulton. I don't think it would have been the same without them. The thought and care they put into the curriculum, trying to keep it as engaging as possible with the kids, I can just tell how much they care about the kids. It just comes out. The way they show up for them. It's been magical," she said.

Her daughter, Ava, doesn't seem to mind online learning, but the pot has been sweetened by her parents. "We get breaks to watch my iPad at home, and we don't get breaks like that at school," Ava said. But there is one thing she has a hard time with. "I miss my friends," she said. She does have one other kid around, a little brother, who is four. But anyone with a sibling knows that's not quite the same.

Roberts is glad that she doesn't have to help both her kids with online classes. Her son still goes to his preschool, which remains open as an essential service. If she had both kids learning at home she would have had to quit her job, she said. Overall, Roberts is impressed at how her kids have handled their new reality. "They've been an example of making lemonade out of lemons," she said.

Still, the Roberts go through one part of the day when Ava gets a little tired of having school at home. "There is definitely a point in the late afternoon where she's had it. We call it the excruciating hour. She is jumping up and down, she is taunting us, she wants to play. It's actually funny," Roberts said.

Peterson said he misses the funny moments and the in-person connection he has with his first-grade students. "I enjoy our time on Google Hangout, but it's not the same. I told my wife that I am used to getting 50 hugs a day. All of the sudden it's not there. They just brighten your day in so many ways. I miss it so much."

The Saint Vrain Valley School District hasn't decided whether classes will resume in person next school year. The idea of starting the year with online classes is daunting for all. "It's doable for two months in a temporary situation. I just couldn't see this thing sustainable long term," said Roberts.

"I can't imagine starting a school year with a new set of kids, especially at this age," said Peterson. "It's just so different when they are six years old. It would be hard to build a connection."

But, like this spring, he'll figure it out if he has to. "Here's hoping," he said.