All facets of life have been forced to change because of the Covid 19 pandemic and this has certainly been the case at the Community School of Maryland (CSM). This change drastically impacted the way we as teachers teach and how the students learn so this is an overview of how the shift has impacted all of us at CSM.
Before the students went home for the extended break from physically coming to school, the teaching team compiled a weeks’ worth of packets and exercises tailored for each individual student and sent them home with it. As the break has been extended, the teachers have continued to update each student’s binder and coupled it with video conference learning on the Zoom platform. Each day, a structured lesson is being conducted for each class as we continue to focus on the learning areas of Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies and Health.
Aside from this structured learning, we have provided different links for students to access educational activities on the internet. There is a wide range of activities including worksheets, games and videos for students and their families or teacher’s assistants to work on together. When coupled with specific IEP related activities sent home from teachers, this gives the student numerous opportunities to work towards their individual education goals.
Many of the students reside in the CSAAC residential program and have access to the internet through a dedicated device and they are continuing their behavior intervention programming as we continue to monitor and assess their behavioral needs. For the day school students, the teachers and administrators are keeping in close contact to ensure progress is being made at home while working towards their IEP goals. Each week, teachers are reaching out to parents to check on each student’s progress.
As the future unfolds, CSM stands ready to adapt as learning must evolve during these times of distance education.
Thank you and please remain safe and positive during these ever changing times.