Student Teachers adapting to new learning methods during pandemic

The pandemic has changed the way teachers are interacting with students. This also means that student teachers are adapting to a new teaching style.

Andrew Martin is teaching right now. “If y’all have any questions or anything let me know,” Martin said.

He’s a senior at FGCU who’s going to be a teacher. So now his supervisors observe and critique him virtually during the pandemic.

“It’s definitely been a challenge,” Martin said.

Almost everything is different in our schools this year, including how student teachers learn. FGCU’S College of Education cannot send supervisors into the classroom anymore.

“A lot of our university supervisors, who do the mentoring, are retired and older and of the more vulnerable population,” said Martin.

So now, students have to film themselves teaching and upload it for virtual feedback. But it’s not always the perfect substitute.

“It’s not the same as your supervisor being there, seeing your body language, seeing how you interact with your students,” Martin said.

And, it can be tough teaching in-person and online students and having to film it all at once.

“Hit that blue button and you’ll meet one more person (oh perfect!),” he said.

Luckily, though, it gets the job done. Our educators are being educated in more ways than one.

“It’s a good lesson in being flexible, a good lesson in being responsive to your students’ needs,” said Martin. “That’s something I’ll probably take with me for the rest of my career is just learning how to adapt.”