Unprecedented Times

Years from now, we will all remember the spring of 2020 as the days of Coronavirus and how we all learned and internalized the meaning of the new term, social distancing. This modern form of quarantine has affected all industries, including education. On March 12, when Governor Kemp announced that Georgia schools should close, our staff rallied and put togethera week of individualized instructional materials for our 39 students in less than 24 hours. The following week we created a Virtual Live School so that our students would be able to maintain consistent learning routines. Each day the teachers meet with each of their classes in person, except that each student and staff member is streaming live from a home computer. We felt that replicating the strategies and curriculums we use in our physical AOI classrooms would be the best approach. Our students with distinct learning differences who are not the best candidates for on-line instruction deserve the best instruction we can deliver, no matter what the challenges are. Parents picked up new curriculum books and activities for our students on Friday, then on Monday, March 23, we entered the brave new world of multisensory, explicit, diagnostic teaching using Google Meet. This was like another first day of school!  Students greeted each other eagerly and enjoyed seeing pets, other family members and the rooms devoted to school activities. Our parents of the younger students participate in the classes by lending support and being a physical presence for these young learners. Older students have had to get back into a school routine by going to bed before 11, getting up, showering and eating breakfast before reporting to their computers. The first day of the Virtual Live School, several kids have come to class in their pajamas and one even tried to attend class from bed. Needless to say, each student is reporting to school, dressed appropriately and ready to work with their academic materials close by the computer.               

There have been times we have felt like we’re “building the airplane while flying it.” We’ve had struggles with microphones being muted or unmuted, cameras that don’t work, using the wrong usernames or passwords, and a whole day of no internet, which was shut down by ferocious spring storms. Students and teachers alike have been challenged by giving out or receiving assignments. However, each day we learn a bit more about how to overcome these struggles and new ways we can enhance digital learning for our kids.                

​Despite the uphill battle of launching a new way to teach our exceptional kids, we are seeing fruits of a brilliant team effort. One parent texted that one of our teachers was doing a fabulous job with the online classes!  Another parent of a middle schooler texted us, “I wanted to say thank you! Listening to you teach the kids each morning on the video chat, you are truly wonderful with them. My son loves you teaching him!” A teacher weighed in and said, “Today was a great day!! Kiddos did another great job! Charting went fantastic for Wilson!! Couldn’t have gone better if we were sitting in the classroom!! Yay!!!”
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