Students understanding of the pressure Lithgow High staff face in remote teaching

Teachers from Lithgow High have been doing everything in their power to continue their high standards of teaching.

Year seven adviser and English teacher Erika Marlin said she has found working from home has both its positives and negatives.

"The main positive is that now I get to be around my pets all day, obviously home is comfortable and I have minimal distractions, however I also find it restrictive," she said.

"A big part of teaching is interacting with students and this has significantly cut down on how much I do that and also how."

For some this lockdown feels harder than the first time around in April 2020 and that is also the case for Ms Marlin. "For me, yes this time has been more challenging in some ways as I have extra roles to do this year," she said.

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"Being a year advisor means answering a lot of questions and checking on the wellbeing of your students. This year I have the added responsibility of trying to do that from home whilst I also teach remotely."

Ms Marlin said that her students are doing their best trying to manage studying from home.

"We are seeing some fantastic engagement and work come out of their efforts. Many students are logging on and doing the work, responding to their teachers, asking for feedback."

Ms Marlin said the most challenging aspect of teaching remotely has been the short turn around in regards to notice provided by the authorities.

"Sometimes school work isn't easily put into a worksheet or a slideshow, the short notice of lockdown, and continuation of lockdown, gives staff a short turn around to get work ready for students to complete at home," she said.

The English teacher said she was excited to go back to face to face learning since she 'loved' being in her classroom and interacting with all her students and colleagues.

"Students are also more willing to answer questions when you ask them in a classroom, as opposed to in an online meeting; I miss their contributions," she said.

"Though I am fully prepared to do what is necessary for as long as recommended to ensure the community stays safe!"

Ms Marlin said Lithgow High had been amazing during this time for both students and staff.

"The students have been really understanding in regards to the pressures we are under and that the goalposts seem to shift every day. They are very forgiving when things go wrong during online classes and help you out when they can," she said.

"The staff also has among it a wealth of amazing tech knowledge and ideas on how to make this time as easy and engaging as possible. Thank you to Mr Taylor for his constant support in regards to upskilling ourselves to help us be efficient and engaging teachers.

"We are also checking in on one another during the day, constantly chatting via messenger, video calling, sharing some positive news with one another to keep one another in a positive headspace.

"Overall, the staff have taken up the challenge with a positive attitude and supporting one another and our students."

HSIE teacher Daniel Stern said it was never easy to uproot 'every aspect' of your job over a weekend, however the transition to remote teaching and learning this year has been smoother than last year's lockdown.

"The first week of working from home is always the most challenging, as we have had to grapple with new learning platforms and technologies, whilst preparing both online and hard-copy paper lessons for our students," he said.

"Teachers have always had to be flexible and adaptable in their jobs and this latest Covid 19 outbreak has certainly put us to the test, but as a school we have risen to that challenge exceptionally well."

Mr Stern said his students had been extremely resilient.

"They have taken this new situation in their stride and have been responding positively to remote learning. They are still enthusiastic to continue with their learning and maintain their connections with their peers and teachers," he said.

Mr Stern said the teachers at Lithgow High work exceptionally hard to establish and maintain positive relationships with their students and provide a strong level of guidance and care for them.

"Across our staff cohort, from our executives and teaching staff to our administrative and support staff, everyone is trying their best to ensure that our students feel as though they remain valued, engaged and safe," he said.

"Upholding the high expectations and levels of care that we provide for our students has been the most challenging aspect of remote teaching and learning."

Despite not being able to see the students in person, Mr Stern said the teachers thoroughly look forward to returning to their 'beautiful school campus' and seeing the classrooms filled with students again.

"However we are also mindful of the health implications of the current pandemic and the impacts it might have on our students, staff and broader community," he said.

"Our primary goal is to ensure the safety of our students, so we look forward to welcoming them back to school in a Covid-safe environment."

Mr Stern said everyone has stepped up to the plate and shared the workload and responsibility.

"We have some exceptionally talented staff members at Lithgow High School who have been sharing the incredible ways that they have been providing an enriching remote learning experience for our students and it has raised the bar right across the school," he said.

"We have kept each other sane with deliveries of baked goodies and plenty of humour in our regular online meetings."

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