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Back to School: First-time teacher, teaching students virtually during a pandemic

The first day of school can be nerve-racking, especially for first-time teachers. So how is one elementary school teacher coping in a virtual world?

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — “If I can inspire change and make a difference in any capacity, small or large, I’d love to do that so I figured teaching was a great way,” said fourth grade Math and Science teacher Brittney Mays.

Mays is a first-year teacher at Douglass Park Elementary School in Portsmouth and her first day of school this year will be unlike any other. Not just because she is making her teaching debut, but also because she will start the semester out virtually, meeting and teaching her kids through a screen instead of face to face. 

“That is such a big thing for me is building relationships, you have to have trust with your students and have that relationship so that they feel comfortable in there learning environment and grow, so that is definitely first and foremost one of my main worries is by not meeting them in person. We won't have that connection,” Mays said.

Mays will be using technology to get to know her students and their parents and there will be a virtual open house using Zoom for students and parents to ask their questions.

Mays is happy that Portsmouth teachers get the option to either teach at home or in the classroom. For now, she has chosen the classroom, which she says will enable her to get more acquainted with her colleagues and have more of that work/home life balance.

There is one bright-side to online teaching that Mays believes will help her profusely.

“I think the one blessing that we have in terms of virtual learning is that kids are very much in tune with media and anything electronic, so we have that going for us. I think that is honestly one of the main ways I’ll be able to connect with students," Mays said.

Portsmouth Public City Schools will start the first nine weeks of class online before deciding whether to continue with virtual learning or bring the kids back inside the classroom.

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