Teaching Internationally in the Time of Covid-19

In March 2020 my current school in Rabat, Morocco went into Virtual school as the country declared a state of emergency. This was a moment when I was incredibly thankful that I had put so much time and effort into learning about and applying technology in my classroom over the last few years. Completing the COETAIL program really set me up for success in Virtual School. Using a variety of tools including Zoom for synchronous learning and some assessments, Screencasting my lessons using Keynote remote and QuickTime and slowly populating my YouTube channel with Screencast lessons for asynchronous learning kept me busy for the three months we were in Virtual School in the Spring.

Over time the isolation of full quarantine (Morocco only allowed us to leave the house for groceries, the hospital or the pharmacy) started to wear on me. I was fortunate enough to be able adopt a puppy who was living in the street with her family, something I have wanted to do for years. Kooga soon brought me cuddles, play time and something to distract me from the stresses of a global pandemic.

After a summer in Morocco today is finally the first day of on-campus learning and I am so excited to be back in the classroom, albeit in a mask, shield and standing behind various plastic barriers and with several of my students still off-campus. As a science teacher I have been missing the lab and the opportunities it gives my students to apply their knowledge and I am excited to figure out how to make labs work in the age of Covid. It's going to be a challenging and hopefully unique year, but I'm ready!