Interview with Mr. Spencer

BY Jillian Williams | SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 | FEATURES

This school year has been one unlike any other, having a huge effect on the student population. The concerns of students are projected everywhere, but students sometimes fail to recognize that these changes also have a massive impact on the teachers and staff. To voice the perspective of a teacher, I interviewed Mr. Victor Spencer, a freshman English and Great Books teacher who teaches only hybrid classes this year, about his experiences and concerns with this school year.

Devil’s Advocate: How has it been teaching both online and physical classes, within the hybrid format?

Mr. Spencer: It has been an adaptation for sure. Scheduling assessments has been difficult as we try to keep A and B day classes at similar spots in our curriculum. Rendering a test online to one class and then in person to another can cause potential inequities. I have used a leapfrog method where I keep days in pairs — sometimes A day leads content,sometimes B day leads content. This, however, still does not account for the long periods between seeing certain classes in person. That said, it has kept the school year extra stimulating as I have had to problem solve-these issues.

DA: How do your classes this year differ from previous years?

VS: I feel that students have come in this year —remember, I teach only freshmen, so it is a limited perspective — with a bit more lag-time. I did not get to meet my B day students in person on day one. Additionally, most students came in after not being in a school building from spring break forward. With our A-B day and blue-white schedule, it is harder to bond, establish routines, etc. in the same way.

DA: What are some challenges you have encountered with this format?

VS: I have already mentioned some of the challenges, but to add on to this, there is of course the technology aspect. That has often been a struggle. I think that our district has done a good job, but the task often exceeds our capacity at this juncture. We are also dealing with elements beyond our control,such as student technology, internet connectivity, and students having access to a printer or a scanner. Additionally, we have the student engagement piece to work through. It is much tougher to gauge whether students are engaged and understanding via a screen,or if they are even at their screen or awake. Of course, we can mitigate this, but it is still an added layer that must be addressed.

DA: Do you see any benefits to this format over normal brick-and-mortar schooling?

VS: I would say that the ability to disseminate information is easier. Also, I can post our work for the day as well as home learning for students who missed class. Even if or when we go back to school 5 days a week, I will still post our day’s agenda in Teams. This eliminates the students who have missed class from having to take the step to reach out to me or others to find out what needs to be done. Also, there are students who do thrive in this platform as they may find less distractions than in live classrooms.

DA: Do you feel that you are still able to achieve connections with your students? How are you doing so?

VS: I do feel that it is possible. Again, please remember that I do physically see all my students at some interval. In these instances, I must capitalize on that time. Online must be run a bit stricter — we cannot all have mute off and speak for example. While the platform is, of course, artificial, there are still us humans behind the screen and we can seek to engage with one another as such. I think most of our students feel comfortable interacting in this way—after all, texting is nearly an Olympic sport. We just need to make sure to reveal our personalities and be ourselves, our respectful, school-appropriate selves of course. I do like that we have the chat feature in Teams meetings as it may allow students who might otherwise be shy to give input in a less intimidating manner.

DA: Do you have any concerns about teaching physically during this pandemic? 

VS: Personally, I do not. I am not being cavalier about this and I recognize that other teachers, students, and staff must make those determinations for themselves. I respect those who may have health reasons or philosophical reasons for concern. This is a very tricky area that walks the line between individual safety and self-advocacy and student needs. I think that in general, more students operate better in an on-campus setting. Balancing this with safety concerns for all has been the Herculean task with which our district and constituent schools have had to deal.

DA: Have you had any unique experiences teaching this year? 

VS: It has certainly been unique all the way around. I do find, however, that so much remains the same. The same issues and conversations arise — regardless of whether we are having our conversations in person or online. Students still find “The Lottery” and “Harrison Bergeron” messed up and Great Books students are still grappling with “Why War” and its conversations about human instincts and the concept of “might makes right” etc. Yes, Igg and Ook have made their appearances already to help explain the transfer of might.  

DA: How could classes and how they are carried out be improved this year? 

VS: I think that we have worked toward being proactive in what is a fluid situation. The faster we can arrive at a solution for the school year that is permanent, the better for everyone involved. We —students and teachers alike— have adapted, but we are still a bit unsettled. I also feel that we have had an improved unified response in terms of how our classes are handled platform-wise. I genuinely feel that we are working our way through the process and should continue to look for ways that we can refine the experience for the students to maximize the benefits.

DA: Do you have any other thoughts? 

VS: So, this event is one that has shifted paradigms a bit. If we can take the best practices in place before Covid, combine them with practices that we have adapted to meet new demands, shake them out, and choose the best of the best, we can forge a better overall experience for students. Beyond the challenges to our society in terms of school protocol, the effects of this pandemic will push decision-making in other fronts of our lives. We will be challenged to address what we believe. We are again at the crossroads between personal freedom and public safety and the decisions made will have long-term ramifications. Furthermore, we will have to really work toward establishing a threshold for what is constituted as “fact”. We hear that statistics never lie, but that is not the entirety of the conversation. The methodology by which data are collected will have to be transparent and we will all have to be much better consumers of knowledge and critical thinkers. Regardless of where a citizen stands on an axis of conservative-liberal or authoritarian-libertarian, they must become better informed and vetting information will be an on-going process that will require our personal vigilance. In this way, I feel that we can propel forward as a society and this will hopefully be a case where good arises from a bad situation. As I am answering these questions, it is September 11, and I am reminded of the paradigm shift that occurred after that fateful day 19 years ago — we were faced with some strikingly similar questions. My wish is that we use this new challenge before us as an opportunity to improve and repair our society and how we tackle these obstacles will hopefully serve as a blueprint for future action rather than a cautionary tale of what not to do. In the end, I rest my hope on our history — that we have always found a way through dark times. I pray only that when we do, our wisdom is greater, our memories are longer, and our vigilance is more enduring.