Wellness in the Remote Learning World
By Kathy Riley, Lower School Counselor
During this time of virtual professional development, Zoom morning meetings, LMS postings, impending assignment deadlines, political news conferences and faulty internet connections, the words synchronous and asynchronous learning keep coming up. As I sat and pondered how synchronous and asynchronous learning would play out for our students, my curiosity led to a Google search on the topic. One definition said “asynchronous” is the opposite of “synchronous,” which means happening at the same time. Think of synchronous as “in sync” and asynchronous as “out of sync.” Wow, out of sync, that really hit home as my life couldn’t feel more “asynchronous” at the moment!
During this time of virtual professional development, Zoom morning meetings, LMS postings, impending assignment deadlines, political news conferences and faulty internet connections, the words synchronous and asynchronous learning keep coming up. As I sat and pondered how synchronous and asynchronous learning would play out for our students, my curiosity led to a Google search on the topic. One definition said “asynchronous” is the opposite of “synchronous,” which means happening at the same time. Think of synchronous as “in sync” and asynchronous as “out of sync.” Wow, out of sync, that really hit home as my life couldn’t feel more “asynchronous” at the moment!
I truly believe the best learning comes from relationships. In positive relationships, we find a kind of flexibility, a back and forth, some may call it attunement or synchronicity. Teachers are masters at visually assessing their kids and attuning their conversations, lessons, and teaching to cultivate growth. Throughout a single school day, teachers are constantly observing and assessing individual students while balancing the needs of the whole class. I believe doing this well is an artform that takes years to development. Doing this in a virtual space is going to be incredibly hard.
Children are being asked to be more autonomous during asynchronous learning times and this will play out differently for each child. I know the only way I got through seventh grade was because of the relationship I had with my teacher, Mr. Jennings, and the kids in my class. Simply put, I was motivated for school by my relationships. We don’t know how this will play out in a virtual classroom. Parents are taking on teaching responsibilities they never signed up for while also keeping track of varying family schedules. Many of you are taking on these new responsibilities while also adjusting to working from home. As I type this, I would bet Zoom stock I have a child playing Mario Brothers who is supposed to be attending to school work. I know once I’m done, I’ll have to cajole him back to school work. It’s fair to say, we’re in an asynchronous learning space or we’re “out of sync.”
So, what is one to do as we adjust to our new normal, it’s hard to say. The parent, student, teacher partnership will be crucial during this unprecedented time. I know when I’ve been feeling rigid and inflexible, my world -- meaning my husband, children, broken exercise bike, internet modem, etc.-- has met me with rigidity, angst and feelings of ill will. When I’ve assumed positive intent, been flexible and possessed a growth mindset, the world has met me with compassion, curiosity and grace. I believe for this virtual learning experience to go well, we will need to be nimble and pay close attention to being “in sync” with the needs of our children, our teachers and ourselves.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
