Malisha Turk Siders is one of the many Mississippi teachers adjusting to a “new normal” in the age of COVID-19.
Siders teaches 11th grade United States history at Sumrall High School. She is in her 17th year of teaching, but no amount of experience could have prepared her for the numerous disruptions brought on by an unprecedented pandemic.
When she said goodbye to her students on Friday, March 13, she expected to see them again in a week – after the Lamar County School District spring break – and she lectured them on good behavior at their prom, which was set for the following day.
“When we left on that Friday, there were some concerns about COVID-19 ... but I expected to see them after our spring break,” said Siders.
Shortly thereafter, school district officials extended the district’s break by one week, and additional extensions were later added. Eventually, Gov. Tate Reeves, citing continued health risks from the virus, canceled school for the remainder of the academic year.
Siders and her colleagues spent the first few weeks following spring break checking in on their students.
“Our first step was to make sure our students were well ... making sure they were safe, that they had access to food, seeing what they needed,” she said. “We checked to see what students had access to, if they were able to get on the internet and had a device to use.”
The teachers found that many students were filled with anxiety. Students were deeply concerned about the virus and its devastating health effects, but they were also concerned about its economic impacts, she said.
“Many of their parents lost jobs and lost money in the stock market,” said Siders. “The economic aspect was frightening to them as well.”
The teachers also found that students were craving consistency amid uncertainty, she added.
“Many of our students were looking for ways to interact and engage,” she said.
Siders said the district was “very proactive” in rolling out distance learning to provide the continuity and consistency students craved. The district uses a number of technologies for online learning, including Google Classroom, a free web service that aims to simplify creating, distributing and grading assignments.
“Google Classroom is the platform we use, and our students are fairly familiar with it,” she said.
Siders also uses Zoom, the popular video conferencing app, and Flipgrid, a video discussion platform, to interact with her students. Services like SchoolStatus, a parent communication and student data tool, and Remind, a messaging service, are also utilized, she said.
Siders said her goal is to help students understand the history that is being made around them.
“We want them to understand the importance of these events, but we don’t want to incite fear,” she added.
On an average day, Siders said she checks in with her students, posts assignments online and uploads PowerPoint presentations detailing topics to be learned and discussed. She meets with her classes weekly via Zoom, and, if necessary, she has personalized video meetings with students to help them understand topics.
Assignments include weekly challenges issued to the students. In one of the challenges, Siders encouraged her students to recreate a historical photograph based off of topics studied throughout the year.
“Students got really creative with this and used pets or family members to help with the photo,” she said. “Some recreated scenes from the D-Day invasion.”
Another challenge was to recreate historical propaganda posters that are relevant to today.
“We spent a lot of time studying propaganda, so that was one of the assignments,” said Siders. “These assignments are good outlets for students who are artistic and looking for ways to utilize their time.”
She has also encouraged her students to journal.
“I encouraged them to journal as an outlet for them, not just for the historical aspect ... but also for their mental health,” she said. “Journaling can provide them with some outlet to identify what they’re going through.”
Her assignments are due within a period of several days to allow students a degree of flexibility, she said.
“After all, some students may be working to help provide their families with income,” said Siders.
Overall, Siders said students have adapted “very well” to online learning.
“When this all started, there was almost a phase of grief ... and then we moved into the reality that we aren’t returning. There was sadness, certainly. I think we’ve hit another milestone in which the students are more comfortable with their platforms, where they’re submitting work and participating,” she said. “Students are very resilient.”
As for the teachers, Siders said they miss their students.
“The well-being of our students is top priority, and we certainly do miss them,” she said. “Trying to re-establish where we left off and make relationships be the best they can be has been very challenging ... but also very rewarding.”
