SUMTER, S.C. — After having to teach from home due to the coronavirus, Jordan Logan is back in class this month for the Sumter School District’s virtual summer learning program.
“The kids come on live every morning at 9 o’clock and we do very similar things to what I would do in a normal classroom,” Logan said. “We start with our morning meeting, getting to know one another, chatting about things we had learned previously, then we do our reading lessons.”
The reading and math Academic Recovery Camp is tailored to rising first through fourth graders.
Logan’s class consists of rising first graders.
“In a normal classroom, they’re going to want to be up and moving and going around, so …for our word-of-the-day, I get them to get up,” Logan said, “... and they will clap and sing and jump and get their bodies moving as we spell our word-of-the-day and play games with our word-of-the-day...and we do the same thing with math.”
From her workspace, she can share assignments with her students and also do break-out sessions where some work with her and others work independently.
“It’s essentially just taking a classroom setting and putting it all in one little area,” Logan said.
There are six students in Logan’s class this summer. Brandon Golston is one of them.
“Everyday she gives me feedback and sends me suggestions on what to work with him on,” Golston’s mom Brandy said. “I’ve seen drastic results, especially with his reading and his counting.”
She says her son has asthma, so, she’s happy to have the virtual option.
“I had a lot of concerns about going back in person, especially when Brandon has 27 children in his classroom,” Brandy said.
The Sumter School District is expected to release more details on their return plan next week but has said they’ll be starting virtually.
“It’s my hope that… it would look very much like what I’m doing right now,” Logan said, “because I’m still able to meet with students face-to-face…and allow them to see me, see each other and for me to still be able to come into a classroom to give that sense of school.”