JENNA WEBSTER: EVEN THOUGH SOME STUDENTS AT VAN DUYN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM… WELL… AT LEAST TWO DAYS A WEEK. THIEN AN HUYNH-BOYLE’S CLASSROOM IS EMPTY — BY CHOICE. BECAUSE HUYNH CHOSE TO TEACH HER FOURTH GRADERS REMOTELY.
THIEN AN HUYNH-BOYLE: “MY KIDS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING FOUR TIMES AS MANY INSTRUCTION AS THEY DO, EVEN IN PERSON.”
WEBSTER: THEY FOCUS ON THE HUMANITIES, MATH, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES. READING LESSONS START WITH HUYNH LEADING A DISCUSSION WITH THE ENTIRE CLASS AND THEN KIDS ARE SPLIT INTO SMALLER GROUPS TO HELP EACH OTHER ANSWER QUESTIONS. IT’S JUST LIKE A NORMAL CLASSROOM … BUT WITH SOME ADDED TECH.
HUYNH: “YOU GUYS ARE THE TEACHER. YOU ALL TEACH THIS CLASS.”
WEBSTER: EVEN THOUGH IT’S EASIER… FOR KIDS TO DISCONNECT FROM SCHOOL AT HOME…
HUYNH: “THEY CAN TURN OFF THE CAMERA. THEY CAN BE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED AND WATCH TV. THEY’RE IN THEIR OWN HOUSE.”
WEBSTER: HUYNH SAYS THAT’S NOT THE CASE WITH HER STUDENTS.
HUYNH: “THEY LOVE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER AND THEY LOVE BEING ENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER.” “Are you on zoom with the girls?”
WEBSTER: SHE SAYS THERE’S NOTHING VIRTUAL ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS SHE’S CREATED WITH THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES.
HUYNH: “SO THAT IF I DO SEND THEM A QUICK TEXT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON AND SAY, ‘HEY I CAN’T GET A HOLD OF SO AND SO’ THEY GET MY BABIES ON FAST.”
WEBSTER: AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THE KIDS HAVE WITH EACH OTHER.
HUYNH: “IF I’M BUSY FOR SOME REASON I KNOW THAT MY KIDS GOT EACH OTHER AND THEY SUPPORT EACH OTHER.” “Ok, call him in.”
WEBSTER: KEEPING THAT SOCIAL ASPECT OF SCHOOL WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART TO HUYNH. SO SHE ENCOURAGES THEM TO PLAY GAMES OR WATCH TIK TOKS IN HER OPEN TEAM ROOM DURING LUNCH.
HUYNH: “I GAVE THEM A LITTLE 10 MINUTES EXTRA. DON’T TELL ANYONE.”
WEBSTER: AND SHE KEEPS THE ROOM ONLINE FOR AFTER SCHOOL HANG OUTS AS WELL.
HUYNH: “I THINK 10 MINUTES AGO THEY WERE LOOKING AT TEACHER OUTFITS AND PLANNING MY OUTFITS FOR ME. APPARENTLY MY WARDROBE ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM.”
WEBSTER: AND EVEN ON WEEKENDS THE ROOM IS STILL OPEN SO THEY CAN SET UP PLAYDATES WITH EACH OTHER. REMEMBER THEY’RE FOURTH GRADERS.
HUYNH: “AT ONE POINT I’M POSITIVE THEY HAD A SLEEPOVER.”
WEBSTER: BACK ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL — HUYNH TOLD HER FOURTH GRADERS SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE THIS NEW KIND OF CLASSROOM FEEL JUST AS IT WOULD IF THEY WERE IN PERSON TOGETHER. THAT’S PRETTY BIG STUFF FOR A FOURTH GRADE KID.
HUYNH: “I FEEL LIKE SOCIETY THINKS BECAUSE KIDS AREN’T IN SCHOOL, THEY’RE MISSING OUT RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU THINK OF SCHOOL, YOU THINK OF LUNCH DATES, YOU THINK OF BOOK CLUBS, YOU THINK OF FUN VALENTINE’S DAY PROJECT.”
WEBSTER: SO BEFORE EVERY HOLIDAY – SHE DROPS OFF SACKS OF SURPRISES FILLD WITH ART PROJECTS, CANDY AND A NOTE – THAT’S JUST FOR THEM.
HUYNH: “I DIDN’T WANT MY KIDS TO MISS OUT ON ANY OF THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS.”
WEBSTER: HUYNH SAYS SHE’S SO PROUD OF HOW MUCH HER STUDENTS HAVE GROWN THIS YEAR. AND THAT VIRTUAL LEARNING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE THAT MANY PEOPLE THINK IT IS.
HUNYH: “INSTEAD WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO IS BUILD A BRAND-NEW SYSTEM FOR EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS ON A PLATFORM THAT WE’VE NEVER EVEN BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO USE. “I do like that you know your multiplications. You didn’t even need the picture. I’m proud of you.” AND OUR KIDS ARE STRIVING AND THEY’RE DOING THINGS WE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED OURSELVES DOING.”
WEBSTER: AND THIS NEW EXPERIENCE IS DEFINITELY WORKING FOR SEVERAL STUDENTS.
HUYNH: sighs “SO I HAVE THIS KID. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, HE’S HATED SCHOOL. HE COULDN’T STAY IN THE CLASSROOM. HE COULD BARELY EVEN COMPLETE AS ASSIGNMENT, AND THIS YEAR HE HAS BLOSSOMED. … AND EVEN GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SAY ‘I NEED HELP.'”
WEBSTER: HUYNH SAYS SHE LOVES THOSE LIGHTBULB MOMENTS THAT SHE COULDN’T SEE IN THE CROWDED CLASSROOM.
HUYNH: “LIKE ALL THOSE INCREDIBLE LITTLE MOMENTS I GET TO SEE FIRST-HAND BECAUSE ALL THE SCREENS ARE ON.”
WEBSTER: BUT SHE DOES MISS OTHER THINGS SHE USED TO TAKE FOR GRANTED. LIKE A HUG.
HUNYH: “I CANNOT WAIT TO HUG MY KIDS AND I TELL THEM THAT ALL THE TIME.”
WEBSTER: COMPUTERS… CAN’T HUG BACK. JENNA WEBSTER — N-C-C NEWS.
