With math as the set topic for the third week of DECtech, our activity included the strenuous task of teaching 3rd and 4th graders how to fold paper into flexagons. Creating a flexagon is similar to origami, except the end goal is to be able to flip and rotate it. Therefore, if it is not done correctly, it will not open up and flip to show the other sides of the flexagon.
During my Monday class, I decided to start with the harder of the 2 flexagon templates that the students had printed and cut out. This took the majority of the class, especially since we accidentally spent about 20 minutes of our 60 minute class coloring. Oops. Note for next time: kids will continue to color until you give them a time that they have to be done by, so the teacher needs to be on top of the timing. While everyone had this HexaFlexagon, named for its shape of a hexagon, working by the end of class, I definitely think I could have made the class move faster and potentially have gotten to the other flexagon.
On the other hand, the instructor I TA'ed for on Tuesday started with the easier flexagon. This worked really well because it gave us as instructors an opportunity to figure out the best way to explain and demo folding the paper without the added complexity of the harder flexagon. Therefore, her class was able to get through both flexagons. Additionally, she kept better track of time so her class spent less time coloring and more time folding.
In terms of other lessons I learned this week, one big takeaway is just the amount of respect I have for elementary students and teachers who are learning and teaching online right now. It is incredibly difficult to teach younger kids online. In previous years, we were able to help the girls when they were confused on a fold. With this online lesson, I just had to watch in agony as some of the girls struggled with the folds. I did my best to explain the fold again and again until the girls who were stuck figured it out, but it took more patience than I've had to use when teaching in the past.
I only teach 2 one hour classes every other week. I can't imagine the patience required for teachers who have to work with 20 or more elementary students 5 days a week for 8 hours a day. When I previously conducted my research, I focused on what I personally saw in my own life regarding zoom fatigue, but I never looked into the impact zoom fatigue has on teachers and younger students.
According to the National Education Association, one way teachers can fight zoom fatigue is to take breaks, even if they are just for a couple of minutes. Another technique teachers can use is to incorporate relaxation exercises during class, which also benefits students. The impacts of zoom fatigue are especially difficult on teachers because they want to be able to see all of their students, but seeing over 20 faces lined up on a screen can tire them out more. On the flip side, from my own experience as a student, I pay better attention in online classes when my camera is on than I do when it is off. Therefore, there doesn't seem to be an easy solution for this. The trick is finding ways to make students accountable while also not increasing the negative impacts online classes have on both teachers and students through zoom fatigue.
The best advice that I've received still continues to be taking breaks. Not just breaks from video meetings, but breaks where you get up and close your computer and do something else for a little while. For longer breaks, that could mean a 30 minute walk outside and for shorter breaks, that could mean a 5 minute walk around the house. Either way, scheduling breaks into your day is an essential way to survive through online learning and working.
Sources
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/how-zoom-fatigue-impacts-communication-students