Meeting the COVID Challenge:

Education & Behavioral Science Students Find New Opportunities in Remote ELOs

COVID-19 has impacted many classroom protocols and procedures, making this both an unusual and unpredictable school year for students and teachers alike. While the CRTC has remained open for on-site learning throughout most of the first half of the school year, program teachers have been challenged to find ways to provide students with career-focused, extended learning opportunities (ELOs) that safely connect them with industry professionals and workplaces.

Val Koch has been teaching the CRTC Education and Behavioral Science program (formerly Teacher Preparation) for 20 years. EBS students typically spend much of their program time working in the CRTC pre-school lab classroom or as student interns in elementary, middle or high school classrooms under the guidance of teacher mentors. For most students, these experiences are the highlight of their EBS program.

“One of the biggest fears for my students coming into this school year was that they weren’t going to be able to work with the kids,” Ms. Koch said, adding that the pre-school lab has been closed and school district COVID restrictions prohibit in person student teaching. “We’ve overcome that challenge by utilizing remote instruction, which has really opened up the possibilities.”

As it turns out, EBS students are getting some exciting and unexpected ELO opportunities thanks to COVID restrictions. The increase in remote learning scenarios statewide means that students can log into opportunities, locally and out of the region. For instance, one CRTC student is working with a Physical Education class at the West Running Brook Middle School in Derry.

“What’s exciting about this is that we’re not restricted to working with just local teachers where students can drive to and back during class time,” Ms. Koch said. “Remote learning scenarios have really expanded the pool of teachers and experiences my students can connect to.”

Out of 57 EBS students, six are doing independent study and work ELOs, two are student teaching in person during their class time (in Bow and Dunbarton), five are using their after school jobs as fieldwork sites, and the other 40 are remote teaching in various Concord School District classes, including Ms. Cernuda’s third grade classes at Beaver Meadow School. Just four students are still waiting for their placements to be finalized.

“It's been exciting and very busy,” Ms. Koch said. “I have gotten to observe all of my students who are teaching Michele Cernuda's third graders and it has been incredible to watch them begin to make connections with students and to lead academic lessons.” 

Julia Vaughan, a Merrimack Valley High School junior, is working remotely with Ms. Cernuda’s third graders. She said that while she’d rather be working with students in person, online classes provide an unique challenge that she otherwise would not have experienced.

“Keeping kids engaged and motivated on a computer is challenging because it is drastically different than in a classroom,” Julia said. “I’m so glad that we can provide some local teachers with assistance.”

ELOs are an important part of the CRTC experience because they give students the opportunity to gain authentic, jobsite experience before making expensive college and career choices after high school graduation.

“It really helps me to see what my future may look like,” Julia said. “Just through the past month or so working with these kids, I already feel better equipped for my career ahead.”

For more information on the CRTC Education & Behavioral Science program, click here.