Starting at the beginning of this year, expectations for asynchronous days have changed. During asynchronous days, students are expected to complete their assignments online. This year, students who don’t complete the assignments assigned to them are marked absent for attendance.
Samantha Padelford, a teacher in the Science department, shared how she feels about asynchronous days and how she sees it impact students. She said, “I think it holds kids accountable to doing the school work that needs to be done and then there’s not a lost day of school.”
Bret Hemmerlin, a teacher in the English department, expressed that he can teach best in person and shared a different view than Padelford. He said, “…my job, I feel is the most fulfilling for me when I am teaching in front of students and interacting with students and asynchronous days don’t give me that rich of an experience…”
Padelford also stated that it can become hard for teachers, if their students aren’t completing their work. “…if kids aren’t doing the work, it’s hard as a teacher to just move forward…it can feel like a day lost if people didn’t do what you need them to.”
Hemmerlin shared that from his experience, students are getting their assignments done and that asynchronous days may also be beneficial to some extent. He said, “…some students have gotten their work done…I’ve created opportunities for them to show me that their getting their work done…I don’t think it’s completely valueless, but there are definitely students that it doesn’t appear that there is evidence that they’ve done work”
Padelford confirmed Hemmerlin’s point that there is an improvement in student submission of assignments. She said, “…last time I had a better turn in rate, then compared to before.”
Hemmerlin described the assignment that he assigns on asynchronous days. He said “Very simple, for public speaking it was a work day for their persuasive speech…I want them to have the time to put it together and I had them fill out a form about what they accomplished…”
Padelford confirmed Hemmerlin’s point of assigning assignments that will help students strengthen their learning and have time to work on assignments they need done. She said, “…a review assignment or some sort of introductory assignment, something we will study together.”
