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One Kindergarten Teacher Shows the Struggle to Keep Kids Engaged Online

Image Credit: Mackenzie Wenz

Teachers have had a lot to deal with in 2020 – even more than the rest of us, I dare say.

They’ve been forced to shift from the in-person learning model for which they trained, and that they’ve taught for their entire careers, to one that’s exclusively, or partially, taught online.

Her first video has been watched more than 7 million times and also shared on other platforms like Twitter.

In it, the teacher reveals how much energy and enthusiasm is required to get her littles to respond to lessons over Zoom, and intermittently holds up a laminated microphone to show them when to turn theirs on to respond

@kenziiewenz

my facial expressions trying to keep kindergarteners engaged in online learning #onlineschool #fyp #teacher

♬ original sound – Mackenzie

And while all teachers are struggling, those with the youngest of pupils are facing special challenges. How does one teach a kindergartener about school through a computer screen? How to you keep little minds engaged without being able to reach out and touch them, to gently redirect, to control their environment?

The answer is you can’t, and kindergarten teachers like the one who made this TikTok are having to come to grips with that – and fast.

I mean… can you imagine doing this stuff?

@kenziiewenz

thanks for all the kind words about teachers 💛 in case anyone wanted to stay on kindergarten TikTok here’s a lesson from today #onlineschool

♬ original sound – Mackenzie

Or this?

@kenziiewenz

snake motion for the “s” sounds and pig nose for “p” sounds 🙂 Adding a motion to a letter sound helps in so many ways!! #kindergarten #teacher

♬ original sound – Mackenzie

People online, including some news celebs had things to say about Kenzi…

The biggest takeaway is that the teacher much be freaking exhausted at the end of her lessons for the day, but also, it’s clear that students aren’t getting an optimal experience through the computer.

Parents, watch this before you email your child’s teacher the next time. There’s a 99% chance they’re trying their best, they’re exhausted, and they wish things would go back to “normal,” too.

So please, be kind.

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