Back in the Classroom Again

“What would motivate you to come out of retirement to teach during a pandemic?” That was the question I was asked during an interview for a long term substitution position.  My retirement last June had been planned for a year or more. I was very content in retirement. I wasn’t bored, COVID restrictions were not being particularly hard on me.So why was I considering this opening?

My wife and I were fully vaccinated so going back was not as scary as it had been but that just made the decision possible. There were really two reasons I was open to the idea. One is that the schools was Phillips Exeter Academy.  They have small classes (I am now teaching two classes of 10 and one of 12) and they teach around a Harkness Table. I’ve long been curious about that style of teaching. The other reason was that they really needed someone in a hurry. The person they initially hired to fill in for a teacher on sabbatical resigned after a couple of weeks into the semester. I guess I am a sucker for that sort of problem.

So what is it like for me? Well, I feel good about the COVID precautions. There are Plexiglas partitions around the table, students and faculty wear masks everywhere, and faculty are tested for covid twice a week. I believe students are tested often as well. Teaching with a mask is awkward and sometimes it is hard to tell which student is talking because I can’t see anyone’s lips move. But teaching more conversationally around a big table is pretty nice.

I have two students attending via Zoom which takes some getting used to but the students are good about it.

The hardest part is jumping in to without a clear idea of what students already know or don’t know. And figuring out how to move forward. The classes are in Java using Processing and Eclipse as IDEs. Both IDEs are new to me and it has been a while since I taught Java. AP teachers may remember the Marine biology Case Study? That was when I last taught Java. Catching up on the IDEs has been interesting. Returning to Java makes me appreciate C# and .NET even more. But we’re managing. Having smart, motivated students and small classrooms helps a lot.

So, how is your school year going?

CSTA 2021 Scholarships

Are you looking to attend the CSTA 2021 Conference but funding is an issue? There are a great many scholarships available that can help. Visit the scholarship site for full details and application information. I copied a lot of the information below.

Note that there are scholarships for international attendees and not just US based teachers. Applications close on April 30, 2021. So apply soon so you don’t miss out!

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CSTA prides itself in promoting equitable access to the CSTA Annual Conference, our premier professional learning program for K-12 CS teachers, by offering scholarships that subsidize 100% of the program cost. These scholarships are intended to support teachers whose limited financial resources may prevent them from attending.

Our goal is to support as many teachers as possible. We currently have funding available for 325 scholarships for U.S. teachers but expect to secure additional funding. We will first prioritize awarding scholarships to: Black teachers and other teachers of color, those who teach marginalized students (BIPOC students, low-income, rural communities), and first-time conference attendees.

If you have a disability or require assistance completing your application, we are happy to help. Please reach out to conference@csteachers.org.

Applications close on April 30, 2021.

To be eligible for scholarships to the 2021 CSTA Conference, you must:

1. be a CSTA Basic or CSTA+ member,
2. directly teach computer science to K-12 students, and
3. not have access to funding from your school or organization to cover conference registration fees.

Conference presenters and chapter leaders already receive complimentary conference registration and need not apply.