Salary vs. Safety: Why Teachers Are Concerned About Hybrid Learning

On March 8, students at the School will have the option to return to campus for hybrid learning. The green and gold cohorts will still be in place, so only half of returning students will be on campus every week. Students will attend class in person, switching classrooms every period like they did pre-COVID-19. When not on campus, they will attend classes on Zoom. Because not all students will be on campus at once, faculty will have to teach both their on-campus and virtual students at the same time. Despite the School’s COVID-19 precautions, such as social distancing, mask requirements, weekly COVID-19 testing, and daily screenings, some faculty members are concerned about exposure to the virus. Upper school teachers Daniel Guzmán, Laura Galligan, and Jenny Temple shared their thoughts on the virus, hybrid learning, and students’ mental health.

Daniel Guzmán

Upper school math teacher Daniel Guzmán is not extremely worried about the health risk of hybrid learning but is concerned about what it means for teaching. Like many other faculty members, Guzmán has read CDC articles that say returning to campus is relatively safe, especially with precautions the School is implementing. But according to Guzmán, “The problem is that there is always an exception; and there’s always the fear of being that exception.” 

Additionally, Guzmán’s eldest son currently attends online school from their home. Guzmán and his wife, history teacher Morgan Guzmán, have been alternating days on campus so that one of them can stay at home. With hybrid learning, they are unsure if they will be able to continue to do so. Guzmán might take advantage of the School’s childcare offering for faculty children but is concerned about the health risks this would pose to his son. 

Guzmán is also worried that teaching in a hybrid model will be less effective than over Zoom. Teachers had to adapt to teaching online at the beginning of the pandemic, but will have to change their teaching styles again to accommodate students both in the classroom and on Zoom. 

But for Guzmán, who struggles to connect with the grid of black screens hiding his students, hybrid learning will bring a refreshing change: “Students being in classrooms, being with each other, being a teacher with students [in person], the energy is all going to be there.”

Laura Galligan

Upper school Spanish teacher Laura Galligan is not a fan of hybrid learning: “I think it’s a bad idea; I’m going to do it because I need to get paid. A lot of my colleagues are also going to do it because they need to get paid.” 

Galligan is worried about COVID-19 exposure, especially in her classes with students across different grade-levels. Not typically a cautious person, Galligan says, “It’s not just about me. It’s about the people that I live with, the people that my students live with.” 

Weekly COVID-19 testing, masks, and socially distanced desks make her feel safer, but there are still risks involved. While on campus, Galligan often sees students eating and talking in the hallways with their masks off. 

Additionally, Galligan believes her teaching will suffer from having to divide her attention between students using Zoom and students in the classroom. She is also worried about the equity of hybrid learning: students who are healthy, do not live with at-risk individuals, and have good health insurance are more likely to feel safe coming to campus. Therefore, Galligan will prioritize teaching her Zoom students, as they will not get the benefits of being on campus.

Although not a supporter of hybrid learning, Galligan does think that being on campus has benefits. “I’ll be able to talk to that student who was hiding behind the screen, and the kids who are [struggling with mental health] may feel emotionally better.”

Jenny Temple

English teacher and Sophomore Dean Jenny Temple will not be returning to campus until she is vaccinated, but is worried about the teachers required to be on campus. She stated, “Because I have [Crohn’s disease], I have the privilege to say, ‘I don’t feel comfortable coming back,’ which other professional community members don’t have.”

Temple thinks the School is doing the best it can at balancing what is best for the faculty, staff, and students. She believes the safety guidelines are well thought out, but is concerned students will have trouble keeping their distance once in person.

Temple is also unsure about protocols to monitor and protect students from a positive COVID-19 result. Because students will be moving between classes, there is a higher chance of the virus spreading through one or more grades, so one positive result may require an entire grade to stay home. 

Temple acknowledges that many faculty members will not feel safe with students rotating through their classrooms, but thinks that safety should be balanced with students’ mental health. “There’s a difference between safe and uncomfortable. If I’m just uncomfortable, I think that’s going to be safe enough to come back … because I have to be there for my students.”