Social Distancing doesn’t stop the learning moments

The night before Splendora ISD officially kicked off its new distance learning program, Apryl Ott recorded herself reading a bedtime story to her Kindergarten students at Greenleaf Elementary and expressed how excited she was for the next day.

While the transition to online teaching and online learning was a little stressful in the beginning, Mrs. Ott has been able to continue teaching her students in a variety of ways. She has shared educational and creative content via SeeSaw, including videos of herself teaching like she normally would in the classroom. She has created engaging YouTube content that gets her students moving. Plus, she orchestrates Zoom meetups, where she reads stories to her students from silly spots she’s identified around her house.

“The most rewarding aspect of teaching is seeing my students. I love how they get so excited and want to know every day when I am going to be on Zoom,” Mrs. Ott said. “They just want stability right now, and their getting to see me every day creates some stability for them.”

During this time, Mrs. Ott has been able to maintain a meaningful connection with her students. Once her Kindergarteners have completed their daily assignments, they record themselves talking about one good thing that’s happened that day. 

Mrs. Ott notes, “I am still getting to experience those ‘aha moments,’ even if we aren't face-to-face right now. I have a passion for teaching, and I want my kids to love learning.”

As a parent of three children herself, Mrs. Ott understands that this is an especially challenging time not only for students, but for parents, as well.

That’s why she’s prioritized maintaining open communication with parents in this new era of social distancing. 

Kindergarten Parent Kelsey English remarked, “I believe Mrs. Ott deserves recognition for the way that she has communicated with the parents. She is always quick to respond, has set up ‘office hours’ on Zoom, and even gave parents a phone call to fully inform us on what will be happening. I am very thankful to have Mrs. Ott as one of my daughter’s teachers.”