With the current school year a few weeks old, some are still adjusting to the challenges that virtual learning brings. That includes a West Milwaukee man, Ed Hahn, who is assisting his grandson Trey get through 4K in the School District of South Milwaukee.
“They were hoping they would be back to in-person classes in the fall,” says Hahn, “but it didn’t work out that way. We do it in his aunt’s basement. We have a little room set up for him, because he and his sister go over there, and they have been going over there since they were little since his mom and dad both work.”
Hahn will travel every school day to help Trey with his class, which runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. He describes a typical school day to include:
- A ‘good morning’ song and a question by the teacher to get the kids’ attentions.
- A review of assignment projects that are picked up the week prior.
- A break around 9 a.m.
- A teacher reading a book with them getting students involved to point out items in the book.
- Another break
- Parents and adults supervising the kids are brought in to assist kids with assignments.
- Another break
- One last get together for a sign off.
Hahn says the kids in 4K don’t have homework, since the work is done during the class time. Some proof is needed. “You, generally, you have to take a picture or a video of some portion of the activities that they do,” says Hahn, “and then it goes into the Zoom meeting where, I assume, the teacher goes into the afternoon to make sure all the students did what they were suppose to do.”
Hahn says he is enjoying the opportunity to spend more time with Trey while he attends classes. He also has a new appreciation for the work teachers have to do in this environment. “Because of the patience that they have to exhibit with the kids in learning this stuff. You can’t get impatient or anything like that. You realize what teachers have to go through in person. They’ve got 14 or 16 or 18 of them in front of them and they are dealing with these kids together, and they got to work with them. I’m just working with one and it’s challenging, but I’m enjoying it.”
Helping Trey has also been Hahn’s chance to pick up some new computer skills. “I’ve never been in a Zoom meeting before. The first day I actually cut him off twice. I’ve learned a lot about how to operate within a Zoom meeting.”
Overall, Hahn says he understands how this education experience is different for everyone, but he’s happy to have a chance to help his grandson. “Being semi-retired I got the time to deal with it, and I’m not striving to get ahead in the world anymore. I’m more on the end of it. I take things a little more in stride, and I can spend the time with him and enjoy it.”