WTMJ Cares Special Roundtable: Powered by Watry Industries and Premier Aluminum and sponsored by Accunet Mortgage, Gruber Law Office, Holiday Automotive, and Bret Achtenhagen’s Seasonal Services.
It’s uncharted territory for everybody, but teachers in Menomonee Falls are ready to do what they can in the district’s hybrid learning model.
High school teacher Annie Gesel says she’s relying on students to help share what works and what doesn’t in this new era of learning.
“As we go along throughout the semester, we’ll make the adjustments so they’ll have the best possible experience that they can,” Gesel told WTMJ’s John Mercure during our WTMJ Cares Special Roundtable on the return to school Tuesday.
She said that teachers and students are stepping together into an unknown world of virtual and in-person education.
“We need to be there. We need to be with those kids. They need us,” she added.
“They’re a little more adept to work with (technology), but it’s that building a relationship that is really going to be a challenge.”
For elementary school teacher Sandy Smalley, she knows acclimating to the new safety measures will be a process.
Smalley knows people have reservations about returning, but she’s been impressed with the safety precautions in place for her students.
“I think it’s a very comfortable way for us to start the year,” she said.
“They’re going to need mask breaks. They’re going to need reminders. We’re going to have to practice all of that.”
The latest Marquette Law Poll shows 53 percent of parents are comfortable with their students returning in-person, while 45 percent are not.
