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BOARDMAN -- At-home Wednesdays for students have succeeded in Boardman schools for teachers, helping them to plan their lessons, as well as for students, the superintendent reported.
"If you look at the timeline, back on Oct. 14, our teachers were burning out," Superintendent Tim Saxton told the board of education last week.
He said the stress of running an in-class and virtual lesson plan was just too much. To ease that burden, the district went with at-home Wednesdays.
On Wednesday, the teacher would show up at school while all the students were working from home.
The Wednesday session helped teachers get out the day's lesson and put together lesson plans through the following Wednesday.
Saxton said numerous teachers stated the at-home Wednesdays were just what they needed to best serve the students -- and not become too stressed out.
"Before the at-home Wednesdays, teachers felt panic and frustration," Saxton said. "Six weeks later (after initiating the at-home Wednesdays) and teachers feel excitement and celebration."
Saxton said the mid-week "at-home" learning has proven successful and the board agreed it should be continued through the third semester.
"The Wednesdays are working," he said. "To unplug them would be a catastrophe."
Saxton did note a few drawbacks to the Wednesday at-home classes.
He said classes such as music could use a Wednesday session, specifically in the fifth and sixth grades. The idea is to permit small-group sessions for an hour or two, but students would have to find their own transportation. If it is allowed, it would not be required, but would be up to each student.
In looking at students learning remotely, Saxton mentioned that a few students have "gone dark." These students, around 20 who mostly are in the elementary schools, are not taking information from the teacher and are not responding or sending in any work.
"These [few] kids are doing nothing, and it is tearing our teachers apart," said Director of Instruction Jarod Cardillo.
He suggested using CARES Act funds to address the situation. He said it may mean sending a school counselor to the home to talk with parents.
Saxton said if the district would get one student back on track, it would be worth the effort.
jtwhitehouse@tribtoday.com