Item
Anna Shearer Oral History, 2021/12/12
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
Anna Shearer Oral History, 2021/12/12
Description (Dublin Core)
Anna Shearer was born in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and recently moved back to the area for her student teaching placement. In this interview, Anna explains the impact COVID-19 has had on her college experiences, student learning abilities, accommodating parents, and her personal struggles from the pandemic. Anna spends a large portion of the interview discussing the direct impact COVID-19 has had on students. She uses her fourth-grade placement class to talk about their struggle with handwriting, basic social skills, and general anxiety. As a recent college graduate from Winona State University, Anna stays optimistic and hopeful for employment within the Cottage Grove area and even feels comfortable teaching remotely online.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
Creator (Dublin Core)
Contributor (Dublin Core)
Partner (Dublin Core)
Type (Dublin Core)
video
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English
Technology
English
Online Learning
English
Education--K12
English
Education--Universities
English
Social Distance
English
Emotion
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
Collection (Dublin Core)
Curatorial Notes (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
05/01/2023
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
06/06/2023
Date Created (Dublin Core)
12/12/2021
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
Amber Retzloff
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
Anna Shearer
Location (Omeka Classic)
Cottage Grove
Minnesota
United States of America
Format (Dublin Core)
video
Language (Dublin Core)
English
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:36:37
abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)
Anna Shearer was born in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and recently moved back to the area for her student teaching placement. In this interview, Anna explains the impact COVID-19 has had on her college experiences, student learning abilities, accommodating parents, and her personal struggles from the pandemic. Anna spends a large portion of the interview discussing the direct impact COVID-19 has had on students. She uses her fourth-grade placement class to talk about their struggle with handwriting, basic social skills, and general anxiety. As a recent college graduate from Winona State University, Anna stays optimistic and hopeful for employment within the Cottage Grove area and even feels comfortable teaching remotely online.
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
Amber Retzloff 0:02
Hello, my name is Amber Retzloff. I am interviewing Anna shearer, about her COVID experience as a college student, caregiver and a future educator for Western Wisconsin COVID-19 archive. The date is December 12, 2019 [2021] . It's about 6:30pm. Before I get into questions and introducing Anna, I'd like to mention a few statistics. According to the CDC in the United States, there are currently 49,748,387 confirmed COVID cases. There have been 793,937 COVID deaths in the last 30 days in the US. Minnesota where, where Anna at is currently at, has a total of 900,950 6779 COVID cases. And among those Minnesota statistics, 79,937 people have died. The current vaccination rate of fully vaccinated people are at 60.4%. So those are just a little bit of-to give future historians an idea of where we are at as terms of COVID. But I would like to introduce Anna and thank her for her time and flexibility. We were gonna meet on Friday, but there is a snowstorm and got a little crazy over here. I'm sure did Minnesota. It is great to meet you. I really appreciate this. Before we really get into questions, would you feel free to mention your demographics? Just say your, your race, ethnicity, age and gender? If you're comfortable with that?
Anna Shearer 1:46
Yeah, absolutely. So I am a white female. I am 22 years old.And I am from the United States I've lived in and grown up in Minnesota my entire life.
AR 1:59
Right. And so you said your are from Minnesota? Would you like to talk about the area you grew up in at all?
AS 2:05
Yeah, so where I grew up in Minnesota, it's just outside of the Twin Cities. So we're more of a suburb of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Wide variety of, of a good mix of you know, different races, religions, all that kind of stuff. So I was definitely exposed to all of that. Growing up in the public school system.And then same thing-I went to school in Winona, Minnesota, I went to Winona State University. Same thing down there. Wide mix of ethnicities, race, religion down there, too.
AR 2:41
And where, sorry, where did you say what town were you from? Exactly? I know it's in Minnesota. Outside.
AS 2:46
Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
AR 2:47
Okay, perfect. I had Woodbury in my head for some reason. But I think yeah, for sure. So you like the area? You have nothing but good things to say?
AS 2:57
Yeah, absolutely. I don't plan on leaving here anytime soon.
AR 3:02
Good. So to kind of continue on, I know you mentioned you went to a Winona state. Where were you actually in your education when COVID hit. Would have been about two years ago now? Almost two years?
AS 3:15
Yeah. So that was my junior year of college? Yep. The spring semester. So spring of 2019? Nope. Spring 2020. Excuse me.And so that kind of followed me through, you know, like universities shutting down was kind of the heavy part of that. towards the end, I did get to have a few in person classes, my last semester in Winona, and then just this last semester, current semester, I suppose. Fall of 2021, I was student teaching in Woodbury and that was all in person for me.
AR 3:52
Good, good. I'm glad that you got to experience that in person. I do not I-were, were people student teaching in-person before this fall? Or have they been online?
AS 4:03
It was kind of up to the district. I know right when COVID Hit that kind of messed up student teaching for some people. Just some of my friends that were older and you know, moving on to that next step before me. They did a lot of online student teaching. But thankfully for me, I was able to student teach in person, you know, after a vaccination and still wearing masks, of course, but I was I was finally able to student teach in person.
AR 4:33
Would they have let you like got into student teacher if you weren't vaccinated?
AS 4:39
Yes, it was not a requirement. Although my cooperating teacher highly recommended it to me, just because, you know, if there happened to be a COVID case in our classroom, then I wouldn't have to quarantine myself. You know, that was all just based on the information that she had given me last spring when I hadfirst met her, I believe it would be different now.You know, a lot of our kids now even are getting their vaccinations because they are in that age group that can and if we have had COVID cases, you know, some of them have chosen to quarantine some of them not. It's really up to the parents. But because we wear our masks all the time around the kids, then it's it was kind of a personal choice of whether or not we wanted to quarantine.
AR 5:27
No, yeah, for sure. I currently work in a daycare and it is it's technically optional for us. We are all wearing masks, but before when masks were still required, they-or before masks were not required for those who are vaccinated and those who, who they-English is hard. When they were not required for those who are vaccinated and those who were not vaccinated just had to wear masks. So I was curious what that looked like in Minnesota. It's interesting.
AS 5:52
Yeah.
AR 5:53
So.
AS 5:53
And I think it depends on the district too, I just know that the district I was working in required masks for elementary, but then like high school students, they could choose.
AR 6:04
Okay, that makes sense. Yeah, for sure. So I know, you just talked about student teaching this fall? Have you had previous experience with any child care? And was it during COVID? Like, what did that look like If you did? Or if you didn't, you know?
AS 6:20
Yeah, a little bit of both. So I did some field experience before COVID hit, just within Winona state anyway, I then once COVID hit, we kind of stopped doing all field experience. But outside of that, I actually work in our local school district here, the same one I happen to student teach in. So that kind of worked out for me, but the first summer that we had COVID, I-summer of 2020, I think we were all in masks. You know, we could-we had a smaller amount of kids at each care site. It is a pretty big district. So we had, you know, maybe four or five schools open for childcare. And it was really only the kids that had parents working in, like, first, or the, like the frontline. So like the the doctors, the dentists, you know, the people that had to go to work. And then this, just this past summer, summer of 2021, masks were optional. We were able to choose all of that if we wanted to. But that is, of course, after the vaccine had come out. And so most of our staff had been vaccinated. You know, we had some kids that would wear a mask, and some that would not, it was totally up to, you know, that family and what they wanted. Same thing for staff members, we had several staff members wear a mask, and several that didn't. It was really, it was really a personal choice for them.
AR 7:52
Now, were you, were you like a teacher aid? Or were you-you said you are at a school, right? Like a local school?
AS 7:59
Yep. So our school district here in Cottage Grove, and Woodbury it's kind of one area. We do-It is called Kids Club. And so they you know, they have it during the school year too, before and after school, but in the summer, it is kind of like a daycare type of thing. So we are not really teaching the kids anything. But we'll do like art projects and games and activities and get to play outside and that kind of thing. It is just more of a structured time for those kids. You know, they learn something when we do our activities, but it's not like, you know, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna teach you a lesson for eight hours of the day.
AR 8:36
Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure. So still being-are still on that topic actually If you-you said you started back in the summer of 2020 and you've been, you know, doing some sort of child care service since then what have you have you like noticed, you know, changes within children within their learning? Are there things that they're like are, are kids behind? Where we-where do you feel that these children are sitting?
AS 9:03
Yeah, I think COVID definitely took a hit on some of our kids. I think it is a positive thing and a negative thing. Negative wise, I think a lot of our kids have fallen behind. Even within my own student teaching, I was with fourth graders, and just a general idea of fourth graders, they should be reading, you know, at a specific level, they should be, you know, spelling words correctly, most high frequency words correctly. But I didn't see that. I had several kids that were like, you know, at the middle of third grade, you know, end of third grade level, which is technically where they're supposed to be for reading. But for spelling, I mean, it was shocking to me to see some of these words that they are spelling incorrectly. So I think that kind of took a hit with that wise, but then, you know, even just with their behaviors, you know some of these things have not been in person in school since second grade. And that is a long time to not be in a school with your friends. So we definitely hit hard on, you know, these social skills that they are going to need to learn. You know, even just walking in the hallway, I mean, it is crazy to see some of these kids, like-we have to walk in a line down the hallway and some of them don't know that. And some of them don't, you know, recognize that anymore. As for, you know, a positive impact a lot of kids did really well with at home learning. And, you know, learning on a Chromebook, a lot of them are really great at typing now, because that is what they had to, that is they had to do. But then the opposite side of that is that their handwriting took a toll. It is just kind of crazy to see, you know, you can type really fast on a computer, but seeing you try to hold a pencil, and it is like, woah, wait a minute, it was back up here, we need to reteach this. But yeah, like I said, a lot of kids did really well, with online learning. But now we are seeing a lot of, you know, anxiety in these kids, you know, they are back at a classroom with, you know, 26 other kids, and it is like, Okay, now what, you know, I'm kind of in this zone, where this is unfamiliar to me. And especially in fourth grade, they are really learning and really like expressing themselves more as people, you know, they start to make those best friends and they start to make, you know, they start to become who they are. And it's, you know, from second grade all the way to fourth grade, it's that it's a big transition time for a lot of kids and seeing that in an online perspective and then jumping right back into an in person learning, it was, it's a big hit for kids, I think they are, they're taking a lot of shock from it the same as their teachers are.
AR 11:45
No, for sure, I was actually just having a conversation with someone, where it's, it's so easy to see all the negatives within COVID. You know, we-everyone's mental health has been hit really hard. I was in college when COVID hit and I felt like I lost a lot of that experience, because I had to move back home. But you know, there are still positive sides, this being a great example, and how, you know, online meetings have become like, such a common thing. And it's, it's very convenient. I've also noticed my, my typing has gotten better, and I go to write, it's not there anymore. And it's little things that you especially take for granted within children. You talking about just like the you know, how important socializing and learning those cues and how these kids don't even know how to like walk in a line? I know, I'm, I'm an elementary ed major, I wouldn't have even thought of that. It's just something you don't think about until you put in that position. That's so crazy, actually. For sure, I know, you touched a little bit on kids having anxiety. Have you noticed anything else? Within you know, like, their mental health within your school district specifically? Like, are you are you having more children with, you know, just really out of the ordinary behaviors? Are you know, it that-yeah,
AS 13:02
yeah, I guess I've really seen an impact on some of my kids with, you know, that are on the Autism Spectrum disorder, and, and, you know, some of my kids with ADHD, you know, going from online learning, you know, that was tough for a lot of them because they had to have that self discipline to sit down at a computer and, you know, do school. But even being in the classroom, it's like, they do not know what to do then either. Big for anxiety, though. I think a lot of kids, you know, they are in a new environment. I think a lot of anxiety with COVID. I know, specifically, one student and I can't say names, but her and her family have decided, you know, they are going to quarantine right before Christmas, because they want to spend it with family. Well then, as for teachers that, you know, that puts a lot of stress on us because now we have to go and you know, get all this schoolwork ready for her. So she is not super far behind when she comes back after winter break. And I know like even with quarantine, and all that kind of stuff, you know, we did have a couple of positive cases in our classroom this fall. And that for a lot of parents was kind of nerve wracking, like Okay, now what, like when my kid has not has not been in school, you know, they were doing virtual learning last year. And now, you know, it is what do we do next? And I think the kids seeing their parents go through that stress has added on to their plate too. But really, I mean, they are great about wearing their masks. I have not had any problems with that. But yeah, just a lot of anxiety for the kids. And I think it's, again with those social, social areas of life to it's just kind of like, okay, now what, and then like I said before, to the that big transition from, you know, second, third grade on to fourth grade, you know, there is It's not only okay, how do I act in real life here and not on a computer screen? But who are my best friends gonna be? Why can't this person be my best friend? Why doesn't that person want to play with me? You know, it's just stuff like that where it's it's a mix of the COVID anxiety and then just being a general fourth grader anxiety.
AR 15:20
Yeah, I can, I can only imagine. So you had mentioned previously, like your parents, and then you talked about you guys as teachers have you, have you gotten like, a lot of pushback? Or what? What have you gotten a lot from parents? Are you getting, you know, are they-are they upset with the way you guys have been doing things? Have they been supporting you? And also like the school board? Have they been pretty flexible within your classroom or, you know, getting a hold of teachers and parents and coordinating that stuff?
AS 15:52
Yeah, so know, for our school, specifically, it was kind of up to the teachers on what they wanted to do, you know, when a COVID case happened to come up in our classrooms. So we kind of decided as a fourth grade team, there was four sections of fourth grade myself as a student teacher, and then there happened to be another student teacher. So we kind of sat down, and we brainstorm and we decided that, you know, if a child is, you know, okay, backing up just a little bit. Last year, a lot of families would decide, oh, my kids doing virtual learning, let's go to Florida for the week, and they oh, they can just do online school there, it's fine. This year, we decided that if your child has COVID, or if they are choosing to quarantine, we will work with you on that and we will, like, we will send work home for your kid. And, you know, push out online lessons on Seesaw or whatever other platform we happen to use. But if you are if you are keeping your child home, or you are going on a vacation, then we could not help you, we did not want to give people that freedom to just kind of choose what they want to do. You know, we that we would have, we would never have a full classroom, if we decided to let kids have a freedom of you know, oh, I'm going to stay home today because I do not really feel like going to school. But that's okay, because I can do it online. We did not want that. So that I think that helped a lot of the parents in my own classroom. Along with my cooperating teacher, they were really great about it. You know, we like I said before, we did have a couple of positive cases. And you know, those parents were really supportive about it. They are like, Oh, my gosh, thank you so much. Like you are putting all this work into sending my kids stuff to do. It was really great. And that was that was really nice to have that support from parents. But I do know that in one of the other classrooms, their parents, not so much a lot of them were like, well, I do not want my kid to wear a mask. And I do not want my kid to do online school. And, you know, I don't like this online school, and oh, my kids not going to do anything, even if you do send it home. So it was just kind of even differences in classrooms was kind of fun to look at, you know, "fun", meaning it's interesting to see the different dynamics of classrooms. But you know, it was very different to see that in different classrooms. And then, you know, how are these parents reacting? A lot of the kids in my class when I left my placement in? About a week ago now-or no, not even a few days ago, even a lot of our parents were, you know, getting their kids vaccinated, and they were ready to go on and move on. And, you know, they're hoping for no masks in the future. But I know not every classroom was like that.
AR 18:38
Right. And so, theoretically, say you had one of those parents from the other classroom, you had one of them, you know, theoretically, you know, if someone in your classroom when you were a student teaching, or if you were a teacher, and they were-they did not like the the different requirements, you know, whether it be masks, or vaccination, like, how are you guys as teachers supposed to go about that? I mean, if
AS 19:03
Yeah, yeah, that was, I know, we had a couple like that, even in the other classrooms. And this is just what, what the other fourth grade teacher did, all we can really do is direct them to the principal, because it's not our choice. It's not even the principal's choice, it was the school board's choice. So I mean, not to say we're going to dump all of our problems on the principal of our building, but they would have better answers for them. For those parents, then what we would all we can say is, well, it's not our choice. You know, we're just following the rules, and we can enforce them. But we didn't make any of them. So it was we did have a couple of those times where parents were mad. And so all we could really do is direct them to the principal and I'm not really sure how he took that and how he went about that.
AR 19:54
No, yeah, for sure. Yeah, to kind of finish up on your student-just specifically on student teaching, what was your overall experience? Did you-do you feel like you're well prepared? Based on COVID? And the experience you did have? Do you feel like you were maybe, you know, cut short? Or how are you feeling?
AS 20:14
I think it went really well. I had a great group of kids. One of the best that my cooperating teacher said she had in the last, you know, 22 years that she's been teaching. I think I would be comfortable even online teaching. I mean, you know, we're sitting here on zoom right now. And I went to school on, on Zoom for a good year and a half. So I'm well versed in it. So I think that could be a possibility. Hopefully, we don't need to go back to a zoom or anything online teaching. But no, I don't think I was cut short at all. I'm glad. Like I said, I'm glad that I got to teach in person. I think that helps a lot. But yeah, it went really well and I'm glad that it happened when it did. And it turned out to be great.
AR 21:04
Good. I'm really glad. I-that-I didn't know what it was gonna be like or what-yeah, that's, that's, I'm really glad. It's good. So moving forward with, you know, just student teaching and moving from the college to the classroom. Well, a classroom to a classroom, if you will, are there any implements from COVID, and the different restrictions we-they had, or the classroom that you taught him that you plan to take with you to your future classroom?
AS 21:32
Yeah, I mean, it all kind of depends on the district, I suppose. But just the way that we have kids set up, you know, we were able to eat lunch in our classroom, you know, that was kind of convenient. For the kids and for us teachers. You know, we didn't have enough staff in our building to, you know, have lunch monitors and adults to supervise the lunchroom. So that's why we chose to eat lunch in our classroom. And it kind of worked out, you know, we were all in our own little bubble. And so it kind of made a lot of I think, our kids, kids ease that anxiety of, okay, now, every fourth grade classroom is in this lunchroom. Now what? But no, I think it helped ease that anxiety of our kids, you know, okay, we're just staying in our own little bubble, you know, because obviously, you have to take a mask off to eat. But yeah, and then it kind of gave the kids just time to relax. And it wasn't like super loud or anything in our classroom, we actually were able to play a movie for them. You know, COVID dependent, I would like that. I think it gave kids that time to just kind of relax and decompress a little bit from our morning. And then you know, they once they were full and ready to go, then they could go out to recess. But that's one thing. I would say that if the school is willing to let me do that I would do.
AR 22:55
Oh neat, I didn't even-yeah, I didn't think about that as eating in your own classroom. That makes a lot of sense. I know. I said I was getting away from the student teaching. But now that I'm thinking as we're talking, I'm thinking as I'm talking and then I totally just forgot what I was gonna say. We might have to hold that thought. Okay, until I come back to that, to get a little bit out of the teaching realm to you personally. I just wanted to ask, What was your biggest challenge during COVID? Actually?
AS 23:28
Yeah, so Covid, I mean, when I was down in Winona, and you know, being a real college student, it was difficult, but yet sometimes easy. I wasn't able to see all of my friends. But I happened to be a roommate with one of my best friends. So I think that helped us both really a lot. You know, we weren't completely alone all the time. And we lived off campus, so we didn't have to, like wear a mask or anything. Just when we were on campus. I think the biggest challenge was self determination, like self dedication to doing school online. I don't do well with learning online. I found that out in COVID very quickly. And but having my roommate there, and she was also elementary education. So we were taking a lot of the same classes, which was kind of nice, you know, we would build our schedules to fit with each other and so we would go to class together, you know, on Zoom. So that helps a lot. Another big challenge was just not being able to see like close, elderly family members. And all like that was always a big concern. You know, I have a great aunt or had a great aunt that, you know, we were very cautious about going to see her because we didn't want to get her sick. My grandpa at the time he was living in assisted living, you know, we couldn't just go in to see him because everything was on locked down. So that was hard. And I know that was hard for my mom, too, that happened to be on her side of the family. But she that, that took that it hurt her hard, because, you know, you went from seeing those people frequently to now we can talk to you through a window. As for school again, you know, it was it's different, you know, I would see my friends at a coffee shop all the time. Well, now, these coffee shops weren't allowing you to go in and sit down and do your homework together. And you had to kind of plan that out. And, you know, all of my friends kind of took COVID The seriousness of it to a different extent, you know, all being serious, but some people were like, Nope, I'm not going to see anybody, I'm going to stay in my house, and I'm going to play it safe. Others were, you know, we can hang out, but let's wear masks, you know, just different levels of that. So it's just kind of like adjusting to how other people want to go about this. And then, you know, how do I want to go about this? You know, what am I comfortable with right now? And, you know, that kind of thing?
AR 26:03
No, yeah, thanks, thanks for sharing that. I know, it's kind of a big hard question, especially to put on the spot. But all those things you mentioned, yeah, those are, you know, not being able to see elderly, the just being disconnected. Like, it's, it's been hard. It's not an easy time. But slowly, we're getting back in some forms of like, normality. I know, there's obviously the new variant coming out. Hopefully, that booster shot can help protect. But I did remember what I was going to ask. So going back to the student teaching, and I mean, just your just your overall childcare experience in general, have you been able to, like build the same relationships and connections with students? I know, you know, probably at the beginning of COVID, when you didn't, you know, you said, the only students that were there were the ones with parents on the front line. But I mean, you were there, you've been there from the start to the end, what is what what is relationship building kind of look like?
AS 27:04
Yeah, so this semester with student teaching specifically, I feel like I built a strong connection with all of my kids. You know, even you know, none of them wanted me to leave. You know, obviously, it's different with a mask on and everything, but I don't feel like I didn't have relationship with any one of my students, I felt like I could relate to them on some level, or to have a conversation with them about something that they did over the weekend, or something that they have come, excuse me have coming up. I don't think I lost any of that. I think that I'm a very relationship based person. So I like to build those relationships, relationships with people and, you know, have connections with them. And I think that it turned out really well, with student teaching. Even my cooperating teacher was saying, you know, even with this hard time, you know, I think you built a strong relationship with every student, and even like the staff members that I was working with, you know, again, it's all kind of personal preference on how we go about things now. But, you know, even with America, you know, social distancing and stuff, I was still able to have relationship with every one of my kids.
AR 28:20
Good. I'm glad that definitely is an important part and I think especially getting back to in person, it was able to-you were able to keep those relationships, not that you couldn't build them online. But you know, it's a lot different, just, you know, doing this everyday versus, you know, physically seeing someone and having them there and, you know, but good. I'm glad. Going back to-I really like to reference you said previously, I know you were talking about your school was understaffed, because that's why you were having the lunches in classrooms. And from what I understand you're done with student teaching, you just graduated, graduated. Congratulations, by the way, what a big accomplishment. Do you have, do you I mean, if-I feel like across the board schools are really hurting for teachers do you have job-like a job lined up? I mean, is COVID affected getting a job for you at all?
AS 28:59
Thank you.
AS 29:16
As of right now? Not really. I do have to wait for my degree to be posted online to my official transcripts. And that usually takes about two to three weeks after our grading period ends, which is next week sometime. (OKAY 29:36) So I know that I can sub with a four year degree and like with the intent that my license is on it is on its way. It kind of depends on the school district. I know a lot of places are hurting, especially our district too. I don't think I'll have a problem finding a job at all. Even if it's just like, a day to day subbing job. Yeah, my cooperating teacher was saying that I, I will work every day of the week if I really want to. But yeah, I don't, I don't think I'll have a problem finding anything. As of right now I could easily go back to Kids Club, you know, during the before and after school care. I could sub as a paraprofessional, whether that's with our special education programs, or, you know, being in the lunchroom or serving lunch or doing recess duty or you know, stuff like that.
AR 30:32
Would you if you could, would you go back to the school that you student taught at?
AS 30:36
I would love to. I would really be happy with any of the schools in our school district, there are actually 16 different elementary schools. So yeah, so we cover a large area. But yeah, I think any of those schools would be great. I know a lot of staff members in every school. Like I said, I grew up in this district. So my own elementary school, the one I student taught at, and then just the different ones that I've worked Kids Club up to, and then just friends and stuff from growing up around here that happened to work in the other school. So I don't think I'd have a problem getting into any of the schools.
AR 31:16
Nice. Well, I mean, it's nice. You got lots of options. What is your certification actually? Because I know like, for me, it's actually, it just recently changed-the year that I came to college, which was 2019. But you could be grandfathered in the old one. So I'm not, not sure what yours is. I'm not even sure what mine is
AS 31:19
Right.
AS 31:36
With my Minnesota license, I will be able to teach kindergarten through sixth grade.
AR 31:42
Oh, okay. Interesting. And that's also elementary ed? (Yeah 31:46) like Elementary. Okay. That's interesting, because I think I'm certified as an elementary ed in Wisconsin, I believe I am first grade through eighth grade. So that's actually really interesting. (Yeah. 31:57) Good. I'm glad. Well, so kind of just to wrap up here, just a few, you know, kind of in the few future looking forward questions here. I think the first one I had is what was -what was like your biggest takeaway for COVID? I mean, you could or if you want to change it to like, what do you take for granted? The most? I know, you kind of mentioned with, what did you find the hardest, but what, what are your biggest takeaways from COVID just in general?
AS 32:23
Yeah, building relationships with people has been more difficult for me, you know, like I said, online, it's, you know, it's not like a face to face relationship at all. Spending time with the people that you like, that you like, and that you love. You know, that's always important, you know, because they might not be there. I know, I'd mentioned before with my grandpa, he is no longer with us. So, you know, just those last few months of his life, you know, I-if we hadn't have moved him into an assisted living, we probably could have spent every day with him. But he, he needed assistance and obviously, we had moved him in before COVID hit. So we weren't, you know, planning to not see him anymore. But that was the best option for him. And so that was kind of a downer for us, you know, we weren't able to go and see him whenever we wanted to. But yeah, just building relationships, I think and maintaining relationships. So it's the biggest thing that I think I'll continue to build on, even when COVID is finished, or maybe not so much in the heat of the moment kind of thing.
AR 33:34
Yeah, for sure. Well, thank you for sharing that. I know, that's emotional and it's a lot here. And I know, of course, stories are gonna appreciate any any information they can give, or that you can give. Is there anything else you really want to talk about within the realm of like school and COVID? Or COVID in general? I mean, anything that really comes to your mind?
AS 33:55
Yeah, I think one thing that really comes to mind is, it'll we can all do really hard things. We're living through a global pandemic, you know, that hasn't happened in 100 years. None of us really know what to do. But I think a lot of us are, you know, we're just rolling with the punches. You know, it's, it's a different time, I don't think the world is going to go back to normal. We're just going to have to kind of create that new normal, and just respecting other people I know. And I don't, I don't like to get into politics, and all that kind of stuff. But everybody has their own opinion. And I think just respecting what people believe in and who they support and whatever, you know, we just need to respect that and go about our days. You know, if you support somebody that I don't like, well, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna be friends with you. It was just not something we talked about. So I think yeah, that's the biggest thing, I think for me is just respecting people and like, we can do hard things like we're living through a global pandemic, we can do this.
AR 35:02
Yeah I, actually, I love that you bring that up. When I interviewed my pastor from back home for my first interview, I asked him something similar like, what, what would you know-is there any last things that you think of with COVID? And he said the say he's like, I” just wish we could be kinder.” We're so politicized right now. It's everything seems so cutthroat I think everyone you know, especially when quarantined first started, and we were all online, all we were were just, you know, on social media and critiquing people, and we were all anxious and our mental health was just tanked. And we were just taking it out on each other. And it's yeah, it's so it's really interesting that you also bring that up too. Because yeah, he was just like, I wish we could just be kinder. Yeah. Oh, great.
AS 35:47
I think that comes from like a - a serving the community type of perspective. You know, he's serving your community as a pastor and I'm sort of serving my own as a teacher. So we definitely see the world and you know, we need to please everybody kind of a lens there.
AR 36:05
Well, that is really all I have for questions for you here. I want to thank you so much for your time. Really ( appreciate it again, with the flexibility I know it's kind of scary-like I'm not gonna lie. It's scary to come on here with like a stranger and ask questions about their personal life, but I really appreciate this. I know the historians will appreciate this. If you want to stay on after and I'll just tell you, I got to send you the sheets. So again, thank you, historians for watching. I'm gonna-we're gonna pause this now.
AS 36:13
Oh, yeah.
AS 36:33
Yeah, absolutely
Hello, my name is Amber Retzloff. I am interviewing Anna shearer, about her COVID experience as a college student, caregiver and a future educator for Western Wisconsin COVID-19 archive. The date is December 12, 2019 [2021] . It's about 6:30pm. Before I get into questions and introducing Anna, I'd like to mention a few statistics. According to the CDC in the United States, there are currently 49,748,387 confirmed COVID cases. There have been 793,937 COVID deaths in the last 30 days in the US. Minnesota where, where Anna at is currently at, has a total of 900,950 6779 COVID cases. And among those Minnesota statistics, 79,937 people have died. The current vaccination rate of fully vaccinated people are at 60.4%. So those are just a little bit of-to give future historians an idea of where we are at as terms of COVID. But I would like to introduce Anna and thank her for her time and flexibility. We were gonna meet on Friday, but there is a snowstorm and got a little crazy over here. I'm sure did Minnesota. It is great to meet you. I really appreciate this. Before we really get into questions, would you feel free to mention your demographics? Just say your, your race, ethnicity, age and gender? If you're comfortable with that?
Anna Shearer 1:46
Yeah, absolutely. So I am a white female. I am 22 years old.And I am from the United States I've lived in and grown up in Minnesota my entire life.
AR 1:59
Right. And so you said your are from Minnesota? Would you like to talk about the area you grew up in at all?
AS 2:05
Yeah, so where I grew up in Minnesota, it's just outside of the Twin Cities. So we're more of a suburb of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Wide variety of, of a good mix of you know, different races, religions, all that kind of stuff. So I was definitely exposed to all of that. Growing up in the public school system.And then same thing-I went to school in Winona, Minnesota, I went to Winona State University. Same thing down there. Wide mix of ethnicities, race, religion down there, too.
AR 2:41
And where, sorry, where did you say what town were you from? Exactly? I know it's in Minnesota. Outside.
AS 2:46
Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
AR 2:47
Okay, perfect. I had Woodbury in my head for some reason. But I think yeah, for sure. So you like the area? You have nothing but good things to say?
AS 2:57
Yeah, absolutely. I don't plan on leaving here anytime soon.
AR 3:02
Good. So to kind of continue on, I know you mentioned you went to a Winona state. Where were you actually in your education when COVID hit. Would have been about two years ago now? Almost two years?
AS 3:15
Yeah. So that was my junior year of college? Yep. The spring semester. So spring of 2019? Nope. Spring 2020. Excuse me.And so that kind of followed me through, you know, like universities shutting down was kind of the heavy part of that. towards the end, I did get to have a few in person classes, my last semester in Winona, and then just this last semester, current semester, I suppose. Fall of 2021, I was student teaching in Woodbury and that was all in person for me.
AR 3:52
Good, good. I'm glad that you got to experience that in person. I do not I-were, were people student teaching in-person before this fall? Or have they been online?
AS 4:03
It was kind of up to the district. I know right when COVID Hit that kind of messed up student teaching for some people. Just some of my friends that were older and you know, moving on to that next step before me. They did a lot of online student teaching. But thankfully for me, I was able to student teach in person, you know, after a vaccination and still wearing masks, of course, but I was I was finally able to student teach in person.
AR 4:33
Would they have let you like got into student teacher if you weren't vaccinated?
AS 4:39
Yes, it was not a requirement. Although my cooperating teacher highly recommended it to me, just because, you know, if there happened to be a COVID case in our classroom, then I wouldn't have to quarantine myself. You know, that was all just based on the information that she had given me last spring when I hadfirst met her, I believe it would be different now.You know, a lot of our kids now even are getting their vaccinations because they are in that age group that can and if we have had COVID cases, you know, some of them have chosen to quarantine some of them not. It's really up to the parents. But because we wear our masks all the time around the kids, then it's it was kind of a personal choice of whether or not we wanted to quarantine.
AR 5:27
No, yeah, for sure. I currently work in a daycare and it is it's technically optional for us. We are all wearing masks, but before when masks were still required, they-or before masks were not required for those who are vaccinated and those who, who they-English is hard. When they were not required for those who are vaccinated and those who were not vaccinated just had to wear masks. So I was curious what that looked like in Minnesota. It's interesting.
AS 5:52
Yeah.
AR 5:53
So.
AS 5:53
And I think it depends on the district too, I just know that the district I was working in required masks for elementary, but then like high school students, they could choose.
AR 6:04
Okay, that makes sense. Yeah, for sure. So I know, you just talked about student teaching this fall? Have you had previous experience with any child care? And was it during COVID? Like, what did that look like If you did? Or if you didn't, you know?
AS 6:20
Yeah, a little bit of both. So I did some field experience before COVID hit, just within Winona state anyway, I then once COVID hit, we kind of stopped doing all field experience. But outside of that, I actually work in our local school district here, the same one I happen to student teach in. So that kind of worked out for me, but the first summer that we had COVID, I-summer of 2020, I think we were all in masks. You know, we could-we had a smaller amount of kids at each care site. It is a pretty big district. So we had, you know, maybe four or five schools open for childcare. And it was really only the kids that had parents working in, like, first, or the, like the frontline. So like the the doctors, the dentists, you know, the people that had to go to work. And then this, just this past summer, summer of 2021, masks were optional. We were able to choose all of that if we wanted to. But that is, of course, after the vaccine had come out. And so most of our staff had been vaccinated. You know, we had some kids that would wear a mask, and some that would not, it was totally up to, you know, that family and what they wanted. Same thing for staff members, we had several staff members wear a mask, and several that didn't. It was really, it was really a personal choice for them.
AR 7:52
Now, were you, were you like a teacher aid? Or were you-you said you are at a school, right? Like a local school?
AS 7:59
Yep. So our school district here in Cottage Grove, and Woodbury it's kind of one area. We do-It is called Kids Club. And so they you know, they have it during the school year too, before and after school, but in the summer, it is kind of like a daycare type of thing. So we are not really teaching the kids anything. But we'll do like art projects and games and activities and get to play outside and that kind of thing. It is just more of a structured time for those kids. You know, they learn something when we do our activities, but it's not like, you know, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna teach you a lesson for eight hours of the day.
AR 8:36
Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure. So still being-are still on that topic actually If you-you said you started back in the summer of 2020 and you've been, you know, doing some sort of child care service since then what have you have you like noticed, you know, changes within children within their learning? Are there things that they're like are, are kids behind? Where we-where do you feel that these children are sitting?
AS 9:03
Yeah, I think COVID definitely took a hit on some of our kids. I think it is a positive thing and a negative thing. Negative wise, I think a lot of our kids have fallen behind. Even within my own student teaching, I was with fourth graders, and just a general idea of fourth graders, they should be reading, you know, at a specific level, they should be, you know, spelling words correctly, most high frequency words correctly. But I didn't see that. I had several kids that were like, you know, at the middle of third grade, you know, end of third grade level, which is technically where they're supposed to be for reading. But for spelling, I mean, it was shocking to me to see some of these words that they are spelling incorrectly. So I think that kind of took a hit with that wise, but then, you know, even just with their behaviors, you know some of these things have not been in person in school since second grade. And that is a long time to not be in a school with your friends. So we definitely hit hard on, you know, these social skills that they are going to need to learn. You know, even just walking in the hallway, I mean, it is crazy to see some of these kids, like-we have to walk in a line down the hallway and some of them don't know that. And some of them don't, you know, recognize that anymore. As for, you know, a positive impact a lot of kids did really well with at home learning. And, you know, learning on a Chromebook, a lot of them are really great at typing now, because that is what they had to, that is they had to do. But then the opposite side of that is that their handwriting took a toll. It is just kind of crazy to see, you know, you can type really fast on a computer, but seeing you try to hold a pencil, and it is like, woah, wait a minute, it was back up here, we need to reteach this. But yeah, like I said, a lot of kids did really well, with online learning. But now we are seeing a lot of, you know, anxiety in these kids, you know, they are back at a classroom with, you know, 26 other kids, and it is like, Okay, now what, you know, I'm kind of in this zone, where this is unfamiliar to me. And especially in fourth grade, they are really learning and really like expressing themselves more as people, you know, they start to make those best friends and they start to make, you know, they start to become who they are. And it's, you know, from second grade all the way to fourth grade, it's that it's a big transition time for a lot of kids and seeing that in an online perspective and then jumping right back into an in person learning, it was, it's a big hit for kids, I think they are, they're taking a lot of shock from it the same as their teachers are.
AR 11:45
No, for sure, I was actually just having a conversation with someone, where it's, it's so easy to see all the negatives within COVID. You know, we-everyone's mental health has been hit really hard. I was in college when COVID hit and I felt like I lost a lot of that experience, because I had to move back home. But you know, there are still positive sides, this being a great example, and how, you know, online meetings have become like, such a common thing. And it's, it's very convenient. I've also noticed my, my typing has gotten better, and I go to write, it's not there anymore. And it's little things that you especially take for granted within children. You talking about just like the you know, how important socializing and learning those cues and how these kids don't even know how to like walk in a line? I know, I'm, I'm an elementary ed major, I wouldn't have even thought of that. It's just something you don't think about until you put in that position. That's so crazy, actually. For sure, I know, you touched a little bit on kids having anxiety. Have you noticed anything else? Within you know, like, their mental health within your school district specifically? Like, are you are you having more children with, you know, just really out of the ordinary behaviors? Are you know, it that-yeah,
AS 13:02
yeah, I guess I've really seen an impact on some of my kids with, you know, that are on the Autism Spectrum disorder, and, and, you know, some of my kids with ADHD, you know, going from online learning, you know, that was tough for a lot of them because they had to have that self discipline to sit down at a computer and, you know, do school. But even being in the classroom, it's like, they do not know what to do then either. Big for anxiety, though. I think a lot of kids, you know, they are in a new environment. I think a lot of anxiety with COVID. I know, specifically, one student and I can't say names, but her and her family have decided, you know, they are going to quarantine right before Christmas, because they want to spend it with family. Well then, as for teachers that, you know, that puts a lot of stress on us because now we have to go and you know, get all this schoolwork ready for her. So she is not super far behind when she comes back after winter break. And I know like even with quarantine, and all that kind of stuff, you know, we did have a couple of positive cases in our classroom this fall. And that for a lot of parents was kind of nerve wracking, like Okay, now what, like when my kid has not has not been in school, you know, they were doing virtual learning last year. And now, you know, it is what do we do next? And I think the kids seeing their parents go through that stress has added on to their plate too. But really, I mean, they are great about wearing their masks. I have not had any problems with that. But yeah, just a lot of anxiety for the kids. And I think it's, again with those social, social areas of life to it's just kind of like, okay, now what, and then like I said before, to the that big transition from, you know, second, third grade on to fourth grade, you know, there is It's not only okay, how do I act in real life here and not on a computer screen? But who are my best friends gonna be? Why can't this person be my best friend? Why doesn't that person want to play with me? You know, it's just stuff like that where it's it's a mix of the COVID anxiety and then just being a general fourth grader anxiety.
AR 15:20
Yeah, I can, I can only imagine. So you had mentioned previously, like your parents, and then you talked about you guys as teachers have you, have you gotten like, a lot of pushback? Or what? What have you gotten a lot from parents? Are you getting, you know, are they-are they upset with the way you guys have been doing things? Have they been supporting you? And also like the school board? Have they been pretty flexible within your classroom or, you know, getting a hold of teachers and parents and coordinating that stuff?
AS 15:52
Yeah, so know, for our school, specifically, it was kind of up to the teachers on what they wanted to do, you know, when a COVID case happened to come up in our classrooms. So we kind of decided as a fourth grade team, there was four sections of fourth grade myself as a student teacher, and then there happened to be another student teacher. So we kind of sat down, and we brainstorm and we decided that, you know, if a child is, you know, okay, backing up just a little bit. Last year, a lot of families would decide, oh, my kids doing virtual learning, let's go to Florida for the week, and they oh, they can just do online school there, it's fine. This year, we decided that if your child has COVID, or if they are choosing to quarantine, we will work with you on that and we will, like, we will send work home for your kid. And, you know, push out online lessons on Seesaw or whatever other platform we happen to use. But if you are if you are keeping your child home, or you are going on a vacation, then we could not help you, we did not want to give people that freedom to just kind of choose what they want to do. You know, we that we would have, we would never have a full classroom, if we decided to let kids have a freedom of you know, oh, I'm going to stay home today because I do not really feel like going to school. But that's okay, because I can do it online. We did not want that. So that I think that helped a lot of the parents in my own classroom. Along with my cooperating teacher, they were really great about it. You know, we like I said before, we did have a couple of positive cases. And you know, those parents were really supportive about it. They are like, Oh, my gosh, thank you so much. Like you are putting all this work into sending my kids stuff to do. It was really great. And that was that was really nice to have that support from parents. But I do know that in one of the other classrooms, their parents, not so much a lot of them were like, well, I do not want my kid to wear a mask. And I do not want my kid to do online school. And, you know, I don't like this online school, and oh, my kids not going to do anything, even if you do send it home. So it was just kind of even differences in classrooms was kind of fun to look at, you know, "fun", meaning it's interesting to see the different dynamics of classrooms. But you know, it was very different to see that in different classrooms. And then, you know, how are these parents reacting? A lot of the kids in my class when I left my placement in? About a week ago now-or no, not even a few days ago, even a lot of our parents were, you know, getting their kids vaccinated, and they were ready to go on and move on. And, you know, they're hoping for no masks in the future. But I know not every classroom was like that.
AR 18:38
Right. And so, theoretically, say you had one of those parents from the other classroom, you had one of them, you know, theoretically, you know, if someone in your classroom when you were a student teaching, or if you were a teacher, and they were-they did not like the the different requirements, you know, whether it be masks, or vaccination, like, how are you guys as teachers supposed to go about that? I mean, if
AS 19:03
Yeah, yeah, that was, I know, we had a couple like that, even in the other classrooms. And this is just what, what the other fourth grade teacher did, all we can really do is direct them to the principal, because it's not our choice. It's not even the principal's choice, it was the school board's choice. So I mean, not to say we're going to dump all of our problems on the principal of our building, but they would have better answers for them. For those parents, then what we would all we can say is, well, it's not our choice. You know, we're just following the rules, and we can enforce them. But we didn't make any of them. So it was we did have a couple of those times where parents were mad. And so all we could really do is direct them to the principal and I'm not really sure how he took that and how he went about that.
AR 19:54
No, yeah, for sure. Yeah, to kind of finish up on your student-just specifically on student teaching, what was your overall experience? Did you-do you feel like you're well prepared? Based on COVID? And the experience you did have? Do you feel like you were maybe, you know, cut short? Or how are you feeling?
AS 20:14
I think it went really well. I had a great group of kids. One of the best that my cooperating teacher said she had in the last, you know, 22 years that she's been teaching. I think I would be comfortable even online teaching. I mean, you know, we're sitting here on zoom right now. And I went to school on, on Zoom for a good year and a half. So I'm well versed in it. So I think that could be a possibility. Hopefully, we don't need to go back to a zoom or anything online teaching. But no, I don't think I was cut short at all. I'm glad. Like I said, I'm glad that I got to teach in person. I think that helps a lot. But yeah, it went really well and I'm glad that it happened when it did. And it turned out to be great.
AR 21:04
Good. I'm really glad. I-that-I didn't know what it was gonna be like or what-yeah, that's, that's, I'm really glad. It's good. So moving forward with, you know, just student teaching and moving from the college to the classroom. Well, a classroom to a classroom, if you will, are there any implements from COVID, and the different restrictions we-they had, or the classroom that you taught him that you plan to take with you to your future classroom?
AS 21:32
Yeah, I mean, it all kind of depends on the district, I suppose. But just the way that we have kids set up, you know, we were able to eat lunch in our classroom, you know, that was kind of convenient. For the kids and for us teachers. You know, we didn't have enough staff in our building to, you know, have lunch monitors and adults to supervise the lunchroom. So that's why we chose to eat lunch in our classroom. And it kind of worked out, you know, we were all in our own little bubble. And so it kind of made a lot of I think, our kids, kids ease that anxiety of, okay, now, every fourth grade classroom is in this lunchroom. Now what? But no, I think it helped ease that anxiety of our kids, you know, okay, we're just staying in our own little bubble, you know, because obviously, you have to take a mask off to eat. But yeah, and then it kind of gave the kids just time to relax. And it wasn't like super loud or anything in our classroom, we actually were able to play a movie for them. You know, COVID dependent, I would like that. I think it gave kids that time to just kind of relax and decompress a little bit from our morning. And then you know, they once they were full and ready to go, then they could go out to recess. But that's one thing. I would say that if the school is willing to let me do that I would do.
AR 22:55
Oh neat, I didn't even-yeah, I didn't think about that as eating in your own classroom. That makes a lot of sense. I know. I said I was getting away from the student teaching. But now that I'm thinking as we're talking, I'm thinking as I'm talking and then I totally just forgot what I was gonna say. We might have to hold that thought. Okay, until I come back to that, to get a little bit out of the teaching realm to you personally. I just wanted to ask, What was your biggest challenge during COVID? Actually?
AS 23:28
Yeah, so Covid, I mean, when I was down in Winona, and you know, being a real college student, it was difficult, but yet sometimes easy. I wasn't able to see all of my friends. But I happened to be a roommate with one of my best friends. So I think that helped us both really a lot. You know, we weren't completely alone all the time. And we lived off campus, so we didn't have to, like wear a mask or anything. Just when we were on campus. I think the biggest challenge was self determination, like self dedication to doing school online. I don't do well with learning online. I found that out in COVID very quickly. And but having my roommate there, and she was also elementary education. So we were taking a lot of the same classes, which was kind of nice, you know, we would build our schedules to fit with each other and so we would go to class together, you know, on Zoom. So that helps a lot. Another big challenge was just not being able to see like close, elderly family members. And all like that was always a big concern. You know, I have a great aunt or had a great aunt that, you know, we were very cautious about going to see her because we didn't want to get her sick. My grandpa at the time he was living in assisted living, you know, we couldn't just go in to see him because everything was on locked down. So that was hard. And I know that was hard for my mom, too, that happened to be on her side of the family. But she that, that took that it hurt her hard, because, you know, you went from seeing those people frequently to now we can talk to you through a window. As for school again, you know, it was it's different, you know, I would see my friends at a coffee shop all the time. Well, now, these coffee shops weren't allowing you to go in and sit down and do your homework together. And you had to kind of plan that out. And, you know, all of my friends kind of took COVID The seriousness of it to a different extent, you know, all being serious, but some people were like, Nope, I'm not going to see anybody, I'm going to stay in my house, and I'm going to play it safe. Others were, you know, we can hang out, but let's wear masks, you know, just different levels of that. So it's just kind of like adjusting to how other people want to go about this. And then, you know, how do I want to go about this? You know, what am I comfortable with right now? And, you know, that kind of thing?
AR 26:03
No, yeah, thanks, thanks for sharing that. I know, it's kind of a big hard question, especially to put on the spot. But all those things you mentioned, yeah, those are, you know, not being able to see elderly, the just being disconnected. Like, it's, it's been hard. It's not an easy time. But slowly, we're getting back in some forms of like, normality. I know, there's obviously the new variant coming out. Hopefully, that booster shot can help protect. But I did remember what I was going to ask. So going back to the student teaching, and I mean, just your just your overall childcare experience in general, have you been able to, like build the same relationships and connections with students? I know, you know, probably at the beginning of COVID, when you didn't, you know, you said, the only students that were there were the ones with parents on the front line. But I mean, you were there, you've been there from the start to the end, what is what what is relationship building kind of look like?
AS 27:04
Yeah, so this semester with student teaching specifically, I feel like I built a strong connection with all of my kids. You know, even you know, none of them wanted me to leave. You know, obviously, it's different with a mask on and everything, but I don't feel like I didn't have relationship with any one of my students, I felt like I could relate to them on some level, or to have a conversation with them about something that they did over the weekend, or something that they have come, excuse me have coming up. I don't think I lost any of that. I think that I'm a very relationship based person. So I like to build those relationships, relationships with people and, you know, have connections with them. And I think that it turned out really well, with student teaching. Even my cooperating teacher was saying, you know, even with this hard time, you know, I think you built a strong relationship with every student, and even like the staff members that I was working with, you know, again, it's all kind of personal preference on how we go about things now. But, you know, even with America, you know, social distancing and stuff, I was still able to have relationship with every one of my kids.
AR 28:20
Good. I'm glad that definitely is an important part and I think especially getting back to in person, it was able to-you were able to keep those relationships, not that you couldn't build them online. But you know, it's a lot different, just, you know, doing this everyday versus, you know, physically seeing someone and having them there and, you know, but good. I'm glad. Going back to-I really like to reference you said previously, I know you were talking about your school was understaffed, because that's why you were having the lunches in classrooms. And from what I understand you're done with student teaching, you just graduated, graduated. Congratulations, by the way, what a big accomplishment. Do you have, do you I mean, if-I feel like across the board schools are really hurting for teachers do you have job-like a job lined up? I mean, is COVID affected getting a job for you at all?
AS 28:59
Thank you.
AS 29:16
As of right now? Not really. I do have to wait for my degree to be posted online to my official transcripts. And that usually takes about two to three weeks after our grading period ends, which is next week sometime. (OKAY 29:36) So I know that I can sub with a four year degree and like with the intent that my license is on it is on its way. It kind of depends on the school district. I know a lot of places are hurting, especially our district too. I don't think I'll have a problem finding a job at all. Even if it's just like, a day to day subbing job. Yeah, my cooperating teacher was saying that I, I will work every day of the week if I really want to. But yeah, I don't, I don't think I'll have a problem finding anything. As of right now I could easily go back to Kids Club, you know, during the before and after school care. I could sub as a paraprofessional, whether that's with our special education programs, or, you know, being in the lunchroom or serving lunch or doing recess duty or you know, stuff like that.
AR 30:32
Would you if you could, would you go back to the school that you student taught at?
AS 30:36
I would love to. I would really be happy with any of the schools in our school district, there are actually 16 different elementary schools. So yeah, so we cover a large area. But yeah, I think any of those schools would be great. I know a lot of staff members in every school. Like I said, I grew up in this district. So my own elementary school, the one I student taught at, and then just the different ones that I've worked Kids Club up to, and then just friends and stuff from growing up around here that happened to work in the other school. So I don't think I'd have a problem getting into any of the schools.
AR 31:16
Nice. Well, I mean, it's nice. You got lots of options. What is your certification actually? Because I know like, for me, it's actually, it just recently changed-the year that I came to college, which was 2019. But you could be grandfathered in the old one. So I'm not, not sure what yours is. I'm not even sure what mine is
AS 31:19
Right.
AS 31:36
With my Minnesota license, I will be able to teach kindergarten through sixth grade.
AR 31:42
Oh, okay. Interesting. And that's also elementary ed? (Yeah 31:46) like Elementary. Okay. That's interesting, because I think I'm certified as an elementary ed in Wisconsin, I believe I am first grade through eighth grade. So that's actually really interesting. (Yeah. 31:57) Good. I'm glad. Well, so kind of just to wrap up here, just a few, you know, kind of in the few future looking forward questions here. I think the first one I had is what was -what was like your biggest takeaway for COVID? I mean, you could or if you want to change it to like, what do you take for granted? The most? I know, you kind of mentioned with, what did you find the hardest, but what, what are your biggest takeaways from COVID just in general?
AS 32:23
Yeah, building relationships with people has been more difficult for me, you know, like I said, online, it's, you know, it's not like a face to face relationship at all. Spending time with the people that you like, that you like, and that you love. You know, that's always important, you know, because they might not be there. I know, I'd mentioned before with my grandpa, he is no longer with us. So, you know, just those last few months of his life, you know, I-if we hadn't have moved him into an assisted living, we probably could have spent every day with him. But he, he needed assistance and obviously, we had moved him in before COVID hit. So we weren't, you know, planning to not see him anymore. But that was the best option for him. And so that was kind of a downer for us, you know, we weren't able to go and see him whenever we wanted to. But yeah, just building relationships, I think and maintaining relationships. So it's the biggest thing that I think I'll continue to build on, even when COVID is finished, or maybe not so much in the heat of the moment kind of thing.
AR 33:34
Yeah, for sure. Well, thank you for sharing that. I know, that's emotional and it's a lot here. And I know, of course, stories are gonna appreciate any any information they can give, or that you can give. Is there anything else you really want to talk about within the realm of like school and COVID? Or COVID in general? I mean, anything that really comes to your mind?
AS 33:55
Yeah, I think one thing that really comes to mind is, it'll we can all do really hard things. We're living through a global pandemic, you know, that hasn't happened in 100 years. None of us really know what to do. But I think a lot of us are, you know, we're just rolling with the punches. You know, it's, it's a different time, I don't think the world is going to go back to normal. We're just going to have to kind of create that new normal, and just respecting other people I know. And I don't, I don't like to get into politics, and all that kind of stuff. But everybody has their own opinion. And I think just respecting what people believe in and who they support and whatever, you know, we just need to respect that and go about our days. You know, if you support somebody that I don't like, well, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna be friends with you. It was just not something we talked about. So I think yeah, that's the biggest thing, I think for me is just respecting people and like, we can do hard things like we're living through a global pandemic, we can do this.
AR 35:02
Yeah I, actually, I love that you bring that up. When I interviewed my pastor from back home for my first interview, I asked him something similar like, what, what would you know-is there any last things that you think of with COVID? And he said the say he's like, I” just wish we could be kinder.” We're so politicized right now. It's everything seems so cutthroat I think everyone you know, especially when quarantined first started, and we were all online, all we were were just, you know, on social media and critiquing people, and we were all anxious and our mental health was just tanked. And we were just taking it out on each other. And it's yeah, it's so it's really interesting that you also bring that up too. Because yeah, he was just like, I wish we could just be kinder. Yeah. Oh, great.
AS 35:47
I think that comes from like a - a serving the community type of perspective. You know, he's serving your community as a pastor and I'm sort of serving my own as a teacher. So we definitely see the world and you know, we need to please everybody kind of a lens there.
AR 36:05
Well, that is really all I have for questions for you here. I want to thank you so much for your time. Really ( appreciate it again, with the flexibility I know it's kind of scary-like I'm not gonna lie. It's scary to come on here with like a stranger and ask questions about their personal life, but I really appreciate this. I know the historians will appreciate this. If you want to stay on after and I'll just tell you, I got to send you the sheets. So again, thank you, historians for watching. I'm gonna-we're gonna pause this now.
AS 36:13
Oh, yeah.
AS 36:33
Yeah, absolutely