INDIANAPOLIS — Last week, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced schools will not be in session until at least May 1, meaning students teachers and parents will have to get used to a new normal for a while.
“It is hard not to teach in front of real faces, but by in large actually its been really good,” Gregg Nowling, a shop teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School, said.
With the new government mandates to stay home, he’s teaching in his personal workshop.
“So I get to show them projects that i am working on. And I get to work on projects while we talk,” Nowling said.
He said most core classes at Purdue Polytechnic are already taught online, so e-learnig isn’t new to them, but he knows it is for surrounding schools.
“The sooner we can embrace this as the new normal for this school year, the better we are going to be,” Nowling said.
Nowling’s advice to teachers who are about to embark on this new journey is to get ahead.
“If you’re on spring break right now, start learning the technology. Understand how Google Hangouts work or White Board or whatever software it is that you’re using so that when you get there, you’re not struggling,” Nowling said.
And his advice for parents, students and teachers alike is to stick to a routine and treat each day like a regular school day.
“Try to make this as normal as possible,” he said
Nowling said if your child is struggling with a certain subject to not be afraid to reach out to the teacher or other teachers in the department for help.
