Page 42 - DistanceLearning

Collaboration and

Connections: Rebuilding

New Core Systems

and Re-Imagining Our

Practices

By Katie McGrath, Instructional Coach,
West Brook Middle School, Paramus; and

Deirdre Spollen-LaRaia, Ed.D., Principal,

West Brook Middle School, Paramus

As we rang in the new year on January 1, If there are only two take-aways from our experience, we have
2020, we never would have imagined that learned that first, collaboration and connections are essential
in paving the way for rebuilding new core systems to operate
three months later, in March, which is typ- schools. And second, as we plan for a return, we must re-imagine
ically the time of year when schools begin our practices after remote learning.

to amp up for our end-of-year activities, that Much of the work that we do in schools is in real-time, responding
we would be faced with abruptly closing our to students and staff, and planning based on in-person meetings
and feedback. So when we were thrust into remote learning, we
doors and shifting to remote learning. Buildings needed to quickly rebuild our systems and develop new ways of
closed, frozen in time, remote learning going stronger than we envi- operating. In the words of Albert Einstein, in the middle of difficul-
sioned, and making plans to end the year with creating new ways of ty, lies opportunity. I suppose we found the opportunity during this
celebrating long-standing traditions in non-traditional ways. time to strengthen our connections to our students and collaborate
more with our colleagues. In our early weeks of remote learning,

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