How teachers are preparing for more distance learning

Are many classes going to close in March? A question that arises acutely with the deterioration of the health situation in several departments, linked in particular to the circulation of variants of the coronavirus. A situation which also leads scientists to recommend strengthening social distancing measures.

Many teachers apprehend this potential increased use of distance education. Because they kept a very mixed memory of home school during the first confinement.
A report of the General Inspectorate of National Education (IGESR) published in January also underlined the black spots of distance education during this period: technical or equipment problems, poor coordination of teachers, who gave too much work with the students or not enough, revisions rather than teaching new concepts… But according to Edouard Geffray, the director general of school education, things should really go better this time: “We have made schools available. educational continuity plans to help them organize distance learning. And each academy now has a “pedagogical continuity” referent who can help the teams, ”he explains.

“I am absolutely no better equipped than during the first confinement”

If improvisation is no longer in order, not all problems are solved. First of all, the teachers’ lack of computer equipment, as evidenced by Jade, a primary school teacher, who responded to our call for witnesses. “I am absolutely no better equipped than during the first confinement. The equipment used is mine (computer, telephone, paper, printer, etc.). Nothing was provided. I don’t have a webcam and I refuse to get one with my personal money, ”she explains. “An IT bonus of 150 euros will be paid at the end of February to teachers, in order to finance part of their computer equipment purchases,” recalls Edouard Jeffray. But for the SNUipp-FSU union, its amount is not sufficient to really solve the problem of the under-equipment of teachers.

Many students still do not have sufficient computer equipment. And this, despite the fact that “the national digital team sometimes sends computers urgently with 4G connection kits”, underlines Edouard Jeffray. “A good number of students live in the white zone, others do not have a computer and, for some families, Internet access is limited to a cell phone or a tablet,” observes Eric, SVT teacher.

More virtual classrooms on the way

On the digital pedagogy side, the shoe still remains. However, according to Edouard Jeffray, the training effort has been significant in recent months: “125,000 teachers have followed sessions on distance education via the Canopé network, and tens of thousands of others have been trained on the subject. by their academy ”. But many teachers have fallen through the cracks. Like Isabelle, a French teacher at college: “Since last March, we have only received a 1-hour training session on Pronote’s functionalities,” she explains.

Suddenly, some have managed on their own, like Céline, who works in kindergarten: “I trained personally or with colleagues, on my personal time, in the use of different videoconferencing platforms, tools such as school blogs. or padlets, ”she explains. Ditto for Johanna, who works in pro high school: “We trained ourselves on Teams”, says the one who will now be doing video lessons.

Like her, many teachers have taken the plunge with video, according to Edouard Jeffray: “In January, we counted 2.1 million virtual classes carried out from the Cned site” My class at home “. Not to mention the teachers who use academic platforms to teach their lessons via video ”. But Alexis, a French teacher at college, would take care not to abuse it: “We have to find the right balance: too many virtual classes increase the risk of dropping out; not enough and the pupils feel abandoned ”.

The fear of “losing students”

Regarding the organization of courses and homework at a distance, progress has been made at the local level since the first confinement, according to Edouard Jeffray: “The establishments all now have an internal person who ensures the coordination of the teaching team, to make so that the timetables are respected, that the teachers do not plan two virtual remote classes, that the students’ workload is well distributed throughout the week ”. And some establishments have better prepared the pupils: “We trained them to use the computer tool (send an email, place an attachment, save a file and find it)”, explains Eric, SVT teacher at the college.

But this better organization would not make it possible to keep all the students afloat according to some teachers, who fear that children will drop out in the event of a new period of distance learning, “If that were to happen, I fear losing around 50 to 70%. of my students. The causes are multiple: very low school level, little or no help at home, parents not wanting to supervise homework or not knowing how to go about it to be effective ”, testifies Jade, teacher in REP schools. To avoid this pitfall, Céline wants “to be more insistent with families on the obligation of education, with a mandatory return on the learning of their children at home”.

Another risk: that teachers will again be forced to revise their educational objectives downwards, as during the first confinement. The IGESR report underlined that some had “ confined to revisions ”. But for Edouard Jeffray, the risk is limited: “The confinement lasted a month and a half. There, if we close a class, it will be for a week or ten days. The hole in the racket is not the same and it is an opportunity to consolidate learning ”. “The solution might be to reduce the volume of programs,” suggests Abdel, a college teacher.