Ms. Dow is currently a student teacher in the OA English department! She works and teaches with Mrs. Binney and Ms. McLaughlin and is slowly taking over their classes and grading in order to learn and experience on what teaching is really like. When asked about her time at OA, she says “it has definitely been a great experience so far, and I have learned so much already. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester holds”.
Ms. Dow got into teaching through her love of words and books and her drive to share that gift with others. In addition to that some of the most influential people in her life have been teachers that have pushed her to be a better reader and writer. One of her goals is to have that same impact on a student that her teacher’s had on her.
“I really want to be able to make a difference in people’s lives through literature!”
Sadly, due to Covid-19 Ms. Dow’s student teaching timeline has been accelerated so she can only really spend 2 months here with us, this makes it “harder to get to know everyone in such a short time period.” Also the virus has completely shifted what she thought her student teaching experience would be like she “never could have imagined having to balance teaching kids virtually and in-person all while wearing a mask”.
Since so much has changed in the world Mrs. Dow’s time here is a lot different than what she had originally expected. However, thankfully, people-wise she was not disappointed, saying that everyone has been wildly welcoming and kind throughout her experience here.
“I definitely feel lucky to be experiencing something so difficult with people who continue to remain so focused on the well-being of their students and coworkers”
Balancing in person and online students is not something Ms. Dow (or any teacher) was necessarily prepared for, it is harder to stay on track when complications are much easier to come by due to potential microphone, connection, and network errors. Additionally the inconsistency of the class sizes is something that she and all the teachers will have to get used to. However despite the obstacles she and all the teachers “are trying new things everyday and are doing our best to make it work”.
When asked about her thoughts on the attitude of students in reaction to all the Covid changes, Ms. Dow noticed that students seem excited to be back at school as opposed to being cooped up at home. However she has definitely heard the opposite as well, not being able to see friends at lunch or in the halls seems difficult even to her and likely ” gives school a different vibe for a lot of people”. Even the 6 feet apart arrows cause annoyance, making certain routes to class a lot longer than usual. Not to mention the use of technology skyrocketing can definitely be draining, however overall she notices that students “are excited to be here and to see their friends and teachers again”.
We are so excited to welcome Ms. Dow to the Oliver Ames family even if it is for a short time!