Randolph-Macon Academy teachers and students have truly embodied the boarding school’s tagline, “The Power of Rise,” throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic. The R-MA administration had been carefully monitoring the situation since the coronavirus had arrived in the U.S., and the faculty had begun preparing for closing the physical campus and moving to online classes.However, the rapid change to the situation in early March caused school officials to make that decision slightly earlier than anticipated, and on March 12th they announced that Friday, March 13th, would be the final day of classes on campus. The teachers were given two work days, March 16th and 17th, to finish completing their lesson plans for online classes, and on Wednesday, March 18th, virtual classes began.
The transition was nearly seamless. R-MA’s decision to invest in 1:1 technology two years ago now provided the necessary tools. The teachers continued on as if they had not just been issued a challenge that has changed the way they conduct their day-to-day classes, and in some cases (such as PE) has caused them to rewrite entire lesson plans. The students continued with a full class day schedule; while teachers might “release” them early to work on assignments, the regular class day has continued, complete with tutorial sessions, which kept the instructional burden on the teachers, rather than placing it on the parents.
“I believe that having a consistent daily structure and online instruction has created some normalcy for both the students and myself,” commented World History teacher Andrew Harriman ‘82. “On the first day of classes, the students were all genuinely happy to see each other. In a world of social distancing at this moment this level of connectivity has been extremely beneficial for them; and I have enjoyed being able to stay connected as well and continue to do what I love; teaching students.”
Helen Babineau of Front Royal, who has a sophomore and a senior at the Academy, commended the R-MA leadership for the speed of their response to the situation and for the program put in place. “As a parent of a senior and a sophomore, I have witnessed numerous classes functioning in “online” mode,” she said. “To any naysayers or doubters I can testify that my kids are continuing to learn and be challenged at home. If anything they look forward to their classes more than ever, because this is their only time connecting with others outside our family.”
Read the full story at https://rma.edu/blog/when-virtual-becomes-vital
