Schools look different wherever you Go
With the COVID-19 crisis far from over, you might be curious to know what “back to school” looks like. What are schools doing around the world?
- In the Netherlands, some schools have installed plexiglass shields around students’ desks and had hand sanitizer dispensers readily available.
In Australia, COVID-19 measures differ by area. While some schools have implemented staggered school schedules, others have resumed face-to-face teaching.
Denmark and Finland staggered their re-openings by opting for the younger children to return first because they believe they are less likely to spread the virus. Teachers emphasize everyone washing hands every two hours and social distancing.
In Singapore, as in many other countries, alternative day scheduling offers a solution to overcrowding and enables a way to improve social distancing.
In Vietnam, COVID-19 safety measures include temperature checks, masks, and hand washing.
In Switzerland, school classrooms are half-capacity, and desks are pushed six feet apart for COVID-19 safety measures.
What are ISP teachers doing?
In Ecuador, Before the pandemic, ISP staff members and educators in Ecuador had already designed two online courses to help teachers develop professionally. Moodle, Zoom, and WhatsApp are the leading teaching and connecting tools.
In Mongolia, more than 200 teachers subscribed to a teacher’s Facebook group. With teachers living far apart in this sparsely populated nation, social media offers another way to connect through Facebook or Zoom.
In Russia, teachers like Irina meet weekly with parents and discuss the ISP Parenting curriculum. They also teach lessons from the ISP DreamMakers curriculum weekly to her class.
In Zimbabwe, teachers use the WhatsApp’s chat feature and communicate by text. Our colleague has asked questions via text and receives responses as he trains and coaches teachers.
