Marathon High School graduate Dayle Vera came back “home” to teach for two years in the school’s chemistry department. But when her husband, a member of the U.S. Air Force, received orders to serve in the United Kingdom, she knew she and their infant son, Liam, would be joining him in the move.
The recent advancements in technology combined with a global pandemic have made Vera’s new completely virtual gig seem almost normal, despite the 4,456-mile distance between teacher and student for the past two months.
“I personally like how Mrs. Vera teaches virtually, I like how much she interacts with her students without even being here,” said student Cole McDaniel. “Not only does she teach us chemistry, but she keeps her students fascinated with details of how the time, money and temperature are so different in the U.K.”
Vera “goes” to school every day. As the students walk into the classroom, she pops up on the smart board through the Google Meet app, ready to greet her students. A paraprofessional is present in the room to help make sure students are staying on task, and to complete duties such as passing out papers. All assignments are posted and turned in online through Google Classroom.
Vera says the most challenging part of teaching so far away is that she can’t share those tangible moments with her students, but her favorite part of teaching is true whether in a virtual setting or in person.
“I get to share my knowledge with you!” she said.
