Class act

If there’s a belief that sustains the Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECEE) program at Concordia, it’s that learning begins — and can only begin — when students feel secure. 

This applies as much to the roughly 160 undergrads enrolled in the program as it does to the children whose learning needs they’ll be entrusted with, both as student teachers and, eventually, as professional teachers with classrooms of their own. 

The challenge over the last year has been adjusting to create an optimal learning environment during a pandemic. It’s a responsibility that ECEE director and faculty member Nathalie Rothschild had to confront when COVID-19 abruptly compelled the university and schools across Montreal to close last March. 

Rothschild manages classroom internships, where student teachers are paired with a cooperating teacher for weeks at a time. The coronavirus threw this experiential cornerstone of the program into disarray. “We had to go through some very quick changes to our courses and, in my case, with students who were just starting their final internships,” says Rothschild. 

“We had to think of alternative ways for them to develop the competencies required of teachers, but in a completely different context. 

“Our approach had to become more theoretical. It was a difficult shift for faculty and students. Our first Zoom class after the lockdown was very emotional.” 

Sandra Martin-Chang, a professor whose research focuses on childhood cognitive development with respect to reading, was moved by her students’ grace under pressure. 

“They handled the change with a lot of courage. ECEE tends to attract very bright and high-quality people. Everyone asked, ‘How can I help?’”

A new way to evaluate 

The program promptly adapted to ensure that students on track to graduate could do so remotely. 

Then, over the summer, after it was announced that Quebec’s primary and secondary schools could reopen, Rothschild thought a lot about other pivots the program could make. One of the most significant required a tech assist from the Department of Education’s Technical Office. 

With children back in classrooms as of September, ECEE students could resume their internships. But because of COVID-related protocols, Rothschild and other supervisors couldn’t evaluate them in person. Enter remote observation kits. Provided by the Faculty of Arts and Science, the kits — which consist of an iPad, tripod and microphone — have proven remarkably effective. 

“We can see the entire class, which is great because when students teach a lesson they’re often not staying in the same place — especially in kindergarten,” says Rothschild. “I can also hear my students when they’re having individual conversations with the children, or when they’re talking to themselves about what to do next. When I’m there in person, I don’t pick up on that.” 

After the pandemic, Rothschild anticipates a hybrid model where the advantages offered by the kits are leveraged, particularly at schools at a remove from Concordia’s downtown campus.

‘Kids are constantly learning new things’ 

Still, technology is an imperfect substitute. Effective teaching involves trust and emotional connectivity. 

The pandemic has interfered with this in a number of ways. Many four-, five- and six-year-olds started school in the fall for the first time, only to be met by teachers wearing expression-masking personal protective equipment. 

“We’re talking a lot about how this year has been different for kids,” says Rothschild. “Play looks very different because of the sharing of materials and the physical space required for it. Teachers can’t convey an encouraging smile the same way, or give a reassuring hug or pat on the back.

“A lot of kindergarten kids in Montreal are in a second- or third-language context. And it’s very difficult to understand your teacher through a mask, particularly when it’s not your mother tongue. But many teachers have found very creative solutions, like recording themselves reading a story. They show the video in class and turn the pages so the kids can track their facial expressions and see their mouth moving.”

While the pandemic has provoked a lot of anxiety, Martin-Chang has faith in the natural resilience she’s observed in children as well as teachers.

“Children are like water, they cut a path where there is none. And the best teachers know how to facilitate this. I’m confident most kids will come out of this having learned what they need to learn.” 

The key, notes Martin-Chang, is to first address their emotional needs. “The first need is safety and connection. Are they surrounded by adults who care about them and who know what they’re doing? Once that’s in place, kids thrive. Think about it. Kids are constantly learning new things. Their rate of experiencing change far exceeds that of an adult.”

‘Developing deeper connections’