Kelly Armstrong isn’t afraid of change. In the middle of a pandemic, she parted with a preschool she ran for 23 years, went back to school to begin working on a master’s degree in education, and accepted a position teaching second grade at Saint Joseph Regional School in Somers Point.
“Teaching is breathing for me,” said Armstrong, expressing joy in her new platform at Saint Joseph. She said she had been thinking about making a change, and the pandemic gave her the extra push. When she met Saint Joseph principal Janice Fipp in August, there was a connection right away. “I feel like it was meant to be,” she said.
While Armstrong acknowledges the extra time it takes to plan at a new school, in a new grade and with new technology, she believes her colleagues are working just as hard, and she is grateful for their support and collaborative spirit. “I’ve been welcomed with open arms,” she said. “[Other teachers] say, ‘We’re learning to navigate this unchartered territory together … welcome aboard.’”
She feels at home in her new classroom as well.
“I’m in awe of my students,” she said. “They have adapted to the changes, the wearing of the mask, the wearing of the shield, social distancing. They’re having fun. They’re smiling and interacting.”
In an icebreaker at the start of the year, Armstrong asked them to describe their favorite place. “Several said, ‘Here, now, in school’ and that was the first or second day of school,” she said.
With limited opportunities for group work or other close contact, Armstrong has found new ways to be creative with her class, recognizing that, even without COVID-19, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Nature walks and outdoor time in general offer a welcome break from the classroom. The class uses yardsticks to measure appropriate distances, and every student has a plastic stool to bring outside.
Inside, Armstrong and her students “blast off” together like astronauts when it’s time to wear face shields. To encourage projection behind the masks, she tells them they can use their outside voices to read aloud. And then she will re-read the page just to be sure everyone heard it.
From a family of educators, Armstrong is the only one to have returned to a live classroom. “I feel blessed to be here, face-to-face teaching with my students,” she said. “Every day I go home and my husband says, ‘You’re so lucky. I want to go back.’”
Armstrong is realistic but unafraid to be teaching live. “I’m not in denial. I’m cognizant of the health risks of COVID. At Saint Joseph Regional School we have so many health and safety practices in place. … I feel like it’s a great place to be.” she said.
“My biggest hope for the year is that I reach and support each student and that they progress and learn under my care. And academics aside, that I’m in tune with their social and emotional needs. It’s a different kind of year and I need to be cognizant of that.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
