By Johnson Yu, staff writer
As schools shifted towards distance learning, so did after-school programs. I have been working as an intern in the SFUSD summer internship program for the past 3 summers but this is the first time I have ever worked virtually.
Before quarantine, I would work in person as a teacher’s assistant, helping the teacher with any chores, paperwork or technical work, along with playing with the students during recess.
When I was able to work in person, I was able to get to know the students a lot better, I was able to talk to them about their interests and whatever was on their mind. But this year has been completely different.I am working with 2nd and 3rd graders, working with them online can be quite difficult. Most of the time, the parents set up the device and leave the kids to learn, which means when they have technical issues, it can’t be helped and there’s nothing I can do, which can be frustrating.
Younger students also often get pretty distracted since they are at home and there isn’t anyone to keep them focused, they play games or watch TV, and completely ignore the teacher; actually pretty similar to how highschoolers are.
While these issues can be hard to deal with, another problem is the teacher I am working with. Throughout other years, I would be in person, being able to communicate and talk to the teachers face to face and to be able to help them with their issues. This year, I am working with a pretty old teacher. We haven’t had the chance to get to know each other, and that puts a barrier between us. She isn’t too great with technology, and she tends to get pretty frustrated when there is a problem on her end. Unlike other years, I can’t be there in person to help when the problems occur. She also gets annoyed pretty easily, whether it is a technical problem or students, she tends to get in a mood and I didn’t really like her vibe after the first couple weeks.
While compared to the in-person days where I was working, this year is considerably easier. I am practically sitting at home, and earning money for looking at a screen and showing some youtube videos. With that said, I don’t like the idea of working virtually. Even though I am working from home, I would much rather be with the students in person, and it would be much more convenient to assist the teacher if he/she has difficulties. I am able to connect with students and teachers much more easily, be able to solve problems faster, and overall a better environment to work from.
