Broken Arrow Students Catch Up On School Work; Teachers Meet, Lesson Plan During Distance Learning Day

While school is back in session in-person, school districts occasionally use a distance learning day, like during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Friday looks a little different at Oliver Middle School. The halls and desks are empty, but students and staff are still working hard.

"A lot of times you will hear people say, well why are we still doing this, if it's not covid anymore, really virtual learning could happen at any point, if we have snow days, we can't predict the weather, if there's any reason we have to be out of school, it keeps the kids in practice," said Katy Lewis-Jones, an 8th Grade English teacher at Oliver Middle School.

Friday is one of the district's virtual learning days. The students stay home to do classwork while the teachers have meetings and plan lessons.

Lewis-Jones spent the morning meeting with the English Department and met with her grade level. Then, she spends the afternoon grading papers.

She said she loves bouncing ideas off other teachers and getting different perspectives.

"Just being able to meet with people who are doing the same things, just across the district, we would have no way to know really what they are doing, so it gives us a chance to connect, kind of gives us a chance to talk about what are you doing in your classroom and how are you doing this," she said.

Lewis-Jones said students can catch up on their work and take a breather from the normal school day.

"We've worked all week on one particular concept or skill, so today is a day that they will review it all, so I don't introduce anything new today. It's kind of just to sum up what we've done all week," she said.

She said using technology and figuring out how to learn from home is a skill students need to keep sharp.

"This is a way to also keep that in practice, and really technology is just here, and we might go kicking and screaming, but it's here, and it gives us an opportunity to use it, and just keep the kids in a practice," she said.

The district plans to have a distance learning day on the first Friday of every month.