LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — The adjustment from in-person to virtual learning hasn’t been easy for every student, and that’s why Leander Independent School District is making sure they catch the issues early on and work with the student during tutoring sessions.
“We are having to be flexible and having to stay on our toes,” said Laurin Roy, a fifth grade teacher at Akin Elementary in Leander ISD.
As teachers adjust to the changes, so too must the students, but teachers at Akin Elementary are making sure students don’t fall behind.
“At Akin, we actually have a dedicated time in our schedule called ‘WIN.’ It stands for ‘What I Need’,” Roy said. “It is a time when we are able to look at what kids specifically need during their learning.”
For students who chose to return to the classroom, a teacher can meet one-on-one with the student during this time to address the students needs. When it comes to virtual students, a Zoom call can turn into a private tutoring session.
“With our virtual kiddos we are actually able to put them in break out rooms,” Roy said. “So we can put specific kids if they need specific skills in this room, and we can also put kids in their own rooms and pop in and out so we are still able to meet with those kids just on a different platform.”
Darby Tobolka, an instructional coach at Akin, says teachers are also making sure they have a strong relationship with students. This is one way to pinpoint students who might need extra help.
“When we see a student struggling we always say what kind of relationship do you have with the kid? Do you know what they do outside of school? Do you know what they like?” Have you tried getting some of their interests in? Because if we can work on that relationship a lot of times it fixes some of the other problems,” Tobolka said.
The school says “WIN” time is also used to make sure students who are mastering their lessons are being pushed further to succeed even more.
The school also says they rely on other students in the classroom that have mastered a lesson to help students that might be struggling.