Distance learning isn’t easy for anyone, and teachers that are teaching hands-on classes are having a time and a half trying to show kids online. When it comes to showing people how to weld or sew, it’d be so much easier to do it in person, right? Mrs. Annette Holland and Mr. Tim Wickersheim both have the challenge of teaching hands-on classes during distance and hybrid learning. 

Annette Holland teaches fashion at Bishop Union high school and in a normal school year would have students working on sewing fundamentals.  This year has looked different. 

“It has been challenging,” Holland said. “The online assignments during distance learning pertained to getting to know each other, learning some basics of Google Slides, Google Classroom, and Google docs, in other words, the tech part of distance learning. We started hybrid learning at the right time as we started classroom safety lessons and learning about the sewing machine. I think four of the cohorts have just begun sewing on the sewing machine, however, the other four cohorts are behind due to no school days (smoke days/holidays/quarantine days).”  

Tim Wickersheim teaches welding and woodshop here at BUHS and a typical school year would look and sound a lot different than it does during distance and hybrid classes.  Wickersheim’s shop is traditionally filled with the sounds of saws and the smell of fresh-cut wood.  That’s all missing this year. 

“It is very difficult teaching a hands-on type class via distant learning,” Wick says. “All I can give is the basics but if the student does not have the tools or supplies at home, it is impossible to teach everything.” 

The school has supplied some classes with certain tools that are needed to participate in the class. Holland said, “Fortunately, the school has allowed me to purchase supplies for everyone to have their own sewing kit with small tools, The DL kids will also get one and I will also be putting together packets of supplies for DL students who need it.” Wick says “I can give students supplies but if they do not have the tools needed the supplies will not be good enough.”

We have been told that students that need to come in and catch up on work/projects can when they feel that they need to. Wick said, “There is time after 2:20 that the students can come. Even D.L students can come to work on the things they need to.”