“I live in Pennsylvania for part of each year. As a result, for the past two years, during the months I’ve been away from Anne Arundel County, my ESL student Maria and I have been doing our lessons virtually.
Our tools and methods have been simple. I have emailed the lessons and homework assignments ahead of class. My student has taken pictures of completed work with her phone, then texted those photos back to me. We have talked about the materials that we’ve exchanged with each other during a weekly two-hour online FaceTime call.
I should also say that my student is accustomed to working with a laptop and smartphone, has a reliable WiFi connection at home, and has basic proficiency with a variety of online applications and tools.
Another lesson learned during this time may be worth sharing with AACLC tutors—now more than ever, it’s important to be resourceful, patient and kind. What a crazy time we are all living through!”
