Shawnee Teacher Adapts To Distance Learning

In week two of distance learning one high school math teacher in Shawnee says so far so good. She, like so many others is working from home while trying to balance work and family.

Whitney Gonzales has been teaching math for 16 years. And every day just like her students she's learning something new.

“We don’t want kids hungry. We want kids happy and healthy because that’s what matters. Family matters first and I know I’m praying for everybody and I hope everyone is okay,” said Jim Thorpe Academy math teacher Whitney Gonzales.

These days her dining room double’s as a classroom for both her 60 plus high school students and her two children.

“Attendance is always an issue and now we’re trying to get them to login to school. It’s a new challenge there,” said Gonzales “It’s hard when it’s your own kid. Give me other people’s kids I can get them to do the assignment, my own kid it’s like no, mom I’m not doing that.”

Gonzales said while students are no longer in the classroom she’s only one click away.

“A lot of mine message me, some prefer Zoom, but for the most part they like to screenshot a problem and email it to me. So I help them that way,” said Gonzales.

She said the continued education brings calm during uncertain times.

“It kind of gave them something to focus on. When you’re scared and things like that you try to focus on something positive,” said Gonzales,

“It gives them a sense of normalcy, for example my daughter just seeing her teacher gave her so much joy.”

And with the world seemingly at a standstill, Gonzalez and her family are taking advantage of the slowdown.

“All of a sudden I’m cooking dinner and the kids are like oh, mom you still can cook? It’s been kind of fun getting to hang with them a little bit,” said Gonzales.