Montclair School Video Shows 'Hybrid' Classroom From The Inside

MONTCLAIR, NJ — As a parent, it’s tough trying to adjust to remote or in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. But when you’re a teacher – and you have to do both at once – things can get even trickier.

After starting the year with all-online classes, the Montclair Public School District is preparing to switch to a “hybrid” model that includes some in-person learning later in November.

The district hit a speed bump when a case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Watchung Elementary School, pushing back the reopen plans to Nov. 16 for pre-K to grade 5, and Nov. 30 for grades 6 to 12.

• See related article: Montclair Schools Delay Reopening After COVID-19 Case

In an effort to address safety concerns from local parents, administrators recently released a video that shows what a hybrid classroom will look like. Watch it here.

The video also highlights the tricky task Montclair educators will face when they try to teach students learning at home remotely and in their classroom – at the same time.

For example, the days of blackboards are in the past. When the district switches to its hybrid model, teachers will have to juggle a laptop computer, a desktop computer and a smartboard/whiteboard.

Teachers will also have to master the art of continually switching their attention between students in the classroom and the monitors of their computers, which show students who are learning at home.

Dubbed “dual modality teaching,” it takes some getting used to. That’s why all teachers are getting professional development to get them up to speed before students return, district officials said.

“As we approach a return to our buildings, we ask for your patience as guidance from the state and health authorities is ever-changing,” Superintendent Jonathan Ponds wrote in a letter to the school community on Nov. 2.

“We are making decisions based on a review of all the data at hand from the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Health Department, the Montclair Heath Department, and our medical team,” Ponds said, adding that the central office is working with administrators in the buildings and the Montclair Education Association to provide students a “high-quality educational experience.”

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