Finding Joy and Silver Linings with Floriane Siegel
Floriane Siegel, a first-grade teacher at Poly, has jumped in with both feet both as a teacher and as a community member with her efforts to help protect health care workers and others. Her enthusiasm and vitality inspire students and fellow colleagues alike with her willingness to shift and adapt to the challenges ahead of our world now.
When asked about how she sees the way her teaching has grown and adapted she says, “It's been amazing to see everyone's creativity as we quickly shifted to virtual learning! I feel like I've been given so many opportunities to use my time meaningfully and really be open to learning. I've always been a very "tech-savvy" teacher and I deeply value technology as a tool for education (my Masters thesis was on technology integration!) but this experience has opened my eyes to how different my classroom can be when we return to campus (in a good way)! I’ve also been wearing A LOT more costumes to brighten up my students’ day!”
And for those who have wondered how the younger students at Poly have adapted in the virtual classroom, Siegel observes, “I've always known that first-graders were very technologically advanced, but it's been truly amazing to watch them in action on Zoom, FlipGrid, SeeSaw, and a variety of other platforms. They're often teaching each other about different ways to use technology. I've also been deeply impressed with their commitment to completing work and continuing their education largely independently. We should never underestimate our youngest students!”
And from all the joyous interactions Siegel has shared with the Poly community, it is apparent that although teaching and learning may look a bit different now, the care and support from teachers like Floriane Siegel has not. If anything, that care has grown.
As for finding ways to refuel and find hope in these times, Siegel adds, “My two-year-old daughter, Charlotte, brings me endless joy! The time I've been able to spend with her at home has been such a gift (and exhausting)! I've also been able to sew masks to donate all over the country, both to health care professionals and civilians. Since mid-March, we have sewn over 1000 masks in our home and raised over $10,000 in donations for the American Nurses Foundation COVID Fund.”
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