Borderland teachers find ways to build connections through screens as virtual learning gets underway

TORNILLO, Texas (KVIA) --- Starting this coming Monday, the three largest school districts in El Paso will return to classes online. Some smaller districts, like the Tornillo Independent School District, have already been engaging in virtual learning for a few weeks.

One of the biggest differences for school districts this school year is that students are being introduced to new teachers for the first time online.

One first grade teacher at Tornillo Elementary School said she has had to adapt her teaching style. She is now spending more time in the early weeks focused on building strong connections to students through the screen before attempting to tackle tough content. She's using activities like dancing to help, and is giving students time to introduce themselves to the class. She said she's also trying to give students a virtual tour of the classroom they might use if they return to campus later this year.

"What I miss the most about the in-person classes is definitely the connections you make," Sarah Mena said. "When you're in person, you get to see their smiles, or maybe sometimes when they're not having such a good day. I think our facial expressions tell us a lot about people and right now with our masks and not being able to be in person, that's a little bit harder."

Mena urges parents to go with the flow and reach out for help if necessary as soon as possible.

"I think as teachers, we all know the best way to teach is hands on," she said. "It's communicating with one other, for them to be able to talk to one another. Now that we're virtual, that hands-on component, that communicating with each other is now gone, so I definitely think that's going to be a challenge. I know all of us teachers, we're going to find a way."