Grants Pass teachers on in-person learning during the pandemic

Oregon officials recently announced new school reopening guidelines that would allow in-person instruction for about 20% of Oregon students. But some schools in rural and less-populated areas have already been open for months. Austyn McNew, a teacher at Fort Vannoy Elementary School in Grants Pass, has been teaching his 17 second graders in person since September. First-grade teacher Rachel Sorenson of Parkside Elementary School in Grants Pass has also been teaching her 15 students, but in a “hybrid” model with both in-person and remote instruction. We talk with McNew and Sorenson about what returning to the classroom is like as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Contact “Think Out Loud®”

If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.