Teacher who taught three simultaneous classes: This could be the start of change
Mathematics teacher Triin Meritam spoke on the morning show "Terevisioon" about an enhanced teaching pilot project in which one teacher conducts lessons simultaneously in three different classrooms. According to her, student feedback was very positive and the results of graded assignments at the end of the course were well above average.
"We participated in a pilot project for enhanced teaching with our team, which meant that I taught three classrooms at the same time," explained mathematics teacher Triin Meritam. "I was alone in my own classroom, while the students were spread out across Estonia."
According to Meritam, this method of teaching is inevitable in the future because there simply aren't enough qualified teachers. "We can't assume that the way we teach mathematics will stay the same forever — it should and must evolve."
She said that the experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic gave her the confidence to even attempt teaching in three classrooms at once. "The difference is that during the pandemic, I was teaching from home, in my own environment. This time, the lessons required more preparation because we were trying out new approaches. We used video clips in class that students could rewatch at home."
Meritam taught from an empty classroom, communicating with students via screen. At each remote site, there was also a person present in the classroom to ensure order and prevent cheating.
"The same system can be applied in classrooms with different learning levels, for instance, when some students need more time," Meritam noted. "In that case, a support teacher can work with the slower learners."
"You speak a bit more intensively during class, and you think ahead about the moments when students might have questions. Feedback for the course was very positive and the results on graded assignments were well above average."
According to Meritam, the overall student feedback score was 7.3 out of 10.
She changed activities every 20 minutes. "So the student isn't just looking at me on a screen the whole time — they're using more of their potential. It took more energy, because it's a bit harder to engage students through a screen."
"This project is continuing and could be the beginning of real change," she added. "A similar enhanced teaching project for physics teachers is also starting in Ida-Viru County."
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Annika Remmel
