WILLIAMSON COUNTY (WSIL) -- This Fall, many school districts opted to move to online remote learning. News 3 caught-up with a local family and teacher to find out how the first quarter went.
Cassi Steinsultz has four children in school this year, a freshman in high school, a sixth-grader, a first-grader, and one in Pre-K.
"It took us a while to get in the groove. I do not say this lightly when I honestly say I was in tears that first week," said Cassi.
Her six-year-old named Tori said she likes school at home but admits she misses her friends.
"Usually, I'm comfortable with all my friends in just one class instead of in two classes because it is kind of hard to see all of them," explained Tori.
At the beginning of the semester, her kids were in the classroom every Tuesday and Thursday until around noon.
"We're thankful to be out of the house those two half days. You know, it just to gives you some kind of sense of normalcy," said Cassi.
On the other weekdays, they're home doing school work that Cassi said sometimes lasts into the night.
"I'm not an educator. Schools have a purpose, and the home has a purpose, and they are not the same purpose."
She said her husband had to set a rule of no more homework after 6:30 p.m.
"To get everybody's everything done by 6:30 p.m. is difficult, but if we do not have that rule, then we are all stressed out and grouchy, and trying to still push all night long. We will go until bedtime doing [homework]."
Cassie's family lives in Marion and works at Adams School, where three of her children attend. Her husband has a full-time job, and on his lunch break, he picks up their oldest daughter from Marion High School. Adjusting to this schedule has been a challenge for her and her family.
"It's at no fault to teachers. Everybody is wonderful, and everybody is doing the best they can, but it is a lot of pressure on these kids," said Cassi.
It's also a lot of pressure on educators. Carbondale Teacher Cassandra McGhee said there is always a problem when dealing with technology.
McGhee is a fourth-grade teacher at Lewis School in Carbondale, and she never imagined her first year of teaching like this.
"I've just learned to give, give a lot of grace in that area. Students getting kicked out, I give them more time to complete an assignment," said McGhee.
McGhee started the Fall semester teaching online fully remote with a clock-in time for class at 8:30 a.m. Every morning she showed up to an empty classroom, a room her 22 students had never seen in person.
"I feel like they've gotten a better hang of it. We still have issues, but it's no one's fault. It's always a technology issue. A glitch or internet systems going down," explained McGhee.
She uses a program called Google Classroom. While preparing during the summer, at the time she called "information overload," her goal was to navigate through all the programs with confidence so she could help her students do the same.
"I say, constantly to my parents and my students, we're in this together. It is okay. We are going to have some hiccups."
McGhee is also a mother of three boys, so she understands the pressure from both sides. She and her husband work full-time and then go home and try to help the kids with homework.
"I think with me being a parent, having to deal with remote learners, I empathize with the parents, and I'm like, okay, I get why you're lashing-out, so I'm not going to lash back out at you."
McGhee said she has felt like she wasn't giving her best to her kids. That's because she and her colleagues don't stop working after they clock out.
"There are weekends where I'm still working and planning, just trying to figure out a better way to present things to the students where they're not frustrated, where parents aren't frustrated," explained McGhee.
McGhee said when she and the other teachers get frustrated, she's grateful they have each other to lean on.
She said now that they are into the second quarter, some of her students are finally in the classroom with her, but she has a message for those students who will remain home for class.
"If I don't get to see some fully remote students, I will pay a home visit. At least stand outside of their home to see them."
Both McGhee and Cassi said they want to make it through remote learning successfully, with no learning lost.
"I think it's just a whole new world, and everybody's doing the best they can navigating it all."
They both look forward to things going back to normal.
McGhee now sees about eight of her students in-person at school, four days a week, with full remote learning on Wednesdays. Cassi's children are now going to school Monday through Thursday and are full remote on Friday's.
