Interview with a Virtual High School English Teacher, Ep. 3
Amber Van Hale is in her 10th year of teaching high school English for a virtual public charter school in Wisconsin, and she had 5 years experience teaching in brick and mortar schools prior to moving online. In our interview, we talk about how she communicates with her students and coworkers, some of the ways her school has managed to allow the students to connect with each other online and in person over time, and some of the logistical challenges that come with teaching virtually. We cover what her school provides and what she's had to purchase for herself, and she tells us about how she originally set up her work equipment in order to teach from a spare bedroom and some of the improvements she's made to her desk setup over the years. Amber also shares about how she lives with two feline roommates and the effort she makes to get out and form some in-person connections in her small-town community.