Faulty browsers, sibling cameos, the occasional frantic dog tail in the corner of a screen: These are a few of the daily surprises that scatter focus and make remote teachers like Jimi’ Rogers into air traffic controllers of virtual space.
A day in the life of Ms. Rogers, a third grade teacher at L.O. Kimberly Elementary School in Atlanta, is a window on how much of the learning environment of the pandemic seems out of her control. On a typical day, only three-fourths of her class shows up, and Ms. Rogers has only met four of her pupils in person through tutoring at the school and home visits.