The Cyber Stigma: Changing the Social Perception of Cyber School

By: Peter Mysels, High School Social Studies Teacher

Once per month, my immediate family and I all meet at my mom’s house to partake in another of what we call “Haircut Night”. It is a Mysels tradition. My aunt is a hair dresser and we use the first Tuesday of every month to get together, get a trim around the edges, and enjoy a meal. Last month’s Haircut Night was a particularly memorable one. 

“So when are you going to work in a real school?”

 
My aunt asked me this as I was getting my haircut. I could tell by her tone that she hadn’t intended to be rude or belittle me, my school, or cyber schools in general. It was merely a case of having little background or understanding on a particular topic, in this case cyber schools, and what they can do for students, for teachers, and what possibilities they have in the education field in the future. 

There seems to be an unfortunately common stigma in our society that cyber school teachers are not cut out for “real” school – “real” referring to “brick and mortar” type schools. Often correlated to this is the perception that teaching in a cyber setting is simple compared to “traditional schooling”. This perception is inaccurate.

Teaching in a cyber setting has taught me so much, not just about pedagogical strategies, but about motivating students, accommodating a diverse population, and developing a genuine relationship with my classes.

The teachers I have collaborated with in the cyber setting display a constant desire to learn more about effective pedagogical techniques and tools to help motivate and engage our students. It takes a creative and determined mind to achieve a high level of engagement when one’s student body lies behind a screen.

We share ideas to help each other’s classes expand and develop to best meet the needs of our students and make class an exciting place to be. Tools and programs such as Nearpod, Kahoot, Padlet, Quizlet, and Google Applications are all a part of the lessons designed here, incorporating group collaboration as well as independent learning. These are a common sight in cyber schools such as PA Distance.

We bring variety into our daily lessons, transitioning to motivation within the students as we move away from the typical “sit and get” strategy and more to one that utilizes the tools, programs, and techniques that modern education has to offer.

The diverse student population puts a challenge on the plate of cyber school teachers. Our students come from all over the state. Some stem from wealthy areas, while others come from predominantly low income areas. Some come from more urban settings while others come from more rural areas. Many of our students require various accommodations and modifications based on their individual needs.

To meet these needs and to set our students up for success in the best way possible, we constantly need to be adapting, learning, and growing as teachers to help accommodate students that come from various backgrounds.

Teaching students in a cyber setting requires an extra amount of effort to get to know them as individuals. We get to know our students on a genuine level through the phone calls, conferences, emails, and chats over the course of a day, semester, or school year. We know their strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, and dreams for the future. Cyber schools prove that one does not need physical face-to-face contact to learn a lot about someone and help them on their path to success.

I would like every cyber school teacher reading this to challenge the question, “When are you going to work in a real school?” Remove the stigma that cyber school teachers do not match up to “brick and mortar” teachers by explaining just how much we do for our students to help them succeed and make school an accepting and inviting place to be.

This is not to explain how cyber school teachers are more skilled or knowledgeable than brick and mortar teachers, but rather, to showcase how cyber schools and their amazing teachers are certainly just as “real” as those in traditional classrooms and their amazing teachers.