By Lisa Morgan
I’ve been teaching for IDLA for nearly two decades. It is safe to say that thousands of students have passed through my digital classroom. Although IDLA students are all based in Idaho, that doesn’t mean they are sitting in their Idaho homes when they are working on my classes! I’ve had competitive athletes who had specialty training sessions in other states or other countries, students in work-study programs in third-world countries, and students whose medical situations required treatment away from home. IDLA classes are easily packed in carry-on luggage or tucked behind the seat of the car, ready to be pulled out when time permits. And I haven’t been stationary, either! I’ve facilitated online learning from numerous Idaho towns, Utah, Oregon, Washington, California, Mexico, France, and Germany.
Distance learning has evolved significantly from the correspondence Spanish class I took in high school. I used a cassette tape recorder to record my attempts at speaking Spanish, then mailed the cassette tape and waited for a few weeks until I received it back with my instructor’s voice. Today, audio and video communication is almost instantaneous, thanks to advances in technology.
Early in my teaching career, IDLA took a very personal turn when my sister was missing one class required for graduation, and was enrolled in an IDLA class to make up the deficit. Her IDLA teacher worked hard to motivate and encourage her, but her pass/fail status hung in limbo until the very last hour of the class. Thanks to her teacher’s efforts and patience, she successfully passed the class and graduated with her class. That dedicated teacher was Jeff Simmons, who now serves as the IDLA Superintendent. His heart has always been with Idaho students!
My favorite part of teaching for IDLA is the connections I make with students. My heart is warmed when former students contact me for math help long after they left my class because they trust me to explain a concept in a way they can understand. A simple text or phone call can create a link that extends beyond city or county limits, letting a student know that they are important and giving them the courage to keep trying. I teach for IDLA because not all students can be in a brick-and-mortar classroom, and I know that I can make their online experience meaningful.
