DSUSD’s first day back: a look inside one teacher’s home setup

It was the first day of school for Desert Sands Unified School District families. 

News Channel 3’s Madison Weil got an exclusive look at how one teacher welcomed her class back virtually from inside her home. 

“Good morning fifth graders! Can you guys hear me...can I get a thumbs up if you can hear me?” asked Allison Hodges, a teacher at Dr. Carreon elementary school. 

Hodges helped her students through some initial technical difficulties and explained how the school day will work. 

“If I say your name I just want you to unmute and say good morning,” Hodges told her class. 

She showed News Channel 3 her home setup which includes a green screen to be able to change up her backdrop. “I wanted to engage the kids in meaningful ways. So one of those ways was bringing my classroom to the screen even though I wasn’t physically in the classroom,” said Hodges. 

She says she chose to teach remotely from her home instead of her actual classroom, in part, to help her own kids stay on track with distance learning.  

She has a son and daughter -- both are students within the district. 

 “I feel like...I'm excited but I’m also kind of scared a little bit,” said her daughter, Zoe Hodges, a fourth grader. Her son Damon is beginning sixth grade. 

While the kids say the hardest part is not being with their friends on the first day back, they understand. “The positive thing is at least we’re not going close to teach other because then we might get the coronavirus,” said Zoe. 

Hodges is encouraging parents to support their kids through this process, offering help when possible. “Make sure that they know the times they need to get things done and just communicate with the teacher as much as possible,” she said. 

She says don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher directly with any technical issues or questions that come up.