Liz Thomsen sits at a desk in a small room inside Roper Elementary School, watercoloring a letter "C" with a bright shade of yellow, a document camera hovering above capturing her brushstrokes.
Miles away, in homes scattered across Lincoln, Thomsen's eighth grade art students follow along via Zoom with their own watercolor palettes, brushes and paper.
"That's nice!" Thomsen, wearing headphones with a mic attached, tells one student.
Unlike last year, when teachers juggled both in-person and remote learners, Thomsen's classroom is entirely virtual, one of the many offered through Lincoln Public School's new remote learning program for students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The $3 million virtual school, paid for with federal coronavirus relief dollars, was established for the 2021-22 school year in response to the still-ongoing pandemic and as a solution to last year's hybrid learning model.
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A solution that Thomsen wanted to be a part of as someone who advocated for her fellow teachers at board meetings during last year's turbulence.
"I could see it wasn't working," she said. "There was teacher burnout."
Remote learners last year experienced the effects of that balancing act, too — whether it was an overlooked question, a muted mic or poor connection.
"On the first day, I asked those who did remote last year, 'What do you hope is different?' And they said, 'They forgot us.' They didn't mean it in a mean way, they understood why, but it was a really tough year for them," Thomsen said.
Enter the remote school, where teachers are no longer pulled in opposite directions by two sets of students.
Equipped with newer, higher-quality technology — like webcams, laptops, computer monitors, tablets, document cameras, headphones and mics — these teachers are able to better engage with their Zoom classrooms, said remote learning program principal Casey Fries.
"When compared to the hybrid model, the teacher now has one singular focus," Fries said. "I think they're able to plan more engaging lessons and hold those school expectations for students."
There are just under 40 teachers in the program with a central office based in a portable at Lincoln East High School. Teachers are spread around 15 locations, leading classes for the 210 elementary students and 150 middle schoolers enrolled in the program.
The technical glitches that popped up last year — like dropped connections or poor audio — are few and far between now. Teachers are hardwired into the district's network, for one, and are trained in how to use the hardware and software supplied to them. Remote students also have access to higher-quality Chromebooks that can be used as a tablet with front- and rear-facing cameras.
Thomsen has run into issues with students' internet, but said the biggest hurdle is a physical one, rather than a digital one: getting supplies — like the brushes and paints she uses in her class — to families.
A parent, for example, might have to drive to Roper for art supplies and then to Moore Middle School to pick up work for an English class, said Thomsen, who would prefer teachers work out of a central location.
Sable Gray, 13, attended Mickle Middle School remotely last year and said she decided to enroll in the program as an extra safety precaution.
She said she enjoys the hands-on activities in Thomsen's art class and feels like her teachers are more engaged.
"I think it's a lot better this year because I felt like some students were left out (in the hybrid model)," she said.
Gray's classmate, 13-year-old Kaeden Lehr, said he excels in the new virtual format and enjoys seeing the same classmates throughout the day.
"You feel more connected," said Lehr, who attended Schoo Middle School.
Jaimee Lehr, Kaeden's mother, said last year was tough for remote students. The virtual school is a vast improvement in her opinion.
"We have been just so impressed," she said. "The teachers are incredible."
Thomsen, who taught at the Yankee Hill Education Center last year, works out of a former reading recovery room at Roper. She prefers to stand when she works — like many teachers, she's used to walking around a classroom observing students.
On Thursday — Technique Thursday in Thomsen's class, where students learn a new skill — watercoloring was the lesson of the day.
A few rooms down, one teacher led a Spanish class remotely, while another showed off exercises as part of a virtual PE class. Just outside Thomsen's door, an in-person second grade class was in full swing.
After class, Thomsen posts demonstration videos on Google Classroom for students to reference at their own pace — something that was generally too time-consuming for teachers to do last year, she said.
There are certain expectations like any classroom, too. Students must have their cameras on to be counted toward attendance, although in Thomsen's classroom, they are allowed to switch them off when doing independent work.
Students must also have a high-quality work environment free of distractions, Fries said, which, like the camera rule, wasn't really enforced last year.
Class schedules are the same as their in-person counterparts, although they are allowed to take a longer, 45-minute lunch, Fries said. Not all elective courses are available remotely.Â
Thomsen said she likes to emphasize relationship-building among her students, who might miss out on some of the social elements of in-person learning. She often allows her classes to break off into separate chatrooms during class so they can talk with their peers, for example, and she can privately message students to check on them.
Students who are in quarantine cannot opt in to the program, which Thomsen understands.
"We already created such a classroom dynamic," she said. "It would be really difficult to come in because we've already established those relationships."
She feels like the remote program is a good solution for students who might struggle with in-person interaction or have anxiety. Thomsen even works with a social worker and counselor within the program to identify those students who might need help.
LPS, which has placed greater emphasis on the benefits of in-person learning, has no plans to continue the program after this school year.
"I think most people, all things considering, want students in school," said Fries, who is also an associate principal at East.
But for now, as uncertainty surrounding the delta variant swirls and masks return to the classroom, the virtual school has served a serious need.
"There are some families with serious health concerns," Fries said. "Giving them an opportunity to do school and grow academically, I think is really important."
It's an opportunity Thomsen would like to see available to students beyond this year.
"I think there is a real potential here."