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Teacher Tuesday Spotlight: Stefanie Schneck, Conrad Weiser School District

By Rose Kershner, BCTV Intern, Montclair State University

May 26, 2020

Mrs. Schneck and her Broadcast students have helped keep Conrad Weiser High School connected by producing their weekly show We Are Weiser remotely.

Why did you become a teacher?

“It might sound cliché, but I genuinely love my students.  I went into school this week to clean out my classroom to prepare for summer cleaning and I just stood in our broadcast studio with an overwhelming sense of sadness and loss.  I love it all, the laughter, the tears, the frustration and the moments of sheer brilliance.  People think I’m crazy for teaching high school age teenagers, but the opportunity to make a small difference in someone’s life is profound.  That is why I teach.”

David Leehill has been creating videos from home

How has the transition to online learning been?

“The transition to online learning for what I teach is herculean, since some students have their own cameras and editing software on home computers, while others simply have their iPhones.  So, what many film and video production teachers across the country have done during this period of remote learning, is to take the “work with what we have” approach.  As long as my students are filming something, using their creativity and their voice to make sense of this situation we all find ourselves in, I am happy.  We have participated in Student Reporting Labs, #SeniorPortrait, and other competitions that allow students to record their oral history, the reality of this unique situation, in their own words.

Hailey Gamble edits content for We Are Weiser Remote

We have also produced a weekly half hour show, every week while we were out of school, which showcased the informative and fun video work they were completing while in quarantine.  My students also produced videos for senior spring sports recognition (since those athletes missed their senior games), a virtual all-sports awards ceremony, a senior farewell with the seniors in their cap and gowns, as well as many more very meaningful videos, that will also serve to preserve this moment in time.”

Have you ever learned anything from your students?

“I learn every day from them.  When I learned to edit video, it was through linear editing, literally splicing strips of film with a razor blade and taping it to the next clip.  I now teach non-linear editing on Final Cut…HUGE learning curve.  But this year, my students really wanted to learn Adobe After Effects, a very daunting special effects editing software program, so we are learning it together.  But perhaps the greatest things my students have taught me is to be goofy, embrace life, don’t worry too much about being embarrassed, and just embrace who you are.”

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