Uploading a new way of learning

Steve Massa

When French teacher Steve Massa decided to put some of his lessons on YouTube when school shut down in the spring, he’ll be the first to admit he could’ve looked into it further.

“I didn’t even know how to hold my phone properly, instead of doing it on landscape, I did portrait,” he said.

But he was undeterred in his passion to produce creative online learning materials. Whether it was introducing stuffed animals, playing dress-up or going out on field trips to help with grammar and spelling, “Monsieur Steve” quickly had an online presence.

And if he was going to do something, he was going to do it all the way, teaching himself PhotoShop and PremierePro for sound, editing and visual effects and upgrading from just a phone to a camera.

“I was working nearly two full-time jobs,” he said of his weekly pieces. “But I loved figuring it out and I know there’s kids who look forward to seeing my videos.”

And it wasn’t just his students who benefitted from him going above and beyond, but parents and even other teachers who utilized them as online education resources.

Massa may scale back given the time commitment in the new year, but has no plans of stopping completely and has been shooting over the summer.

“It was almost like it was a calling at the time, just like it was when I realized I was meant to be a teacher,” he said. “That’s why you get into this profession. You want to make a difference.”

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