John Creter started his teaching career in August 2020, at Capitol Hill Middle School in south Oklahoma City, which held virtual classes nearly the entire semester. BEN FELDER/The Frontier

After graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma last May, John Creter was hired to teach social studies and geography at Capitol Hill Middle School in south Oklahoma City. But as he prepared for his first year as a teacher, the COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge unlike anything he had expected.

In this episode of the Listen Frontier podcast, we journey with Creter through his first semester, which operated with a virtual learning model for all but one week.

Creter discussed the challenges he faced in trying to keep students engaged online, handling new technology, navigating his own COVID exposure and his thoughts on his profession moving forward.

The latest episode of Listen Frontier

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple PodcastsSpotify, and Stitcher.