I’m notoriously tough when I grade students on their public speaking. One thing I stress is to speak loudly and clearly. But how do you accomplish that with a mask on your face?
This was only one small problem in a year of small, and large, problems. A year ago we were finishing off the sudden shift to distance learning as the pandemic picked up steam. Nobody had any clue what the fall would bring, both in the world and in schools. I served on a committee to make plans for all contingencies. Little did we know that we had no idea how many new contingencies would pop up during the year.
I looked back at my column from September about the life of a hybrid student. By the time that was published, it was already out of date, and that’s just how the entire school year seemed to go. As soon as we thought we had something figured out, the ground would shift again and more change would occur.
I’ve had my students write about the difficulties of the year and also what they found successful. There were a myriad of answers, but most of them bemoaned the difficulty of learning from home, whether it was when we full-time distance learned or even in a hybrid scenario. Students cited the inability to stay focused while sitting on their couch or bed or when the wifi went out. They don’t always stay focused while in the classroom either, but at least a teacher is there to recognize the signs of disconnect.
However, some students said they really enjoyed distance learning the entire year. A couple talked about being introverts by nature, so they had a different comfort level being at home. And I had some full-time distance learners who really did well! They got work done at a high level and really grasped the concepts taught.
Still, I’m worried. While many, rightfully so, are concerned how students have fallen behind due to all the shifting and changes this past year, I worry even more about the social and emotional needs of kids. Some might have done really well working from home, but they missed out on so many of the social interactions that are vital in the growing-up process. Granted, some of those are negative interactions, but they are still important to build perseverance and grit.
Looking back, if I could change one thing, it would be that there should have been some very strict guidelines, especially when we came back fully in-person, for who would be in our Google Meets. If you had bad internet, you needed to be in school. If you didn’t complete your work, you needed to be in school. There should have been no ifs, ands, or buts about that.
It was hard to get a grasp on what was allowed or not, though. The state would give guidance, which would usually miss a “But what about this?” part. Then they would scramble again to provide for what they missed. In allowing families to choose distance learning as an option all year, the state failed to provide good guidance on when we could demand a student return.
Kids would join from home if they overslept and didn’t feel like coming to school. They had to lie sometimes, because if you said you were under the weather, everything was a Covid symptom and you’d have to get a negative test to return. Kids were quarantined for long stretches, and that was understandable, but for so many of them, I could sense their frustration at being confined and not out with their friends.
I think about our hybrid learning, a term I hope I never hear again in education. It was tough to teach both to those in my classroom and those online, mainly because it was hard to tell if I was engaging with those at home. All teachers were exhausted by it. I kept myself going by thinking, “At least I have students in my room.” Nothing this year gave me more joy, though, than our first day back with all the kids.
I’m sick of being the mask police. I understood and believed in the science behind wearing them, but that was not a discipline issue I was fond of enforcing. The only real defiance I faced was as part of my lunch supervision when I’d bring kids outside or to the gym for some recess. That was simple, however: follow the rules or stay in the cafeteria.
Not many people like lunch supervision. I sign up for it every year, partly because I despise study halls. But this year I was very glad to do it. Why? Because I was one of the few teachers who got to see my students’ full faces! I’d walk around visiting while they ate; I wonder how many teachers might have a hard time with names next year because they only ever saw the top half of faces.
It’s time to return to normal. By fall, everyone at least 12 and up will have had ample opportunity to receive the vaccine. I keep encouraging people to get it. I understand some of the concerns, but I also believe in scientists. If you don’t get it, you have to realize that Covid will be around forever. If you get exposed, you’ll be sitting at home for two weeks, missing out on activities and learning and sports, unless you’ve had your shots.
I suggested that we should start next school year with a big mask-burning ceremony. However, I’m not sure our new superintendent wants to start his tenure here with the fire department showing up on September 7!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is whizbang, which means someone or something flashy or impressive, as in, “The team thought they had a whizbang of a plan for the school year until the guidance shifted yet again.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!