Are you excited about returning to school? Or are you nervous? On October 19, we will
all return to school for two days a week according to our cohorts. There are a lot of
mixed feelings going into this, but no doubt everyone needs some aspect of school
back.
Freshman Maggie Souza expressed her feelings about going back, saying “I am so
excited to go back to school! Since I am a freshman, it will be good to meet new people,
see teachers, and find my way around the school. I am a little bit nervous because I am
afraid that some people won't wear their masks or do their part to keep everyone safe
and healthy.”
Sophomore Stevie Helms had some very similar feelings. Helms says, “I am excited to
go back to school because I do better learning in person rather than online. I also can't
wait to see my friends that I haven't seen in a while. I think that is why I like in person
schooling better than online because with in person you have things to look forward to
which makes school a lot easier and gives you the motivation to do your work. I am a little
worried that the numbers for COVID-19 will rise just because the high school can be a
crowded place and some people are not taking this whole thing seriously. I'm just
hoping things can go back to normal because I think that it is important to have the high
school experience.”
As both Souza and Helms expressed, there are many things about high school in
person that we can’t quite get online. Whether you’re worried about your grades or
missing your friends or just need to get out of the house, school is definitely something
that we all depend on.
Many teachers have taken on this challenge exceptionally and have found ways to
continue to connect with students, but even then there are challenges. Because of
outside noise, students are muted except for when they’re talking. This creates
challenges for students who may feel they don’t understand a topic because it’s a lot
harder to communicate that with a teacher. Other students have faced problems with
focusing on schoolwork, especially if their home is a loud environment. For all these
reasons, going back to school in person is necessary for many.
However, we don’t want to go back just to have a new wave of COVID-19 hit that will
send us all back to online school. So, what are we doing to avoid that, and is it worth the
risk?
Many safety precautions will be taken, including having all students and staff wear a
mask on school property, having the student body split up into cohorts, and lessening
interaction for students in halls and the commons. The real question is how well
students and staff will follow these guidelines and whether they will be enough.
Mr. Jerry Moretz, math teacher, answered this question, “I firmly believe that students
rise or fall to the expectations we set for them. High expectations lead to better results.
Students will follow the protocols to the best of their ability. I am sure there will be
hiccups, but I believe everyone will do everything they can because they don't want to go back to remote learning.”
Moretz was also asked if his teaching style will change after teaching online and now
going back. He says, “I hope my style changes to meet the new needs of my students,
and I hope I'm a better teacher for it. I've always believed that the classroom is our
classroom and we should learn from each other. Don't be afraid of making mistakes
because they often lead to long-term learning. I will try to take the good things from
remote learning and work them into how I teach, possibly even flipping the classroom.”
Moretz summed up what everyone seems to be thinking, “I think teachers need students
back as much as students need to be back. I just pray that everyone is safe and we all
stay healthy.”
Written by: Kylie Broce
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