By Matthew Weidler
School is back. And while there are some mixed emotions, people are mostly happy.
The classrooms are the most important part of our return and having so many kids packed into one room is definitely a tall task. However, keeping the classrooms safe, but still a strong learning environment has been a priority for all.
The classrooms certainly look different. The one clear difference is the barriers which have been a source of some discontent among many students. They block your view of the board, limit your ability to talk (or hear) or see your classmates. It has definitely had an instant impact on the return to school and is the biggest difference in the classroom. Rooms are pretty split between clustered tables and straight rows. With the barriers it would seem like they are more effective in clustered groups, rather than rows because they are not covering and protecting you from someone directly next too you.
Another difference in the classroom is that we are slowly moving back to a balance between technology and paper. In pre-calculus we have been turning in homework virtually all year, but we now check homework in class. All assignments were online this year, but we have seen many more paper assignments over the past few days as we move into school full time.
Lastly is the paper placemats and masks. Both of these things have been here all year, but specifically the masks have been different with everyone back. The hallways feel more crowded and getting around seems much harder especially with the masks. The mask breaks also take a lot of time because it takes much longer to get everyone together when you have a full class.
Overall, it is great having everyone back in class and students and teachers continue to adapt and meet the challenges to create a successful learning environment.
