After Labor Day thousands of American school children will be heading back to school to completely different reality. Some will be going into a full time or hybrid situation. The challenge of following the CDC social distancing guidelines must be strictly followed.
Adjustments must take priority over teaching:
- Children must sit six feet apart or have shielded desks, if possible
- Hand washing and sanitizing must be done several times a period, before and after every transition to and from class
- Students must sit apart during reading sessions.
- Teachers and students must always wear mask, regardless of the type of teacher-student interaction
These guidelines are supposed to guarantee a degree of safety from contracting the virus and spreading to fellow students, teachers, and staff.
Many still believe that if such guidelines are followed to the tee, that everything will be alright. However, contracting the corona virus goes beyond school safety precautions. Already, several colleges and schools are in danger of closing again, soon after opening for the fall season.
Therefore, as we can see, the challenge of teaching in a COVID 19 Reality will be extremely difficult for several reasons:
Disciplinary Issues
Some students will be disruptive. They will have issues with wearing a mask, staying in their seats, and following directions. These students, if not controlled, can pose danger to other students and staff. Because of social distancing rules, teachers will be less likely to grab and restrain such students, especially the smaller ones.
Instead of restraining such students, such children will have the freedom to roam around the building, touching, and talking in the face of other students. I’ve have already seen this reality occur already. Because staff did not want to touch the student, she took the opportunity to wreck the entire classroom.
Keeping the Entire Classroom on the Same Page
Social Distancing policies will make it difficult for teachers to give students adequate assistance with learning problems. In many cases, both teachers and students will most likely feel uncomfortable getting to close to each other.
Because such uneasiness, some students will not comprehend the assignments given. As a result, students will fall behind. Some will become completely lost and uninspired.
Out of Classroom Relationships
Life is made of relationships. Not only do we have contact with people at school, we also have contact with people outside of school, on the way to school and on the way home from school. A student or staff do not have to get the virus at school, he or she can get the virus anywhere.
Returning to school must be done with caution and flexibility. The possibility exists, if things get worst, that the opening of schools may be only for a short time before they are forced to close again. The upcoming winter accompanied by the flu season.
The COVID 19 reality merged with the traditional winter viruses will bring about many difficulties and dangers until a vaccine is readily available.