The last two years of school have been a challenge to say the least. As students get more comfortable with our “new normal” school routine, one of the keys to learning is how to feel comfortable when sometimes being comfortable is not easy.
Many people have interviewed students, but some might be wondering how teachers feel about the transition from year to year. How do the teachers, who are there to ensure their students are comfortable, feel about the happenings that are going on at school? Ms. Weisser and Ms. Dias, both science teachers at Marie Curie Middle School, were gracious enough to share some time and express some advice. One topic they spoke about was student engagement as one key factor to being comfortable in school. Ms. Dias expressed how “Students are excited to be at school with peers and teachers therefore having a positive effect on their learning '' Ok, I know, many people are anti-social! Just keep in mind- if you are more social, and you participate more, your EQ(Emotional Intelligence) and your IQ(Intellectual smarts) will increase. When asked “What have you done to make students feel more welcome/comfotable? Ms. Dias replied “Be more patient, take time to hear students point of view, hear students ideas.”
If you survey the student body, many may think that teachers don’t care, that our teacher was an iPad for 18 months, but that isn’t true. Teachers do care, and always make sure their students feel comfortable around your teachers. The last question I asked was, “what advice would you give to students starting the new year?” Her answer was very welcoming “Hold your head up high, do your best and be proud of who you are. Treat others with respect, be kind to each other, your family and the world.”
During my interview with Ms. Weisser, she expressed how student engagement is completely different from remote learning, and students are getting more comfortable as the school year progresses. As for how this year is different to 2019, she also noted how much technology has helped her teach, although she does say she misses seeing students' faces (and we miss seeing teachers' faces too:) How do you guys think that social emotional activities have been implemneted this year? Here is some advice she would like to give you “Work hard, try your best, and you will always succeed.” As we turn the page on 2021 and head into a new year students should remember they do share something in common with their teachers, no, it’s not the latest Netflix show they watch. Students should remember they shared going through the pandemic along with their teachers.I know I have felt uncomfortable in many situations at school, and there are many ways to seek help. You can ask a teacher, a guidance counselor or a friend you really trust. Now let’s all enjoy our winter break and come back with a whole new fun year ahead of us!