The Ideal Social Distanced Classroom by Callie
Callie's entry into Varsity Tutor's July 2020 scholarship contest
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The Ideal Social Distanced Classroom by Callie - July 2020 Scholarship Essay
In the age of COVID-19 and social distancing, classrooms are going to look quite different for the foreseeable future. Government regulations are imposing restrictions on being six-feet-apart, wearing face masks, and maintaining cleanliness in classrooms that will greatly change the way a generation of students learn. Although the task of adjusting a classroom for a pandemic may be daunting, there are things educators can do to make me and my fellow students have the social distanced classroom of our dreams, where we can excel mentally and academically.
In person instruction may be limited for millions of students, and having an ideal in-person environment is crucial to ensuring pupils learn as much as they can inside the classroom. Desks will likely be six feet apart, yet teachers can allow students to bring items to comfort them as they work, such as a blanket, hoodie, or hat. In addition, an ideal social distanced classroom should have positive signs put up throughout the room, to encourage a positive learning attitude among students. The pandemic is causing negative effects on mental health for many students, including myself, and seeing encouraging signs like these would make us more apt to learn. To go along with positive signage, playing music in the classroom would make the space feel more inviting. Allowing students to feel joy through music could be a much needed pick-me-up in their day, and a momentary distraction from the harsh realities of the outside world. Ultimately, a social distanced classroom should be the perfect balance between comfort and education.
Although many want to return to fully in-person delivery of instruction, there is no doubt a large portion of learning will continue to take place online. Virtual instruction should be designed with an element of fun involved, especially for students in younger grades. Playing online games and doing other interactive activities would greatly improve the enjoyment students have, while keeping them engaged. Additionally, group work in a virtual format is especially important, as it allows students to collaborate, as well as gain social interaction. As online instruction is new to many, students should be able to have an impact on how they want to learn online. Teachers should hold virtual discussions to discuss how their students are benefiting from their instruction, and what both students and teachers can do better. Educators need to be open minded and positive as the school year progresses so we can learn in the most beneficial way possible.
Classrooms will unlikely return to the old “normal” during the next school year, so it is vital for teachers to create a positive learning environment that their students can be comfortable in. Students will already have additional stress from living during a pandemic, and in my ideal classroom, teachers should focus on being positive while learning to make the classroom as productive as possible. When schools have this positive environment, it will allow me and my fellow students to be more motivated while knowing our teachers support us in the process. Education will no doubt face challenges in the upcoming months, yet with these ideas teachers can create the best environment possible for their students to thrive in.