Coronavirus plays havoc with school routines

“I’ve been teaching for 15 years. But nothing I’ve experienced mentally prepared me for what we walked into this spring.

“In my classes, we keep up with what’s going on in the world. So we’d been discussing COVID-19 as it affected other countries. At the time, we had no idea the impact it would have on all of us.

“We left for spring break thinking we’d return like normal. We were prepared for that Monday as if it was going to happen. Then we got the news. And we had a week to kind of prepare for teaching online.

“I already used technology a lot in the classroom. My students had been using the online platform. So while the transition was an adjustment, it wasn’t overwhelming. The biggest thing I missed was the in-person classroom interaction. But I did learn a lot about what I can do online with students, just all the different platforms and cool things that are out there.

“As parents, we had a few challenges. With three girls on different campuses, we had three different things to follow. With my husband also working from home, there were five of us having to be online at the same time. We had to buy one more laptop so that each of us had a device.

“We made sure everybody had a little area in the house to work. And we learned just how important routines are with kids. We set expectations to make sure they were up early and getting their work done. The two older girls could basically function on their own. Our younger daughter needed a little more hands-on help.

“All three girls are pretty active with different activities, the two older ones especially. So this has been tough for them. They’re just ready to head back in for the new school year.

“As parents, we’ve kind of been waiting to see how that will look. What’s been going through our minds is like with most people: how safe will it be to go back, what will the protocols be like, that sort of thing. Not just for me as a teacher, but for my kids and all the other students.

“The decisions that are being made by schools and families are unprecedented, and it is difficult for all involved. But I will do my best to maximize safety measures within my classroom for myself, students and faculty interactions.”

— Maggie Cervantes

Maggie teaches Spanish at Barbers Hill High School. The school district plans to start classes on Aug. 19, offering in-school and remote learning options.