Tips for returning to in-person school

A New Day

After pandemic closures, teachers and students offer tips on returning to the classroom

BY EMMA AYRES

On March 16, 2021, I went back to school in person for the first time in over a year. It felt like the first day of school. I was excited and nervous to finally see people. By the end of the day, it felt almost like I had never been gone.

Some things were different than a regular first day of school, though. I have to bring in a 15-pound backpack every day, full of everything from my laptop to a spare mask. We put our backpacks, lunches and anything else we bring in a laundry basket next to our individual desks.

At recess, we have a strict spot on the field to go to, and our teacher has a bag of activities. We can’t use the playground unless our teacher reserves it. Each person gets an activity, and we aren’t allowed to trade or touch the same thing as someone else on the same day.

When you go back in person, be prepared to spend PE throwing a Frisbee at a cone and then running after it. (We can’t toss it to each other.) It can get tiring wearing a mask all day, but you get used to it. We have mask breaks where we go outside, all face the same direction more than 6 feet away from each other and take off our masks. The only other time we take off our masks is when we have lunch. We have to lean over our desks into a cardboard test divider to eat, which feels a little too much like you are a turtle. We wash our hands before lunch and put on hand sanitizer every time we enter the room.

I’ll miss being at home because I could go get a snack or go to the bathroom when I wanted to, and it was nice to take tests in my room. Sometimes it feels like people forget that there isn’t always a mute button on (like in virtual class), and just blurt out everything. But being back in school finally feels normal. Emma Ayres, age 12, is a sixth grader at Hunters Woods Elementary School in Fairfax County, Va. Her favorite subject is social studies, and she loves reading, playing soccer and spending time outdoors with her neighborhood friends.

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student advice

“At first, I was absolutely terrified (about going to school in person). I didn’t know any of the kids in my new class, and we weren’t allowed to talk to each other in class, not even at lunch with only seven kids! Later on, I managed to form great friendships within my class, and I strengthened many more. ... Make sure to bring all supplies necessary because sharing is not allowed within the classroom in most places.”

— Maya Chowdhury Savard, sixth grade, New York City “At home, it was hard to pay attention when there were other things going on or there were loud noises like a loud cousin. It was kind of hard not having the teacher come over and talk to me.” Advice for going to school in person: “Don’t get too close to each other or touch each other. Keep your mask on and bring an extra mask. Don’t share food and always wash your hands. Do your work and try to get it in on time.”

— Laiana Victoria Clack, fifth grade, San Antonio

“When you are returning, make sure that you are used to wearing a mask for a long period of time and having lunch as your only time to have a mask break. Also, make sure you have a mask that you are able to do physical activity in/ breathe and be comfortable wearing.”

— Biko Hooper-Haviland, eighth grade, Chicago

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administrator advice

“The advice I can offer to teachers that are preparing to return to the school building is to breathe and be patient! ... I, unfortunately, had a couple of students in the first week going home and telling their parents that I’m yelling at them. I’ve had to put out those ‘fires’ with parents and simply tell them that I have on a double mask, so for any student that sits in the back of the class, I have to project my voice in a way that is understandable and clear.” — Carmen Foster-Patillo, first grade teacher, Las Vegas “My best advice is to take a picture of each of the students with their masks off and hang them in your room. It is so nice to see the smiling faces of the students you are teaching. Also, mark the spots on your floor with tape or with a piece of Velcro. This will help remind students where the legs of their desks should be. This will help you keep the proper distancing between students.” — Liz Anderson, third grade teacher, Londonderry, N.H.

“When everything got shut down last March through the remainder of the school year, I really missed seeing and interacting with my colleagues and students. I don’t think I realized to what extent until we returned in the fall of 2020. Even if our interactions are minimal and through masks, it really has been amazing and energizing.” Advice to returning teachers: “Give yourself some grace ... because returning under these current conditions takes some getting used to, but you will get the hang of it — this is what we do.”

— Kitty Hooper, high school teacher, Chicago