Now that schools are slowly coming back, surely our learners have missed the feels and the vibe of their classrooms. There may still be few restrictions and precautions but the excitement has never faded. The blackboard, the armchairs, the decorations, the wall posters – certainly the 4 corners of the room had never been empty. Each teacher will always brighten up their classrooms just like how they enlighten their beloved students. But more than that, we all think that the interactions are really the part that we all long for to experience again. Here are some of the moments students and teachers have missed:
Raising hands. The actual feeling of knowing the answer to the question and being able to stretch your arms high up with so much confidence is still the best feeling ever. One of the noisiest moments in class is when the teacher decides to give points to those students will get the correct answer. It is a battle, especially when almost all of the class knows the answer. It will surely be a fight of reaching the ceiling just to get the additional points from the teacher. Some online meeting platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom have actually incorporated the function of raising your hand in order to steal the attention of the instructor. However, a lot of students still tend to hesitate in pushing the raise hand button for various reasons. But now that schools are back, surely the most heated interaction will be back again.
Oral recitation. Reciting can be easily done through online meetings. However, simple as it may be, online interactions actually limit the capabilities of a student to be able to speak in front of the class. Public speaking is an important skill. It enables us to build bonds, influence decisions, and inspire change. The ability to grow in real life would be practically impossible without communication skills thus I think it is very important. Luckily, students can experience it again, as they can use their classmates as their real life audiences.
Fun activities and experiments. The best way to learn is to experience. One of the challenges of the online and modular class is the application of actual activities and experiments. Back then, teachers can incorporate fun activities, motivational games as well as science experiments to heighten the energy and curiosity of the students. During the pandemic, students have to do it alone, sometimes with their family. And because of that, they tend to learn less as they lack the guidance of an actual teacher. Since onsite classes are here once more, I am sure that teachers will make the most out of it to make learning more fun and better.
Being part of the cleaners. Some students might not have missed this but certainly they missed being part of it every week after classes. Remember that feeling when the bell rang and you are excited to go home? Then, suddenly someone will call your name loudly telling you to stay. Well there is nothing you can do as you are part of the dirt busters for that day. Actually, being a part of the cleaners has a lot of benefits. It fosters a sense of responsibility as students are responsible for part of the school’s appearance, which may have an impact on staff and fellow students’ well-being. It also teaches the learners to respect their surroundings; when they are the ones who have to clean up after themselves, they will be significantly more careful in the future. Surely after being stuck at home for a long time, they might have forgotten a thing or two about real cleaning.
These are just some of the fun moments we all encounter in schools. I am sure there is more to what students and teachers have long for in the past 2 years of COVID. Hopefully, things will continue to become even better for the benefit of all learners in our community.
References
Birkin Group. (2022). Should Students Help to Clean their Schools? Retrieved from Birkin: https://www.birkingroup.co.uk/news/should-students-help-clean-their-schools
PAN Communications. (2022). 3 Reasons Why Public Speaking is Important. Retrieved from PAN: https://www.pancommunications.com/insights/3-reasons-why-public-speaking-is-important/
By: JESSICA T. VILLAR|Teacher I|CATANING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL|Balanga City,Bataan
