This week, I sat down with my mom, Christine Diamond. I wanted to get her take on being a first-grade teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic. So much has changed for me as a college student, but how has education changed in public school? Through our phone calls, I’ve gotten to know a little bit about how her school has changed due to the pandemic, but I didn’t know what the school was doing to keep her and her students safe until now. In this interview, we discuss safety, fears of COVID and how hard teachers are working to keep their students safe.
Her Campus (HC): What has changed for you and your school since COVID hit?
Christine Diamond (CD): A lot has changed. Quite a bit. From start to finish we wear masks all day long except for P.E. and lunch. Students have to stay in their seats, they can’t share supplies, no more centers and no more outdoor recess. There’s a whole lot of change. Physically, the whole climate has changed. A lot of cleaning has changed, and we have hand sanitizer mounted on the wall now. Parents can’t come into the building anymore to eat with their kids or volunteer in the classrooms anymore. It has really changed.
HC: We’ve talked about how much is different, but how much has stayed the same?
CD: We get to be back in school, which is a good thing. We get to be together. We still get to have our education. We still have our curriculum. I still get to be able to teach my students in person instead of remotely, that’s stayed the same. I still have contact with my parents. The students still can be with each other and have their friends. They can still be together.
HC: Do you feel safe teaching in person?
CD: At first I was scared because of the unknown but I feel safe now with all of the procedures set in place. We have to wear masks and there is hand sanitizer everywhere. We have janitors clean every night and we try to stay apart as much as we can. We wear our masks and we use hand sanitizers. The kids wash their hands quite often. They have to sit apart, and they stay apart as much as they can throughout the day. We do the best we can.
HC: What was your biggest fear about returning to school?
CD: The biggest fear would be if my students got sick, or if I got sick. I was afraid that my family would get sick. That was my biggest fear. We want everyone to be healthy and safe.
HC: Anything you want the public to know?
CD: Teachers are doing their best to make sure that the students and teachers themselves are trying to do everything we can to make things go as smoothly as possible. We hope we can give the students the best education we can while staying safe and healthy. I think it’s better for the students to be in school rather than out of school. They get a better education this way. Socially, too. It’s all-around better and I hope we can stay in school. I am very happy we are back, and I love my kids and teaching.
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