The difference brought upon by the pandemic in the school environment.
By Kaitlyn Buttiglieri
Consider a normal day: wake up, go through the motions of the day, go back to sleep. These are things that are consistent in day to day life. However, sometimes there are changes in the day’s activities. Now consider how much these activities have changed with the pandemic. As Spring Break approaches with the one year mark of the pandemic’s presence in the country, many have begun to reflect on the past year. The changes in life have become more apparent as people look back at memories from before the start of the pandemic. Day to day life is not what it once used to be. What is socially acceptable is different. What is expected in public has changed. Change has become a new norm in itself. Especially now with vaccines being released, change in what is “normal” will be constantly shifting.
Some major changes that have occurred in student’s lives aren’t all that noticeable, but are very prominent. Taking lunch for example, many changes have taken place for students who attend school in person. Pre-covid it was normal for friends to share food or drink. However, now this would be wildly unacceptable, socially. If you were to ask to take a sip from the same bottle as a friend, most people would probably look at you like you were crazy. On the other hand, now the people who come to school with sanitizer are no longer looked at like they are crazy. Cleaning your hands before eating has now become not just normal, but expected. Sanitation and social distancing of six feet is implicated in schools now as a result of this pandemic. This leaves kids sitting far away from each other, which is unlike how they would normally sit quite close pre pandemic. In an effort to keep spaced out, many students choose to eat outside. Rather than the normal high school lunch environment where groups of students would occupy a single table. Lunch is always romanticized and exaggerated in teen movies, and while these scenarios might not be totally realistic, lunch is still a large component of the teenage experience. The experience has changed largely leaving for a change in what a normal high school experience is. Walking in hallways is something every student who attends school in person does. Commuting from class to class for an average of seven classes leaves for lots of walking around campus. Normally students would walk in groups or with fellow students, stopping on their way to class to hang out with friends. Now this contact is limited. Students are encouraged to avoid close contact with others and walk with a purpose to their next class. Freshman Karina Ferreira says, “Yes, I have noticed differences in the norms during the pandemic. One of them being the respect of people’s personal space, it is now no longer as normal to hug or even shake a person’s hand when meeting them. I have also noticed that it is now normal to constantly put on hand sanitizer after touching any surfaces.” Contact between students, both physical and emotional has been affected by this pandemic. While it used to be normal for students to embrace one another as a greeting or farewell, it is now unacceptable. Karina’s point of view on the consistent sanitizing shows how students have noticed that things have changed. Both of these aspects of schools show shifts that have become more prominent as this past year has passed.
The interactions between students, teachers, and the learning environment have had differences in what is normal. The high school stereotype of students wearing pajamas to school has always had some truth behind it. However the arrival of the pandemic has brought this stereotype to life even more. Especially true for virtual students, pajamas have become a widely worn outfit amongst students. Rolling out of bed 5 minutes before class starts is a common norm amongst students who are part of the launch ed program. This isn’t much different with many in person students as the quarantine period left many feeling much more comfortable in the attire of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Hannah Carrero, a freshman at Timber Creek says that a norm she has found to be changed during this time is, “not getting ready for the day. I used to get up early every morning, do my hair, get dressed, etc and now I find myself staying in pajamas all day and waking up five minutes before class starts.” Students at home are obviously more prone to doing this than in person students as they aren’t seen by peers. This leaves them to care much less about appearance. It also leaves for students to not know what their peers look like, and in some cases not even knowing what their teachers’ appearances are. This change has caused the normal relationships between people in the education system to become less personal and more professional. School relationships are usually less like a workplace and more like friendships amongst students. The case in this pandemic is different as students now interact with each other mainly through online chat rooms or shared documents. Karina Ferreria says, “One thing that has become ‘normal’ in my school life due to the pandemic is not knowing what my classmates look like or sound like. Due to me staying at home for school not many teachers require cameras or mics making it the new ‘normal’ to not interact with my classmates and this has also resulted in a weaker connection with the teacher.” Students are supposed to feel like they can trust their teachers and feel comfortable to ask for their help. Doing this without an established relationship between teachers and students is causing a strain in some students eyes.
In conclusion these changes are here and they are prominent. But they might not be here to stay. With advancements in technology, vaccines, and improvement in overall living as a result of this pandemic, these changes might not be permanent. This doesn’t mean everything will return to pre pandemic “normal”, but they might change to a new normal that is an improvement from both before and during the pandemic. Some of these changes might not be all bad when looked at though . In times such as a pandemic, people will always tell you to “look on the bright side” or “make the most of the situation”. Being told these statements constantly can become redundant or annoying, but if interpreted correctly, they are helpful. Accepting and embracing these changes are important in moving forward with life. So, realizing and noticing changes can help the process of moving on.
