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Re-engagement after COVID-19
how might educators change the narrative?
As a prior elementary school principal I am sitting with the questions and concerns of how to re-welcome and re-engage families and children to brick and mortar school post-pandemic and according to some news stations mid-pandemic conditions.
The technical logistics of keeping children, beginning with 4-year-olds, six feet apart, is, by design, problematic. And socio-emotional behaviors aside, I’m not even sure if every classroom is large enough for 30 some bodies six feet apart at all times. And lunch time, when we would normally house 350 students in the most social time of the day (we often would call it “The Who” concert hall) — lunch would have to be clearly marked and supervised, and possibly run for hours in order to follow appropriate physical distancing.
I also worry about the cleanliness of the masks as kids play and eat cheetos, how often would we give new ones, would we all have the same standards on replacement of masks? But I digress…
The necessitation of rules (that would need to be created) reminds me of the variability that exists when we all naturally enforce rules differently, the adult who is highly worried and anxious versus the adult who has protested for their right for Covid-19 will all enforce social distancing and wearing…
