Student teacher shares her worries and hopes for upcoming school year

By Mahlon Smoke

Covid-19 has made a lot of things uncertain as students and teachers prepare for the upcoming school year. As many Elementary, Middle and High schools prepare to protect the students and keep everyone safe, many College students who are beginning or returning find themselves either on or off-campus, some staying home as schools offer Online schooling only, and others using different methods to finish up their final years. One college student, Kanenishon Arquette, is studying at SUNY Potsdam for her Early Childhood Education degree. Having to finish her last year during a pandemic has set many hurdles in her way.

“Everything is very complex right now – I won’t be physically going back to campus, if at all,” said Arquette when asked how the pandemic will change her last year at school. She says she’ll miss going to the library, using the facilities for study, going to class, going to clubs, and wonders if she will even have graduation. However Arquette also feels the pandemic won’t affect her that much as she will be student teaching this year.

“We’re going to do a seminar and teaching through Zoom – most of our lessons will be through Zoom or recordings,” Arquette said in regards to what the plans for her student teaching will be so far. She also said that a lot of student teachers opted to take the test since the schools were shut down earlier this year. Arquette will being going to the schools in person with her mentor teacher. She, like many others, will be required to wear masks, face shields, socially distance, and will have a limited classroom. One of the differences will be that halfway through the day the students will switch out for her and some students will be at home. For the students who remain at home, Arquette and many other teachers will use Zoom to teach their classes.

With so many students having to do the hybrid method and just as many stay home, teachers have needed to learn how to use Zoom, a popular online meeting program used by many since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down schools and workplaces. Arquette felt bad for teachers who have spent years doing in-person teaching only to switch to a method of teaching that is not familiar to them. “Most of the teachers are older in age and might not know how to work that technology, it’s also unfair because older teachers are more at risk for getting the virus. It’s a learning curve for everyone.” Arquette said on the matter of teachers having so much pressure and risk on them. Especially during a pandemic that no one expected and no one prepared for. Meanwhile, she is worried about her fellow teachers and herself during this stressful time.

“The best thing we can do is keep up the hybrid system and hire more staff to help,” Said Arquette as she mentions the heightened pressure for student teachers as well who have to adjust to a brand new teaching system during a time of uncertainty. While she did joke that this will look good on her resume, having to experience such a thing is difficult enough with having to handle and keep masks on young students who may not fully understand what is going on.

Arquette will be working with Pre-K and Daycare students but has mentioned that she is worried about the classroom management for these younger children. Children who want to run around, hug their friends and teachers, touch their faces, and possibly trying to take their masks off. “I just don’t want anyone to get sick, the students, the teachers, or myself. But I’m working with a great teacher and I hope we’re going to be alright.”