When I taught in middle school and high school, classes were crowded with 35-40 students and hallways during class change were like a cattle stampede with 1500-1600 students in the middle school running to their next classes while crowds of 9th grade students milled in large groups to socialize. In the high school it was worse. Three to five thousand students trudged like a large organism shoulder to shoulder. They were packed so close together that it would have been possible to crowd surf over their downturned heads while the din of half muffled of yells and altercation when someone accidently stepped on a toe or the back of heal filled the hallways and the rustle of students weighted down by cumbersome backpacks filled with heavy textbooks slowly lumbered to their next class. In both the middle school and the high school the smell of perspiration rose like a dark cloud over the hallway. So, how do school even begin to imagine schools can keep students six feet apart? How do you keep students safe from Covid 19 when the air they breath is recirculated through the windowless classrooms all day long?
One idea is to only require students to attend classrooms one day a week. Teachers would work in teams: one English language arts teacher, one social studies teacher, one science teacher and one math teacher all teaching the same grade level. Each classroom would house ten to twelve students arranged in desks six feet apart where each teacher would teach his/her academic discipline for 40 to 45 minutes before the teacher, not the students would rotate classrooms; thereby, reducing the close contact found in class change times. There would be four rotations making it possible for each student to be instructed in English, social studies, science and math before lunch.
For lunch each teacher could escort his/her students to the cafeteria to retrieve lunch and either eat in the cafeteria, spread out or return to the classroom to eat. The food could be delivered to the classroom, but the problem of disinfecting the classroom before and after eating food could be a problem. During the H1N1 Virus, teachers in my school disinfected the students’ desks and chairs after each class and met the students at the door with hand sanitizer before the class began. The teachers’ not the district paid for these supplies, but today finding disinfectant wipes, let alone hand sanitizer is almost impossible. Furthermore, my classroom had carpeting on the floor and walls making it difficult to sanitize. So, extra supplies and manpower would be needed if needed.
The other problem with the plan is the poor teachers haven’t had a break from the students to use the rest rooms or eat lunch. Team teaching with another teacher in the same discipline might rectify this problem; however, with teacher required to organize and teach classes and provide on-line assignments and zoom classes for all students at least four days a week, more teachers are going to be needed and many states are suffering from teacher shortages.
What about electives? Whiles these 40-48 students are taking their solid classes: English, social studies, science and math, 40-48 other students are taking elective classes: computers, art, dance, physical education, drama and any other elective. Now, the two groups rotate. The next day another 80-96 students repeat the process.
Are there problems? Yes, this solution would require a lot of teamwork and planning. While one set of teachers is in the classroom, other teachers are planning on-line assignments and teaching zoom classes. Despite the teacher shortage in most states, more educators would be needed all who are well versed in their discipline, but also in technical skills. Organizing students’ schedules might be challenging because not all students who are in advanced classes in one discipline are in advanced classes in another. Furthermore, parents who had students in different grade levels or different schools, might want them to attend school on the same day which might be difficult if not impossible. Teaching two or three sets of academic classes simultaneous on differing levels might make integrating students into the groups possible, but it would take detailed scheduling.
Physical contact with students will require faculty, staff and students to be screened and tested daily and requiring everyone to wear gloves and facemasks will make communicating difficult. Students with autism and learning disabilities might find the situation unbearable.
The advantages include buses would only transport 20% of the students daily which would make social distancing possible. Hallways would be virtually empty between classes. Although students would only have one day per week of face to face time with teachers , that time could increase learning and provide an emotional connection students’s need. In the end districts might decide that on-line classes are more practical and economical. All we can do is hope for a vaccine soon and that all faculty, staff and students are willing to get it.
