There’s less than a week left before Macon County Schools begin their most unconventional school year ever, but teachers and administrators are doing their best to keep a level head as they prepare for students on Monday, Aug. 17.
Job number one is going to be keeping kids safe. The school system is armed with ample cleaning supplies and personal protective gear, but much of the execution will still fall to the teachers.
Pauletta Clark, a third-grade teacher at Iotla Valley Elementary School, said her class’ daily schedule will be heavily modified to make sure that the kids are practicing proper hygiene at all times.
“Our first priority is going to be the safety of the children,” Clark said. “Hand washing times, cleaning tables, taking temperatures, enforcing mask protocol … There’s going to be time set aside for all of that.”
The other big change from preparations in most years is virtual learning. When a student’s group isn’t in school, they’ll be interacting with their teachers online to get their daily instruction. Weeks of professional development have gone into making sure that teachers know how to run the Google Classrooms platform. Once the kids come back, the teachers will not only need to put everything they’ve learned to work, they’ll also need to pass their knowledge on to everyone else.
“I’m scheduling some meetings with parents to make sure they know how this will work,” said Cartoogechaye Elementary School teacher Katrin Rholetter. “We’re trying to do as much as we can to integrate virtual students into the classroom and make them feel like they’re there.”
Macon County Schools has made accommodations for professional development, but there’s still a lot to figure out. East Franklin Elementary School media teacher Cieara Gregory has worn many different hats in the last few weeks, trying to help her coworkers with their technical support questions. As tough as circumstances were last spring when schools closed unexpectedly, she’s glad that they’ve all gotten some practice running a classroom from a distance.
“We had a little taste of what it was going to be like in the spring,” Gregory said. “There’s still going to be some things to figure out, but there’s nothing better than teachers working together.”
Indeed, the spirit of collaboration is keeping most staff members calm in the midst of unprecedented circumstances. They all agree that having everyone on level ground has encouraged them to consult with each other for ideas and advice. East Franklin principal Sandra McMahan thinks that preparations have been a valuable professional experience.
“It’s definitely been the most creative time I’ve seen in terms of problem solving,” McMahan said.
Principal Kristen Lynch, who switched schools from Mountain View Intermediate School to Cartoogechaye this summer, said she’s been able to bond more with her new coworkers because they’re all facing the same challenges.
“We all feel like brand new administrators just like every teacher feels like it’s their first day of teaching,” Lynch said. “We’re all getting through it together.”
No one knows what the first day of school and the weeks and months that follow will bring. Any new development in the pandemic or order from the state could change all of the school system’s plans. However, things are looking set for the first day of in-person classes in five months. For most teachers, that’s reason enough to celebrate.
“We’re going to love on our babies no matter what,” Cartoogechaye teacher Katie Kennedy said. “Even if we have to do it from six feet away.”
The first day of in-person classes will be Monday, Aug. 17 for students in Group A and Tuesday, Aug. 18 for students in Group B. For more information and to check your child’s class listing, check the front entrance to the school or contact the school directly.