On Monday, April 12 students and teachers were finally able to return to in-person school. As teachers were struggling to find creative ways to teach topics over zoom, many are happy to be back in their classrooms. While all teachers had to learn to adapt to online teaching,  it was especially hard for those trying to teach younger kids. Young children crave social interaction, which is difficult to achieve online, and they don’t have the attention span for zoom classes. As Brad Zacuto, the head of Westside Neighborhood School in Los Angeles, stated, “young children don’t learn particularly well from screens. Social-emotional learning is vital with young children, and it needs to be in person, face to face, masks and all.” As hard as it was on teachers it was also hard on the kids. 

Teachers are happy to be back and see their students for the first time. Danny Blas, who teaches middle school history and social science at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, states that he is “excited to see his students again and see their faces.” While being on zoom most kids have their cameras off, so it was exciting to see students for the first time!

Overall most teachers are happy to be back in person to create a better learning environment and finish the year strong. Ms. Bertier, a 10th-grade chemistry teacher at La Jolla High, stated, “ I am so happy to be back on campus and see people! I missed my labs and my lab space. I am so excited to be able to give students a hands-on opportunity!” She is thrilled to be back and provide her students with a great rest of the year.