Before Cartersville High School could get back into hybrid and a full swing five-day a week many precautions were made and put into place to ensure the safety of all staff and students. The impact of mandatory masks and social distancing in the classrooms takes a big toll on teachers and how well they can run their classrooms.

Mrs. Long, the theater arts teacher, is one teacher that the pandemic has affected her classroom and work that she does outside of school, such as musical productions and ceremonies for induction into ITS. A couple of questions were asked to get her view and see just how the pandemic is affecting her work.

First, how long have you worked at Cartersville Highschool?

“Officially this is my third year at Cartersville Highschool, it goes by so fast.”

In all your years teaching, whether it be at CHS or other schools did you ever think you would be in a global pandemic?

“Never in a million years did I think that we would be in a global pandemic.”

How has this pandemic affected your teaching styles?

“It has definitely forced me to grow as a teacher thinking outside of the norm of how I usually teach because my class is very hands on, and we tend to work with a partner or with a group. We had to pull back on that a little bit. When school first started this year, students were only here two days a week, so I had to learn how to be creative with technology so that I was still you know teaching my kids and keeping them engaged.”

Do you feel like you are being a good teacher to your students? For example, when we were all online for the remainder of last school year do you think you could have done better as a resource to your students?

“Honestly I always feel like I could be a better teacher and that’s even before the whole pandemic or having to learn technology. I’m a very reflective person so I’m always thinking how I can be better and keep my students engaged and give them what they need. In general, I could always do a better job but specifically to the end of last year I would like to think I was a good resource, but it was a challenge. There were days that I fell short, but I was also able to make new discoveries of online teaching that I now use in my regular classroom, so it’s been kind of cool. I would not have come across these resources if I was not forced to.”

How has the pandemic changed the way you and your students interact inside and out of the classroom?

“We have the space in here to be spread out for the most part. We are not sitting right next to each other; we are wearing masks every day and for musical theater and dance classes they wear shields or have the option to wear masks. Lots of hand sanitizer is used before and after class. It has become normal to have a mask on and I think the kids have done a great job of doing so.”

If you could change one thing about this year but COVID is not one of them what would it be?

“I don’t really know what I would change. I am happy to be back with everyone and I think the way we transitioned back was smart. I think Cartersville did a really great job with transitioning us all back, having extra planning days for teachers. Starting with two days a week and now going five days a week, honestly, I’m happy with where we are right now. We can still work on our musicals. Theres more hope for the theater kids. We could have come back and be told we could not sing and dance I the classrooms for whatever reasons. i do not think i would change anything right now because everything is going smoothly.”