HANCOCK COUNTY — Some days, New Palestine Junior High School teacher Fred Fox goes down to the school cafeteria just so he can see his students’ faces.
Throughout much of the day, those faces are covered up in masks.
It’s just another sign of the times in an unparalleled school year, where nothing is exactly as it used to be.
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Since schools throughout Hancock County have gradually welcomed students back to class over the past few weeks, teachers have been working to find their new normal.
“This is my twenty-seventh year teaching, and it has truly been one of the more difficult years, but we’re all kind of in it together. My colleagues and I are very supportive of each other, and the kids have been great,” said Fox, who teaches eighth-grade English.
The coronavirus pandemic has made schools function in ways they never have before, forcing teachers to teach in ways they never have.
Many educators are pulling double duty, teaching their classes both in person and online. While teachers commiserate over what a challenging year this has been, the overall mood has been positive, Fox said.
“I haven’t heard anybody on the edge or anything,” he said. “Everybody is in the same boat, but we’re making it happen, and things are going really well.”
His sister, Lisa Fox, has found the same to be true at Greenfield-Central High School, where she teaches English.
“I feel like we have just a wonderfully positive group of teachers. The sense of humor continues to be there, and I feel as if everyone is willing to help everyone else. I’d say that under these circumstances, morale is surprisingly high,” she said.
English teacher Kent Gish, president of the New Palestine Classroom Teachers Association, echoes those sentiments.
“It’s been a challenge, but school is going well. The students have been so cooperative and are working hard and adjusting, just like us teachers. The stress on students is also greater, so we are all in this together,” said Gish, who teaches at New Palestine High School.
“Teachers are so glad to be back with students, it’s worth the extra stress. The longer we go, the easier it gets as we learn to adjust and get better at new skills. We are also supportive of each other, and that helps,” he said.
Teachers say that having students miss two weeks of class at a time due to quarantining is among the biggest challenges.
“Students need to have the work available and be given the support virtually to do the work and ask questions. This requires making videos, answering many more emails, and designing instruction not just for face-to-face instruction, but also virtual,” said Gish, who has been teaching for 27 years.
“At times the instruction is similar, but some curriculum requires different tools virtually, so it’s like teaching two different classes. This takes much more time on a daily basis, on top of what I would usually do,” he said.
Lisa Fox said the additional communication required among teachers, students and parents takes up substantially more time than in a regular school year.
“There are so many more emails I receive with students having questions or communicating when something is turned in, or when they’re having trouble connecting during class — a big part of the challenge is staying up on that,” she said.
Fox laughs heartily when asked if this is the strangest year in the 37 years she’s taught at Greenfield-Central High School.
“You can sure say that,” she said, but it’s also been revealing.
After teaching nearly four decades, this year has taught her how much she craves the connection with her students that was once taken for granted.
Gone for now are the days where students can give teachers a hug, handshake or even a high-five in the hallways. They’re not even supposed to get within 6 feet of one another. And all those students’ smiles and facial expressions are now covered up by masks.
“Many teachers I spoke with say it’s good to be back with kids. We miss that relationship part of teaching,” said Lisa Fox. “For me personally, the relationship part is my favorite part.”
It’s much harder to create relationships virtually than it is in person, she said, but teachers always try.
Fred Fox said it’s a little easier for English teachers like him and his sister, because students are asked to express themselves through their writing assignments.
“A lot of teaching is relationships. If I didn’t have that aspect of it, I think it would be a lot more difficult,” he said.
Connecting with students face to face is the main reason Lisa Fox advocated for Greenfield-Central returning to school as scheduled on July 30.
“I was one who wanted us to start because we really didn’t know how long we would be in person, so I wanted to get to know my kids. Then if I had to go virtual at least I would know them. So it’s been good to have that time with them,” she said.
She appreciates that Greenfield-Central Superintendent Harold Olin encouraged teachers to treat the first few days of school as a time to get acquainted with students, rather than diving right into the heart of their curriculum.
“Since school let out abruptly back in March these students hadn’t had that connection for so long, so I think that was good advice for us,” Fox said.
Sara Houston is thrilled to be back in her kindergarten classroom at Harris Elementary School in Greenfield.
“Honestly, I wake up excited to go to work every day. I’m happy to be in the classroom with my little kindergartners” she said.
“This is my twenty-second year of teaching, and in some ways it kind of feels like the first year all over again, because there’s been so many changes. I’ve had to adapt and go about finding new ways to do things to keep people healthy and safe, but at the same time reach the needs of my students,” Houston said.
While it’s been somewhat stressful, “it’s totally worth it to be able to be there in person and to be able to see their faces. A lot of times it’s just their eyes I can see,” she said with a laugh, “but to be able to have that interaction with them in person, to be able to make those relationships with them to help them further their education is important. And to get to that every day is the best.”
Lynne Rahe, a third-grade teacher at Harris Elementary, agrees.
“I have found the enjoyment of being back in the classroom with students outweighs any minor adjustments. The biggest challenge is spacing in the classroom. Kids want to be close to their peers and their teacher,” she said. “The only stressor I feel is the not knowing when things could change or when they can return to normal.”
For now, teachers and students continue to acclimate to their “new normal.”
Whenever Fred Fox senses that his students are getting restless and need a break from wearing face masks, he heads outside and lets them stretch their legs while remaining distanced in the school parking lot.
“As an educator you get a feel for the climate of the room, and you know when it’s time for a break. They come back in and everybody’s calmed down and refreshed,” he said.
Gish said having a laid-back attitude in the classroom really helps in a year when a lot of the “fun stuff” like group projects, field trips, guest speakers and other activities have been eliminated for now due to social distancing.
“We are figuring work-arounds for many of these, but it’s a slow process. In the long run, students will be fine, but as we learn, it feels like we are missing out at times,” Gish said.
“However, as we do learn we will be much more efficient in the future, and as we add back, we will be able to do more, better. So students in the future will benefit from what we are learning now, and that’s encouraging,” he said.
Dana Allen, who teaches fifth grade, has been thrilled to see how well both students and staff have adapted to the changes at Eastern Hancock Elementary so far this year.
“There were a lot of unknowns going into the year, but it’s going extremely well and the kids are doing an amazing job. It’s starting to feel normal,” she said.
