Easing freshman into a doubly new school experience

It’s no surprise that Stephanie Lovitt’s freshman English students started the school year a little more cautious than the classes she has taught for the last 20 years at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield. They are new to high school and new to Paul VI, arriving in the middle of a pandemic wearing masks and adhering to social distancing protocols. 

“With the mask on I think that’s a literal and a figurative block sometimes,” said Lovitt, acknowledging the invisible masks many people wear in new or awkward situations, like settling into a new school. But she has no doubt that her students want to be there.

“They want to be in school so they’re doing their best to follow the rules. They want to be with their friends. They thrive on being together. I feel like they want to be here at all costs.”

Lovitt also has students learning remotely in her classes. Since they are unmasked, she is able to see their faces in a way she can’t see the students sitting in front of her. At the same time, she misses having them in the classroom.

“Over the screen it’s a little more formal,” she said. Lovitt hopes that “as the year goes we won’t even notice who’s out of the room and who’s in the room.” 

Half way into the first semester, Lovitt sees all of her students relaxing. “There’s more banter. They are starting to feel more comfortable. I’ve seen a change in them and it’s been fun,” she said.

Until the move to remote learning last March, Lovitt relied on traditional classroom tools, such as handouts and worksheets, with students submitting hard copy essays and tests. She often had students working in groups, or moving about the classroom — activities that are restricted with current protocols.

“Now it’s a different way of planning that group work,” she said.

Instead of pushing desks together, students find their group on Google slides and begin planning via email. Lovitt said using technology in the classroom has been easier since the return to school because she has had more time to plan and knows what to expect.

She’s also unafraid to be curious and ask her students for help. “So I’m teaching them, but they are also helping me greatly with the technology,” she said.

“Everything is right on the computer so we’re getting work done,” she said. “No one is spending time chasing papers around or rifling through folders. They go to the portal, download the document and everyone has it.”

Lovitt said she had no misgivings about returning to school, especially when she saw PVI’s reopening plan and extensive communication. “I felt very confident. I felt good about coming back. I very much wanted to be back in the classroom with my students,” she said. 

Her hope is that the school year will end with everyone together, in school. “I’m hopeful that we’ll all look back at the school year and say, ‘We made it. We still had a good year,’ especially the seniors and freshmen.”