In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, many schools implemented health policies and precautions to ensure the safety of the students and staff. This included mask mandates, social distancing and virtual learning, which became the norm. However, as the pandemic has died down, many of these policies have been restricted. This new change left students and staff with mixed emotions.
During the 2020-2021 school year, many schools operated under strict policies. Most students attended online or virtual learning, while some did hybrid learning. When vaccines were created and widely used in 2021-2022, schools started to pedal back on certain restrictions that allowed more students to go back in person.
By the 2022-2023 school year, numerous schools dropped masks and social distancing requirements, and Maryland’s school mask requirement ended in March 2022. Many schools aimed to transition back to pre-pandemic normalcy. In the current 2024-2025 school year, multiple schools across the county have abandoned COVID-19-related policies.
Seneca Valley High School freshman Rakelle Okyere shares her thoughts about the policy changes and how they have impacted her.
“Sometimes, I feel that the policy changes are unrealistic only because after going such a while with phones and technology, then reentering school with technology being a main part of school, can make it hard to detach from phones. However, I enjoy that there are more reminders to keep clean in the new policies,” Okyere said.
She also shares differences she has noticed in her school routine now compared to the years during COVID-19, being less productive before but adjusting to doing more.
“The policies have not affected me too much. I think the worry and all the noise about washing your hands and being sanitary is important so we can put some steps in place to prevent these pandemics,” Okyere said.
Seneca Valley High School sophomore Ashley Ortiz Aguilar shares her thoughts on the new policies.
“I honestly felt like the transition from COVID and online learning to normal school was pretty rough, especially since they were very lenient with grading and due dates,” Aguilar said.
Compared to during the pandemic, Aguilar shares that she notices a difference, such as fewer people wearing masks and an increase in social media use.
Similar to Okyere, she shares that her school routine is different: before, she was less productive due to the leniency of teachers with assignments and grades, but transitioning back to high school was difficult.
“…Because only then they started getting rid of policies and it was overwhelming at first but I would’ve preferred they did it that way earlier so it wouldn’t have been so hard adjusting to the workload in high school,” Aguilar said.
In terms of any policies that should have been kept longer, she expresses that the transition back to normalcy should have been earlier to help those prepare more.
Seneca Valley High School teacher James Knuuttila gives his perspective on the new change in the policies.
“Since the changes were made, I have been digging back into my toolbox of teaching strategies of getting more movement involved back into the classroom, facilitating more collaboration with students, and involving more circulating and dancing in the learning process. During the two school years of 2021 – 2023 I would respect everyone’s space and be aware of how close I got to students. I would also be aware of how many pieces of paper I would give them to minimize the risk of spread,” Mr. Knuuttila said.
Knuuttila additionally provides some of the challenges he was facing, such as getting sicker and noticing a decline in the cadence of his teaching for a few students.
“I have not noticed a change due to the policies being altered. But I have noticed a complete transformation from 2019 and before to now in terms of engagement. Students before the pandemic were much more talkative and social with each other. Teachers had to constantly monitor how much talking is going on where now students retreat to their phones and isolate themselves mentally whenever they get the chance to,” Knuuttila said.
In terms of COVID policies that should have remained, he expresses that there should be an increase in emphasis on sanitizing hands and wearing masks when students are ill.
“With regard to classroom management, I have found that getting kids engaged is the most challenging,” Seneca Valley High School teacher Katherine Hess expresses.
Similar to Knuuttila, she notices a difference in student behavior and engagement.
“But it was hard from a learning and socializing perspective for a lot of my students, and I think there has been an expectation that everything will snap back to the way it was before, when it won’t, we have to figure out things in a world that was largely shut down for a long time. My students are less likely to interact with one another, and are often less socially mature than students of the same age pre-COVID,” Ms. Hess said.
Written by Miley Thomas of Seneca Valley High School
Graphic courtesy of Ayza Siddiqi of Clarksburg High School