Throughout the pandemic, Gabrielino High School teachers have been put through the ultimate test. There have been circumstances and situations that we as a society could never have predicted, and although times were tough, our teachers powered through. 

   From having to suddenly switch to virtual learning back in March 2020, to now being back in person for the 2021-2022 school year, teachers had to become more than flexible, and the students at Gabrielino offer nothing but praise for our teachers. 

   Office Manager Kathleen Ott stated, “I think teachers want to be here. They want to be in the classroom with their kids.”

   Coming back to campus this year was nerve wracking, not only for the students, but for faculty and staff as well.     

   During hybrid learning, classes only held up to 16 students due to social distancing requirements at the time. Now, classes are at the original 36 kids stuffed in to cramped rooms. It is only natural that teachers and students are uncomfortable during these circumstances. 

   Luckily for us students, the teachers here at Gabrielino have set a great foundation for the return. During the most recent COVID-19 surge after Winter break, there was fear of the unknown among the students. Fear of getting COVID from any one of our classmates, and also the fear of going back to virtual learning. 

   However, seeing our teachers remain calm and collected, regardless of how they were truly feeling during this time, brought a feeling of safety to the student body. 

  According to NYTimes.com, “In more than a dozen interviews, educators described the immense challenges, and exhaustion, they have faced trying to provide normal schooling for students in pandemic conditions that are anything but normal […] Many teachers said they had also become impromptu social workers for their students […] helping pupils work through their feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation.”

   Statistics teacher Geoff Barraclough was out sick during this semester and in hopes of keeping some form of normalcy and stability, he held zoom meetings with his students that were in-person in the classroom. This is just one example of the commitment that the teachers have for their students. 

   Students have taken for granted the kindness that our teachers here on campus have shown us during this uncertain time, as it is convenient to focus on our worries as individuals, not realizing that the teachers are experiencing different challenges, too. 

   We appreciate all that our teachers have done, whether it be extending due dates, or being a shoulder to cry on when situations have become difficult. It is hard to express enough gratitude for the faculty here at Gabrielino, and how none of this would have been possible without all of the hard work that has been put in.