On March 13 last year, Nicole Borja, an English teacher at George Washington High School, wished her students a good weekend, believing she would see them the following week.
As the one-year mark of COVID-19’s presence on our island approaches, Borja shared her experiences and challenges of being a teacher during this pandemic.
On March 15, 2020, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero confirmed the first COVID-19 cases on Guam. The following day, it was announced that schools would be closed for two weeks.
After hearing the news, Borja, who has taught at GWHS since 2005, recalled her first thought was, “How am I going to say goodbye to my students?”
Three weeks later, Guam Department of Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez stated his decision to cancel classes for the remainder of the school year.
GDOE students and teachers would not meet in the physical classroom until the following year.
“I wasn’t able to give my students a have-a-great-summer hug,” Borja said. “So honestly, that really dampened my spirits. There was no closure for anybody.”
This school year poses new challenges for students and teachers with the offering of three learning models: online, hard-copy and face-to-face.
For Borja, adjusting her lesson plans to accommodate all modes has been a struggle, as she finds herself dedicating the weekends to prepare for her classes.
Another challenge for Borja is connecting with her online students. She learned that many students are not confident speaking behind their screen, which she understands and does not fault them for it.
“If this is new for me, what more for a child,” Borja stated. “I have to be extra compassionate and sensitive to their shyness and reluctance to participate, but it sucks. I feel like I’m not reaching out to them the way that I know I can because of that blockage of the screen.”
However, Borja asserted that these obstacles taught her patience and perseverance.
“It gives me a piece of humble pie to accept these challenges because the situation could be worse,” Borja stated.
With the offering of face-to-face classes since January, schools are slowly getting back to normal.
Currently, Borja’s biggest class has five students.
“I miss the noise. I miss the freaking craziness and all the chatter in the classroom,” Borja emphasized. “Getting back to normalcy in the classroom, hugging and just interacting with the kids is what I’m looking the most forward to in the future.”