She's Been Teaching For 18 Years. She Says This Year Is Her Most Stressful Yet.
September 15, 2021
Before classes begin for the day, elementary music teacher Penelope Quesada gathers her most commonly used cleaning supplies and places them around the classroom in places of convenience.
Quesada and student teacher Christopher Wolfzorn place box fans in open windows to keep air circulating. After doing her own research, Quesada decided to face one fan outward and one fan inward for better circulation.
Quesada poses for a portrait in her music classroom at Semple Elementary School in Louisville, Ky. She says she wants to continue teaching, but safe in-person learning involves so much more planning now than it did before.
Quesada greets her second grade music class and gives them each a squirt of hand sanitizer as they enter her classroom.
In order to keep them as separated as possible, students in Quesada's third grade class stand on carefully placed stickers on the floor. Because of the space instruments take up, and the need for students to be able to see their teacher, there's often only room for children to stand 3 feet apart, instead of 6.
“Even with all the precautions, having the risk of students getting COVID or passing it to each other, it's almost like a life and death situation that I didn't have before. We care a lot about these kids and these families. I'm worried about the kids and their caregivers. We have a lot of grandparents that take care of the kids,” she explained.
"I wish that schools serving the low economic families would be the priority. If those families get sick it's really traumatic. Who is going to advocate for these kids? That's what's stressful for us teachers because we care a lot about these kids and these families. I'm worried about the kids and their caregivers, we have a lot of grandparents that take care of the kids," Quesada says.
Students in Quesada's third grade music class all get the opportunity to play a xylophone. Quesada does what she can to keep the instruments clean. Her xylophones are expensive and wiping them down regularly could ruin them, so instead she spends her morning wrapping them in plastic wrap.
Quesada spends some class time helping students adjust their masks or replacing them if they need new ones.
As a music teacher, Ms. Quesada employs any technique she can think of to keep instruments clean so that the students can still play them and continue growing in their music education. Her xylophones are expensive and she does not want to ruin the wood by wiping them down regularly, so instead she spends her morning wrapping them in plastic wrap. She consults with other music teachers in the district as they all seek ways to continue music education in the safest ways possible.
A sign hangs in the halls of Semple Elementary demonstrating best mask practices for students.
The sign outside Semple Elementary reminds students they are wanted in school everyday.