Camille Liparini - Staff Editor
There’s no denying that COVID-19 quarantine orders are taking their toll on everyone. The situation is difficult for students and parents alike, the quarantine being a large adjustment in most homes. While students struggle with missing memories and time with friends, some parents are stuck between entertaining their children, educating their children, and holding down their jobs all at the same time. Some of Marriotts Ridge’s staff members are in this position, trying to educate their students as well as their children. 9th-grade team leader Mrs. McQueen is one such staff member.
“I have two daughters,” Mrs. McQueen said, “the oldest is 6 and the youngest is 4. Working through the quarantine with kids is definitely a huge adjustment for my family.” For both students and teachers, there are certain household routines that have been changed because of the quarantine, and lots of new routines have been introduced. Teachers and students both have google meet calls, and in houses with students and teachers, these could overlap. “I am very lucky and was able to set-up my schedule so that it doesn’t conflict with my daughters’ online classes,” McQueen said about her experience with scheduling calls. “It can be tricky to keep both kids busy while I’m teaching but so far they’ve only interrupted a few times.”
Math teacher Mrs. Power has two daughters as well, ages 11 and 13. “I helped my kids with the initial transition to online learning by setting up their workspaces, and establishing their schedules and expectations,” Power said, “we allow them to try to manage things on their own… so far, they're handling their workloads very well. Being a working parent is always a challenge. In our current circumstances, the ages of your children make a huge difference in the level of difficulty of both parenting and working. People with very young children are having a very different experience than I am.”
“I miss being able to leave work for the day and focus on my family,” Mrs. McQueen said. Even though the quarantine has brought about a lot of changes to people’s lives and typical routines, some changes are good. “I’ve actually really enjoyed getting to see all the things they are learning first hand,” McQueen said, a positive to the experience of students learning from home. It’s a chance for parents to get a closer look at their student’s school experience, even if it’s different than being in the school building itself.
The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent quarantine orders are changing the way teachers teach, students learn, and families function, but the changes aren’t all negative. “Tonight I was making dinner, answering student emails, and watching my kids make dirt soup in the backyard all at the same time.” Mrs. McQueen said, “But we are making it work and I’m thankful that
I am able to work from home.”
Across the country, many young parent-teachers like Mrs. McQueen struggle to maintain a balance between their work lives and their family lives during these turbulent times.