Center of Attention

Media Center is transformed into a classroom.

Brimming with room, the renovated space forms a space where students can abide by the social-distancing standard. Only Simpson’s American Literature class filled every seat. The vast area also allowed students easier access to books and other learning material.

Ariel Clark

Brimming with room, the renovated space forms a space where students can abide by the social-distancing standard. Only Simpson’s American Literature class filled every seat. The vast area also allowed students easier access to books and other learning material.

Ariel Clark, Editor
August 31, 2020

Change upon change has been thrown around at the high school in response to the rampaging disease that has taken the world by storm. One of these changes includes the attempt to space out classroom seats to be at least 6 feet apart. Another change has been the banishment of smaller classrooms to more spacious areas to allow students to properly distance themselves from others. Randall Simpson, the affected teacher, has already begun his English teachings in the Media Center.

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Your room is not only a reflection of who you are as a teacher, but it’s also a teaching tool.

— Teacher Randall Simpson

In efforts to adapt to these unpredictable events, one thing our school is doing to help prevent COVID-19 infection is placing teachers with smaller classrooms into large spaces like the Media Center to host class. (Ariel Clark)

“Originally I was not excited about it,” Simpson said, “Your room is not only a reflection of who you are as a teacher, but it’s also a teaching tool.”At first, Simpson believed that with the loss of his room, a piece of his personality was lost along with it.  However, as time went on, he began to adapt to the new environment. “Now I just see it as another space. Another place for me to teach.”  The large room allows students the freedom to properly distance themselves and still move around. 

To make room for Simpson’s class, the Media Center had to move around several bookshelves to make an alcove for all the desks.

The lounge chairs that had previously been in the center of the room were removed (and would have been removed either way due to the removal of soft fabrics) and replaced with Simpson’s desk, a projector, and a podium. This area is sealed off by an “invisible wall.” Spanning from the door to the ICN room, it wraps around the librarian’s desk and comes to a close around the second-most bookshelf; students aren’t allowed to wander outside of these boundaries.

Due to the absence of high school librarian Laurie Parrott, students who wish to borrow a book are required to write down their information on a note provided by Simpson. 

Thanks to the unique situation of the classroom, students are also subjected to exploring the new environment. Sophomore Katie Birge said, “It’s a little strange being in the media center to learn instead of just going in there for study hall or to get a book. It hasn’t caused any issues for learning, though, so I have no problems with it.” Birge personally prefers the open layout to a more “enclosed” classroom. 

In general, the classes held in the media center will be expected to continue as normal while the pandemic continues.