The Feeling of Nostalgia

        Do you miss attending school? If you were to ask me then my answer is ‘yes’. Let’s all face it, we all miss going back to school, it’s better to see your friends and teachers in real life rather than through your screen, right? Back when the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t exist, we would wish that we could just leave school because it’s hard and stressful, but you also miss going to school when we’re in summer right? You also miss those days were you are making group projects, group practices and performances. Ah, yes. The good old times. Then Corona virus or COVID 19 came into the picture, at first we were still allowed to go to school, but of course we have to wear face masks, but then we were told not go to school anymore without finishing the whole school year. Okay, yes I was happy when I heard that news, but after months turned into years, I started to miss school, not only because I miss going out and seeing my friends, but I missed attending school generally, we all do.

          Let’s all picture this in our minds, imagine you’re in front of your school gates, you are about to enter the school grounds as you greet your teachers and walk through the hallway with your friends. You hang out with your friends and walk to the field together for flag ceremony. After flag ceremony you all go back to your respective classrooms and start your first subject. After morning classes, some of your classmates would go out to buy lunch and you might be the one who brings lunch with you (like me), form a circle with chairs or the floor with your friends and eat your food, sharing jokes and laughing, enjoying your break. After your last subject for today, it’s finally dismissal, cleaners stay to clean your classroom, you exit the school grounds with your friends and you might get picked up, commute or walk back home. That’s what almost all students do every Monday to Friday, and when they get home they do their homework and rest. 

Your vision would slowly blur and darken as you find yourself stuck in your house every day, in quarantine with your family and is not allowed to go out unless it is really necessary. You are in a COVID 19 pandemic. This virus originated in China, it is a deadly virus that can be spread by the infected person’s mouth or nose in sneezing, coughing, speaking or breathing. That is why we wear face masks and shields, some even plastic gloves, follow the protocols like social distancing and not going out of their homes unless it is necessary, like grocery shopping or any medical assistance. We cannot go out so we had to use learning modalities like modules, online classes and blended learning. Well I think it’s good that we can still continue the next school year even without attending school and I think our homes are the best place to learn other than school. It’s also good for students to learn to be more independent and improve skills like reading, writing and many more.

I’m not saying this pandemic is a good thing, because it’s obviously not. But I discovered that I improved in some things. I suddenly realize that I became more independent, improved and developed my old and new study habits, I have also noticed that I began to take my responsibilities more seriously than before. I guess all I can say is that there are also benefits of this pandemic, but sadly there are more misfortunes in this. Some misfortunes I can name are death, fear, not seeing your friends, cannot go out, can’t have any gatherings, always have to wear face mask and shields, strict rules and protocols, cannot attend school, some healthcare workers get disrespected, lose of job, poverty as well as the economy has worsen. 

Now going back to the main topic, the quality education during COVID 19 pandemic. Like I said, it’s good that we can all still continue another school year so that we won’t lose knowledge and instead gain more. In some schools, the students are given learning modalities like modules to answer, some attend online classes while some are blended, both modular and online. From what I know and is stated, that the students’ health is always first, I think the schools are doing their best in maintaining order and are trying their best to monitor the students’ mental health. But as much as they are trying to help, students still get stressed, isolated and depressed, it’s their own feelings and nobody can control these feelings but them only. Other effects that I know are insomnia, anxiety, bipolar disorder and many more. This is because students are so used to teachers teaching them, explaining the lessons thoroughly, the teachers help the students in misunderstandings and answers their queries. Although students can just ask their teachers digitally, a lot of people and places have poor connection with the internet. There may be students who are independent in learning but the others need someone to guide them. A disadvantage is that some students make, hire or just search answers in the internet and other people like parents, it is not good because they are supposed to learn and test their own knowledge so they can have a bright future. Because of some learning modalities are hard to understand or finish in the given limited time before deadlines, this causes students to panic and affect their mental health, some can result to depression, panic attacks and even suicide. Not everyone has a good life at home, there are those children who have family problems, personal problems, abuse and other issues as well. Carrying many responsibilities and problems can just corrupt someone’s mind.

Besides students, it also affects the teachers. It’s not only the students who suffer this pandemic. Teachers have to attend webinars and meetings, some also go to their respective schools just to print modules, make modules, commence online classes, check answer sheets of students, and check up on their students as well. The teachers do not only revolve around the school, they also have their own families to feed and their own children to help with their schoolwork. As well as parents, they also have many responsibilities like going out to buy groceries and other things needed in the household, help their children in schoolwork and do their jobs, some are even unemployed now because of the pandemic. It’s not only the students who are feeling stressed and depressed, teachers and parents, too. Maybe they even cried over their works and you just never saw them cry before. 

Everything is hell right now in this pandemic. We still cannot go back to the way they are. Kids playing outside, children attending school, having classes, spending time with friends and family, having fun in gatherings and many more. We cannot go back, not until the virus is gone, or if we are all fully vaccinated. But it isn’t that simple, it’s a pandemic, there are many people living in the earth, and whilst the students in some other countries are going back to school, the students in our country still can’t go back to school until they’re all vaccinated. Though the news had mentioned that our country had approved COVID 19 jabs for kids for children as young as 12.

In this COVID 19 pandemic, we cannot help but feel depressed, stressed, anxious and other negative emotions. The education we are having right now is hard, no teachers to guide us face to face, some students are not the one who is answering the modules, most students have trouble in internet connection, is not skilled in self-learning and many more challenges in school in this pandemic. But we should still work and study hard, because we are the future of our nation. If you feel like giving up just think about the fun times you spend at school with your friends and teachers to lighten and inspire you more. Recall the fun times with your friends and classmates, the times when you all fooled around, the times you and your classmates and teachers share emotional moments together and the times you and your teachers and classmates had discussions together. It makes you long for those good old times, the times when life seemed easier, the feeling of nostalgia.

 

 

Resources:

“Template:COVID-19 pandemic data” Retrieved September 30, 2021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:COVID-19_pandemic_data

“Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)” Retrieved September 30, 2021 https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

“Philippines approves Covid-19 vaccine jabs for kids as young as 12” Retrieved September 30, 2021 https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-approves-covid-19-jabs-for-kids-as-young-as-12

VanderLind, Ren (2017). Effects of Mental Health on Student Learning, 22(2). Retrieved September 30,2021 https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1154566

“FSC2114 Technology to Improve Teaching, Learning & Classroom Management” Retrieved September 30, 2021 https://www.fluirse.com/product/fsc2114-technology-to-improve-teaching-learning-classroom-management/

Schwartz, Sarah (2020). Survey: Students Want More Opportunities to Connect With Teachers During the Pandemic. Retrieved September 30, 2021 https://www.edweek.org/leadership/survey-students-want-more-opportunities-to-connect-with-teachers-during-the-pandemic/2020/12

“BCES BE-LCP: Transcending from the old normal to the new normal” Retrieved September 30, 2021 https://newsbeastph.com/2020/10/bces-be-lcp-transcending-from-the-old-normal-to-the-new-normal/

“Big Hero 6 — Scott Watanabe” Retrieved September 28, 2021 https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/838795499354797043/

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/838795499354840847/