Ms. Gorgan is an English teacher at La Joya Community High School, and she gave us her inside of her perspective of this school year, during this time of Covid-19. During this time, she was able to give us her side of the story. Ms. Gorgan isn’t very fond of the online schooling because of how it’s harder to monitor the students and to help them with what they need; however, she does see it as the best alternative for this time of our lives. She said,

“I have always been an opponent of online school. I do not think that it is as effective as traditional in-person learning. As you are probably seeing, it is harder for teachers to monitor students, help them, and address the many different learning styles.”

She also believes that the students are working and learning at a slower pace because we are not in classrooms, where it is easier to explain the material. She likes to move at a faster pace with advanced students, but it’s harder for her to do this when you are just behind a computer screen. Ms. Gorgan said,

“I believe they are learning at a slower pace. I think I am covering half to a third less of material than I would in the classroom. We are still covering the core skills and lessons, but what we are missing out on is the enrichment. I feel like we present the material, students practice it, and then we have to move on. In the classroom, there would be more discussion, projects, and activities to help students comprehend the material better and in different ways.”

When it comes to our schools re-opening, she said that it was best to keep them closed for quarter one. She didn’t want the schools to open because of the safety of the people on campus. She said,

“ I do not believe the district had appropriate measures in place that would have been safe for students, teachers, and the families we go home to. However, I am eager for schools to reopen (and the pandemic to end) so that we can get back to the real classroom.”

She is a great teacher at La Joya Community High School, but she wants to keep everyone safe.