COVID-19 has affected many industries, but one of the hardest hit has been the education system.
The McWhorter family in small-town Alabama has had four-fifths of their household affected by this. This family of five has three children all at different education levels as well as a parent who is a public school teacher. The husband of the house is currently the only member to not be affected by the changes in the education system.
The mother, Tracy McWhorter is a third-grade teacher who is now having to distance from her students. Parker McWhorter is an upcoming junior at Auburn University who has been sent home for the remainder of the semester. Sam McWhorter is a high school senior who is missing out on graduation. Kelley Anne McWhorter is a sixth-grader who is learning virtually.
“I don’t think they are liking online school as much as they thought,” Tracy said. “I think they like the freedom of sleeping and such but they miss the actual one-on-one presence of their teachers, some of them anyway, and their friends.”
This epidemic hit during Auburn’s spring break. Parker was on his spring break trip in Orange Beach, AL when he received the email that Auburn was closing campus until a later date in April. Rather than heading back to his trailer in Auburn after his vacation, he headed straight for Springville, AL to his childhood home.
Since returning to Springville, Parker has been taking his college classes remotely and will continue to until the end of the school year. Parker has also signed up for summer classes, which have been announced to also take place remotely.
“I feel like school isn’t as engaging,” Parker said. “I feel like I don’t quite get as much out of it. I personally learn better when I’m sitting down in a classroom setting with a teacher face-to-face with me going through a presentation instead of me just reading.”
Kelley Anne has seen the littlest amount of change in her family and yet, she’s had to learn a whole new way to do her school work. She is now required to pick up a monthly packet full of school work from her teachers that have due dates for each assignment. These assignments are then completed online and emailed to her teachers.
“I would say that staying home from school for this long has really taken a toll on my behavior,” Kelley Anne said. “I thought I would enjoy missing school at the beginning of quarantine but now I really want to go back. I don’t like being inside for this long.”
Kelley Anne also made Springville’s varsity soccer league this season, but won’t be seeing the field for the first time as all of the games have been terminated due to this pandemic. However, she wasn’t the only McWhorter who had to end a season too early.
Sam’s whole senior season ended early. He is having to miss prom, sporting events and his own graduation. The school tried its best to keep the spirit alive but ultimately has postponed all events. Sam had a tux rented and reservations made for his senior prom, but may never get to go.
“Since all this has happened everything has felt very surreal,” Sam said. “I couldn’t possibly imagine that something of this scale would come in and completely change the way we live our lives. I never would’ve guessed that this would happen the year that I was set to graduate.”
The most heartbreaking of these events has been having to postpone his graduation. He never even got the opportunity to take his senior pictures for graduation announcements. He’s missing a right of passage to move onto his college career, but he’s hopeful his school will continue to schedule a summer graduation for the seniors.
“The last days of school, senior prom, final exams, and graduation have been something I’ve been looking forward to since middle school,” Sam said. “It all seems completely unfair, but when I feel like that, I just try to remember all of the memories that I did make during my time in high school, and all the friends I now have. but ultimately I know this will be a senior year I’ll never forget.”
The mother of the group, Tracy, has worked her hardest to keep her school kid’s education on track, but now she’s also having to work with her own kids.
“As a mom of older students, I’ve found myself in the position as merely a facilitator in a way,” Tracy said. “Do my kids have what they need (technology, access, supplies, space, quiet). Do they have any questions that I can help them with or can I steer them in the right direction? At the end of the day, I ask them what do you have for tomorrow?”
“I honestly don’t see this as very different than what I was doing before the pandemic except that I make sure I check in with them at the end of the day. I also have more time with them to talk about what they are doing.”
Tracy is a math coach at Springville Elementary School. She is in charge of supplemental math coaching for students who need it. Due to the fact that she never meets with a physical classroom of kids, but rather works one-on-one her job has turned more into a supporter. She’s helping teachers wherever they need it.
“As a teacher, it has totally changed because I work with students that struggle with math in small groups or individually,” Tracy said. “They have so much on their plates right now that I’m merely here for support. I look up things, help guide teachers if I can, answer questions from teachers and parents.”
“I hate not being to help my students at school,” Tracy said. “I worry about some more than others and I know that the beginning of next year will bring lots of challenges. However, I’m realistic enough to know that schoolwork has to be secondary to the safety of my kids.”
Despite the McWhorter’s world getting flipped upside down, they’ve learned how to adapt and overcome. All four of them have adjusted to remote learning smoothly. As the school years wrap up they’re all thankful they are part of schools that have taken time to cater to them during this trying time.
“We’re still working through it,” Parker said. “I’m just thankful I have parents that are working. We try ot keep it normal by having family nights and supporting our favorite small businesses. I feel like we’re been able to keep a positive attitude through all this.”
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