Before the pandemic, the school I work for, located about 20 miles outside of Washington, D.C., had rituals and traditions that defined our school culture and aimed to bring a holistic approach to learning, like having students work in small groups and encouraging office hours with teachers.
As in many schools, though, these rich teaching practices had to be put on hold due to the pandemic, as COVID-19 health protocols forced us to keep our distance and switch to a more rigid, relentless schedule. Our in-person classes changed to 45 minutes in length, down from 60 minutes previously, with every class happening every day instead of the comfortable and measured five classes and office hours each day with sections rotating from mid-morning to afternoon.
