The world is changing. Constantly building and inventing, breaking, and reworking, but right now, the world seems to have come to a slight standstill. This pause in the  seemingly ever-changing world has proven difficult for many, and teachers are no exception. Despite this pandemic riddling the world, schools have had to move on and forward, presenting many unique challenges for teachers. 

One such teacher that was particularly enthusiastic to get back to school was FHC’s choir director, Elisabeth Baird. Baird has been teaching at FHC for ten years now and has found a great connection with both students and staff. 

“I really love the feel we have here at Central,” Baird explained. “I really love the leadership that we have here at Central…that allows me to be the teacher I wanna be…Central has always felt like home.”

Returning to school, whether learning virtually or in-person, was a challenge for  all. Discussing this year’s obstacles, Baird seemed optimistic in the thought that things will turn around. 

“That’s what I hold onto…The hope that this will not be my life forever,” Baird said. 

Baird has been looking for ways to improve her students’ experience, which has led to a few teachers and students volunteering to make singing masks for the classes. The president of the Choir Leadership Council at FHC, Carson Howe, has seen these masks in use firsthand.

“I can’t give…specific [results] yet because a lot of our choirs have not been equipped fully with them…For me, personally, they have been very effective in…keeping our particles away from other people, while also allowing us to have proper vowels and other fun things that choirs do,” Howe said.

These singing masks keep the mask away from the mouth, while still protecting the face so that the choir students of FHC can continue to stay safe and do what they love.

The biggest issue that Baird has encountered in the classroom has been that “Singing is a very personal thing,” and that the “students are physically uncomfortable singing.” Choir has everything to do with trust, and when your students aren’t getting the same interactions with each other and their director, they aren’t going to have the same confidence in their abilities as they would in a more interactive environment. Baird has tried to fix this by having the class participate in more restorative conversations.”

This year has provided plenty of difficulties for  Baird and her choir classes, but she, along with the rest of the world’s teachers, is determined to rise above it and provide her students with ways to connect and learn, safely and effectively.