In the last two weeks, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has come to the conclusion that schools will be shut down for the remainder of the year. The premature closing to the 2019-2020 school year came much earlier than teachers, students, and parents expected. Following Governor Abbott’s decision, many teachers have come forward to express their feelings of heartbreak since they are not able to see their students for the rest of the school year. 

The aftermath of the unexpected decision has made a lot of teachers disappointed that they are unable to interact with their kids while in a classroom setting. Furthermore, these feelings stem from teachers who are no longer able to teach the way they are both used to and happy with. AP European History teacher, Brandon Austin, is disappointed that the year has officially come to an end. 

 “I am sad not to finish the year in person, I’m sure we all are. My classes were always filled with fun, loud talking, and excitement. Each and everyday was new and eventful,” stated Austin.

With school over, teachers are beginning to look back on the various days when students were able to fill their classrooms. This introspection has made some teachers realize all the fun memories they made during the duration of the physical school year. Head Track Coach and Personal Financial Literacy teacher, Michael Prewitt, misses the way he could impact kids’ lives. 

“I miss my students a lot. I am not enjoying the distance learning. I miss seeing their faces, finding out about how they’re doing, and just being able to say hello. As I have said, teachers don’t teach for the money. I am a teacher and a coach so I can impact kids’ lives, and that is very hard to do with a computer between us,” stated Prewitt. 

The official closing to the 2019-2020 school year also means the end of an era for the class of 2020 who will be continuing on with their lives to college or to wherever else their plans include. Many seniors were looking forward to finishing up their final year of highschool and were devastated once it came to an end. This isn’t the case for just seniors, as a lot of their teachers will miss them quite a bit. AP English Literature and Head Tennis Coach, Edward Peralta, knows he will miss the class of 2020. 

“I teach all senior classes and I will miss them as a group and as individuals.  The class of 2020 is a really exceptional group of students and I look forward to hearing about their many successes in the future,” stated Peralta. 

With the continuation of distance learning, some teachers are beginning to miss all the memories that were to be made following the Spring Break. The memories those teachers wanted seemed to have disappeared once quarantine began. However, AP World History teacher, Rena Long, chooses to focus on the memories and relationships she did make, but still wishes that she had more of an opportunity to be with her students. 

“I have been blessed to have great students. I love joking around with them and acting silly in class. The whole reason I became a teacher was to build relationships with my students and to interact with them,” stated Long. 

While the school year has come to a close, new struggles have been created for the many teachers who are beginning to miss their students immensely. The abrupt ending to the school year has caused quite a few people to hope and wish for this virus to blow over, so their lives can return back to normal.