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For the First Time, Again: A Teacher's Reflections On Returning to School

Mary DeWinkeleer, a teacher at Londonderry High School
Courtesy photo

Many New Hampshire school districts are back in the classroom this week for full-time, in-person learning after more than a year of hybrid or remote classes.

Mary DeWinkeleer teaches English and journalism at Londonderry High School. She was expecting to go back to school on Monday, but those plans got pushed back because lots of teachers were recovering with side effects after a weekend COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

Once class was back in session on Tuesday, she shared what it was like to have a classroom full of students — for the first time, again.

We want to hear from you: What are you excited to do for the first time, again? Let us know at voices@nhpr.org.

What returning to school was like for Mary DeWinkeleer: "I'm a little tired today... Since I had half the kids one day and half the kids the other day, the kids weren't really sure where to sit today, because sometimes someone was actually sitting in their seat, because they were there the opposite day. So we had to kind of figure that out today. I actually went around and had them all introduce themselves again, like it was the first day of school... It was awesome seeing all of my students in one place. I loved it. It’s also nice to know that I don’t have to teach the same exact thing tomorrow. I get to move on to new content. Yay! ... I’m a little nervous about how many people are in the building right now, it is a little challenging in the hallways, they’re pretty crowded, but in the classrooms, I mean, all the kids are great about wearing their masks and being socially distant, and they’re really good sports.”

If you’re planning to do something for the first time again, too, we’d love to help you share that story. Let us know what you’re doing at voices@nhpr.org, or leave us a voicemail at 603-513-7790. Click here for more details on how to participate

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