TAMPA, Fla. — Unfortunately for students, but maybe fortunately for parents, summer is officially over for many students across Tampa Bay.
Students in Manatee and Highlands County have already gone back to school. Come Monday morning, students in Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Hillsborough counties will head back to class both in-person and online.
Teachers and other school staff have spent the entire summer adapting to social distancing changes and new cleaning protocols. Teachers have been juggling preparing their in-person classrooms, their online classrooms and their lesson plans.
"I've spent a lot of time taking materials I have in my classroom for my face-to-face students and getting those electronic so I can get those out online for my virtual learning students too," said Michael Smith, an English language arts teacher at Largo Middle School.
Smith has been teaching for 13 years and said this year has been filled with unique challenges, but ones that he's prepared for.
"By nature, teachers are adaptable and flexible and creative, so this is something that's not new to us," Smith said.
Many teachers across the Tampa Bay area share the same feelings and are ready to go.
"Obviously, nothing is 100 percent, because if it was we wouldn't be having this conversation, but I can tell you it's as safe as possible," said Michael Horton, a 5th-grade teacher at Witter Elementary.
Both teachers have spent days moving desks or taping off work tables to make sure students are sitting as far away from each other as possible within their classrooms.
Communal spaces have been adjusted so that each student has their own space, so the spread of germs from one student to the next is minimal. Cleaning stations have also been added to classrooms, so teachers and students can wipe down shared spaces during the day before custodial staff does a deeper cleaning with stronger disinfectants.
Students and staff should wear masks throughout the school day, although some time will be allotted for mask breaks.
Although preparing for class this summer has been a challenge and a waiting game for some, the teachers we spoke to are excited to return to what they love doing -- teaching.
"Some of us have a sense of anxiousness coming back to school, but a lot of us are ready to come back, to see our kids," Smith said.
"I have zero trepidation at all. I'm ready to be back, I can't wait to see them all again," Horton said.
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