Letter: Stick with the benefits of distance learning

First of all, kudos to eighth grader Veronique Mintz for her cogent, well-written commentary.

As a retired middle school teacher, I can relate well to what she says occurs on a daily basis in her regular classrooms. Her experience is with a 26-student classroom. Add 10 or more students per classroom for the typical class size in Utah and you can see how the chaos can magnify exponentially.

I used to love my students on a one-to-one basis, but when middle-school-aged teenagers are forced into large groups their focus is not usually on school, nor are the restraints and requirements placed upon teachers by administrators and parents conducive to effective discipline.

Do I advocate the return to paddling by the principal in the boiler room? Of course not, but reduced class sizes and reduced workload would give teachers more flexibility and time to handle misbehavior.

In addition, her point about teachers having time for office hours so that students who have questions or need clarification can get the help they need is well taken.

(And don’t let me get started on the subject of our legislators, most of whom have never set foot inside a classroom as a teacher and seem to have an adversarial approach to education.)

I hope that when school resumes after the coronavirus closure, more Utah teachers will be able to continue the benefits of long-distance learning and the use of technology for their students’ engagement in the process of education.

Linda Brimmer, Sandy

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