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Photo courtesy of gettingsmart.com
Masterman math teacher Mrs. Siu left school in early November due to complications in her pregnancy. Because she had to leave earlier than expected, her 11th grade pre-calculus students were left in need of a long-term substitute teacher. Initially, the students had different substitutes every day and many asynchronous periods with assigned work until Ms. Smith, a high school math teacher, volunteered to take over Mrs. Siu’s pre-calculus class while she was out. However, because Ms. Smith already had scheduled math classes, the pre-calculus class was moved to eighth period. This presented an issue for students, because virtual learning ends after seventh period. Currently, Mrs. Siu’s junior pre-calc students check in with Mr. Leighton, a well-known substitute teacher, who covers their normal math period where they are assigned asynchronous work. Eighth period is now an optional class on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where students can benefit from Ms. Smith’s virtual instruction and have the opportunity to ask questions. Students can also get a recording of this class if they are unable to attend during eighth period.
For students involved in extracurricular activities, adjusting to this new schedule has not been easy. Olivia Do (11-1) found this set-up to be “a little bit inconvenient”, as she now has to miss debate twice a week and Voices on Thursdays. Scarlett Zeleniak (11-4), a junior in Ms. Siu’s class, agrees: as the co-president of the Masterman Feminist Club, she has a difficult time deciding between math and MFC because she cannot afford to miss out on a club that she is in charge of. However, Lucas Jackson (11-2) finds the pre-calc math change to “not really be an inconvenience” as he prefers to work asynchronously, and also thought that it was “... nice to see Mr. Leighton briefly, since there aren’t many opportunities to see substitutes [during virtual learning].” Samuel Njogu (11-3) thought that it was “... very considerate of Ms. Smith to volunteer her time, when she could be doing something else.” Other teachers have stepped in to help, and administration is currently looking for a long-term substitute. While students and teachers alike face difficulties, it is clear that the Masterman community is coming together to make things work during a very strange time. Hopefully, it will not take long for Mrs. Siu’s pre-calculus students to find some return to normalcy in the coming months.
Congratulations to Mrs. Siu and her family!
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