“Even though there is a pandemic they[the students] are persevering which is helping me to persevere.”

Gabriella Scheckel has been working at her current middle school in East County, San Diego for nearly 3 years but had been teaching for many years before. Growing up, she felt that the school system did not support her the way she needed it to. When she chose to become an educator, she was determined to be the teacher she needed in her youth: a teacher who truly cares about every student. Before the pandemic,she would greet students with high fives and handshakes every day. It’s more than just a greeting, it’s an embrace into the community she built in her classroom.

Covid may have changed the way Gabriella teaches but it could never change her passion and love for the students and her job. She, along with her students, learned how to hold a class over Zoom, and how to take correct safety precautions, to have the most engaging learning experience ten feet apart. Her teaching style before the pandemic was oriented towards lots of group work and hands-on activities, but with mandatory safety precautions, Gabrillea had to come up with new ways to accomplish the same things. Utilizing online platforms such as Zoom, Jamboard, Kahoot, and Imagine Learning, Gabriella has kept up with her mission to create a comfortable learning space and build community all while distance and social distance learning. This move towards a more digitized classroom is one she says will last past the pandemic. Her admiration for her students being able to stay positive and show up to class (whether it be on Zoom or in masks) inspires her to be the best she can for them. “My students work so hard every day and are faced with all these challenges yet continue with a smile on their face, which makes me smile.”