As we approach the resumption of face-to-face teaching next week, following a term of remote learning, I am reminded of the words of Charles Dickens in the opening sentence of his novel, A Tale of Two Cities: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…’ The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extended period of online learning that has accompanied it, have indeed posed significant challenges for students, parents, and teachers. Learning has been disrupted for many students who have also been affected negatively by the social isolation and uncertainty of lockdown. On a positive note, it has allowed opportunities for some to learn how to navigate their way through difficult and uncertain times. Teachers are enthusiastically preparing for the commencement of classroom lessons on Monday with fresh ideas, achievable goals and enormous energy and passion to best support students in their learning. With literacy, language, and love of learning as our focus, teachers will be encouraging students to consider the following questions: Where am I going? How do I get there? Where to next? I have included below some reflections expressed by Years 7, 10 and 12 English students regarding ‘the best of times and the worst of times’ of the COVID-19 lockdown. 

This year, my learning experience in English has been lively! I have enjoyed exploring the fantasy unit, especially the mythical creatures, diverse realms and detailed descriptions of individual characters.  I was able to extend myself further in this unit by engaging in the class’ daily expressive writing. This assisted me in broadening my vocabulary and my understanding of different writing forms. In addition, during the lockdown period, I enjoyed having the ability to contact my teacher any time during class, along with being able to thoroughly edit and reread my work at my own pace. Overall, my learning experience for English this year has been interesting and memorable.  

Isabelle Villena – 7 English Emerald  

On the first day of high school, I remember walking from Science to English. English wasn’t my strongest subject, so I was terrified. I feared making mistakes and wondered how I would learn. After a few minutes inside the classroom, the teacher introduced herself and explained what we would be doing during the year. I looked around the room. It was colourful and a wonderful room to walk into. It felt calm and refreshing. Weeks later, I learnt how to participate in class and to be comfortable with my classmates. When I first walked into class, I didn’t know the person I sat next to would become one of my closest friends. This year, I have faced many challenges. And a significant one was the long lockdown. The work that we were supposed to do in our English class was now changed to online learning. In my experience, learning English during online classes was very intimidating. I didn’t know what other students were writing or what their thoughts were on the activities we had to complete. Instead of asking questions in front of a class, I had to ask questions through Gmail and Google classroom. Online school forced me to ask questions directly to the teacher. If I was at school and I had questions, I would ask the people around me if they knew the answer. Human interaction wasn’t really a thing during lockdown. Feedback from my work was given through Google Classroom or Docs instead of being written in my English book. I had to get used to this routine and I’m proud to say that I have successfully done so over time. I’m going to be clichéd and say that this lockdown period has changed the way I work. I hope that’s a good thing!

Cassandra Tuyor – 7 English Emerald 

English, a subject that I am incredibly passionate about, truly tested my perseverance last term due to the isolation of the online learning environment. There came many, what I would deem, negative features to learning a Shakespeare unit at home. Still, as Year 10 were exploring Macbeth – a tragedy which peels the walls of the human condition to reveal the sickly, venomous traits that proceed power, exposing the hamartia of Macbeth – a vehicle for self-introspection was opened. In Act 5 Scene 7 of Macbeth – the final Acts encompass the violent tragedy of war and peaking conflict – the line "They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, / But, bear-like, I must fight the course" spoke to me. The animal imagery of birds, which relate to freedom – something we lacked in lockdown – contrasted with the persevering symbolism of a brave bear, readily reminded me that "I must fight the course" of this lockdown. Shakespearean tragedies all include a harmatia: the fatal character flaw of the tragic hero. Macbeth’s vaulting ambition seemed to contrast with my lack of motivation directly. My fatal flaw was my myopic perspective of online learning. Classes were dissolving into one another, and my life became a constant scramble to catch up on previous work. The line "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in its petty pace from day to day" was the perfect summary of my life. As someone who has always enjoyed learning about Shakespeare, I began to ask myself why this time around it was such a burden and source of anxiety. I quickly learnt that Shakespeare is best taught with a bustling class full of conflicting opinions, teenagers who cry "I don't know why we are still studying this guy", and dramatic readings performed with friends. Shakespeare is undoubtedly enjoyable when shared with a community. The lockdown has thoroughly challenged me and allowed (not so fatal) flaws to surface so that I can tackle them head-on, ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.’

Emma Searle – Year 10

Learning through COVID has, no doubt, been a very difficult experience. A lack of face-to-face learning has decreased motivation, focus and understanding, but for English, we have been given a chance to engage more freely and more intently with what the subject offers more than ever before. I have been able to think in a wider capacity, not just about the texts I am reading but also about the world around us, permitting me to formulate a deeper personal understanding with each text. Because of this, I, as an individual, have begun to think about worldly situations in a wider scope, consider opposing ideas, understand human reactions and engage with the world in a greater light. The solitude that we have been 'gifted' in this COVID-affected learning has allowed me to grow internally, for which I am grateful. I am glad that out of this difficult, dark experience, came some light. 

Charmaine Martinez – Year 12

I find that in this day and age, we are bombarded with so much content and information that it feels almost uncomfortable to be alone in silence. I believe learning in lockdown has offered a kind of stillness that we have lost or perhaps over-looked in our society. The pandemic, and online learning in particular, have given me the opportunity to reflect more meaningfully in the imposed solitude, and to take a step back and look at things through a new lens. Doing so has taught me valuable lessons about myself that I may not have learnt if it weren’t for this isolation. I think one of the greatest gifts of this pandemic and English alike, was acquiring the ability to learn more about myself, others, and the world through literature. I believe that we can only know others as much as we know ourselves, and literature, coupled with the lockdown, has given me the necessary tools to do so. I know who I am. I am a writer!

Laura Alivio – Year 12