Learn about the PCEF-funded programs at Treasure Mountain Jr High
Learn about the PCEF-funded programs at Park City High School
Shayla Mellin, Grade 8 at TMJH
Learning type: Remote
Q1: What do you love about your teachers? Please explain what you most appreciate about your teachers.
A: Mr. Davis, my content link teacher, makes jokes which makes me feel more comfortable. He checks up on me and makes sure that I do the work that needs to be done. He has a great personality where he can make other people smile, no matter their mood, and I really appreciate that.
Q2: What changes or adjustments have your teachers made to support your learning during COVID-19?
A: Mr. Davis doesn’t focus on the mistakes I make but rather what I learn from them. During Covid, he helped me understand by taking the time to go step- step through my schoolwork. He has always told me that he doesn’t need me to know everything but to make sense of the little things. Mr. Davis supports everyone and understands that not everything is easy.
Q3: What is something you would like to share with a teacher (or multiple teachers) who has meaningfully impacted you this year?
A: I want to share with Mr. Davis how he has been able to make me feel more confident this year in my school work. I want to share how much I appreciate what he has done for me and how impactful his patience was. I want to share how much time and work teachers put in for their students. Even though it’s tough because of Covid I’ve learned not to give up too easily.
Julissa Celestino, Grade 10 at PCHS
Learning type: In person
Q1: What do you love about your teachers? Please explain what you most appreciate about your teachers.
A: It’s been a very difficult time for everyone but I truly appreciate the time they take to teach their students because personally, I'm more of a visual learner. This way I’m able to get good grades, get ahead in school, and get as much help as I can when I need it.
I can count on my teachers because they are supportive and understanding of me. They help me out when I need to submit assignments and when I’m struggling with my mental health. They don’t pressure me to submit everything in a fast manner and they give me more time to work on things because school can get hard. This way I can work at my own pace, and that’s great for me.
Q2: What changes or adjustments have your teachers made to support your learning during COVID-19?
A: Since COVID-19 happened the changes teachers had to get used to is that at any moment students could get quarantined, along with having students’ social distance to prevent the school from closing down. They have supported our way of learning - at home or at school - and our safety.
Our learning has changed because there aren’t many “normal” group projects since we can’t get together. We do get to have more in class discussions along with sharing the project via google slides. On the bright side we still get to meet new people and talk even though it’s not face to face. My teachers have had us do more oral projects which are very useful because they get me out of my comfort zone and my speaking skills are getting better. This is a way that my learning has been improved and changed.
I have also been able to ask questions and learn more because now it’s more important than ever to communicate with my teachers. I never liked to do it in the past, but because I’ve been getting closer to my teachers it’s easier for me to learn and to do better on my homework and on tests. My learning has actually improved considering the
circumstances that we are going through.
We have early outs on Fridays where we get out of school at 11:30. This has been very useful to everyone because it gives us a chance to get caught up for the week, get on teachers’ zoom calls and have more time to understand the material. The teachers have made much more time for students.
Q3: What is something you would like to share with a teacher (or multiple teachers) who has meaningfully impacted you this year?
A: One of my teachers who helped me out through this hard time is my history teacher. She has asked how everyone feels and this made me feel like she cared for all of us. My teacher would ask us every class and she would let us talk about it. Once in a while she would also share her thoughts and feelings with the class, because of this it would encourage kids to talk and made it feel like a safe environment.
Just being in her room made me feel safe and I could express my feelings without having to feel judged. She was also very transparent with us and very helpful with all the students in class by telling us what to study when it came to quizzes and how to pass her class. She would tell us that getting an A was hard in her class but that it didn’t mean that we weren’t doing well. She said tests don’t define how well we are learning or how well we are doing in her class, what matters is understanding the lessons and reading because this is what would help us in the future.
This changed my perspective because I always thought that I had to get A’s to be successful in school. Now I think differently. I know I have to do well, but not getting an ‘A’ doesn’t mean I’m failing. I should still be proud of myself no matter what as long as I know I tried and gave it my best.
