Across Acadiana, classrooms will look much different this year.
Natasha Honegger, a special education teacher at Alice Boucher Elementary in Lafayette, says over the last two days, she has spent nearly seven hours shuffling her classroom to ensure social distancing.
"Normally our desks are grouped together in smaller groups or rows," Honegger said. "Of course that's not six feet apart. You don't have a ton of flexibility so you're spacing out as much as you need."
Honegger says this year, her classroom will look a bit different, but she is still working to make it cozy and inviting for her students. She's working to de-clutter and only keep what's necessary.
"It's a little tricky as a teacher. You have a lot of classroom materials. It's trying to decide what's most essential. That's what we're looking at for so much in life right now. What's essential, what's not essential," said Honegger.
Amid so many unanswered questions when it comes to the pandemic, Honegger believes it will be important to maintain a calm classroom to keep positive energy flowing.
"It's difficult to know that I can't move closer to my students to give a high five," said Honegger. "That part is not as fun. I won't enjoy that. Students enjoying a lesson and really engaging in the content, you want to continue encouraging that. We have to think about that and think how to maintain that engagement level while life is like this right now."
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