Maisie Maclay, 20, is a Division I student at Hampshire College. She is originally from Olympia, WA. She had the unique experience of returning to the U.S. while on a gap-year in Spain in March, 2020. Because she was not in high school at the beginning of the pandemic, Maisie was interested in speaking with her uncle, Max Maclay, about what it was like when most schools shut down and moved to remote learning.
Max Maclay, 42, teaches 6th – 8th grade at the Logan School for Creative Learning in Denver, CO. He is originally from the Colorado area and has been teaching for 23 years. He is in his 14th year teaching at a small, private middle school.
Reflection: I really enjoyed this opportunity and feel like I learned a lot. From reaching out to Max, to writing the questions, to actually conducting the interview, I felt like this experience helped develop both my professional and interpersonal skills. I also appreciated the unique opportunity to interview with Max about COVID-19 in a formal and focused setting.
I enjoyed speaking with Max about what it’s been like as a middle school teacher, from transitioning to remote learning in March and then to trouble-shooting how to safely conduct classes the following fall. It was interesting to learn about how his school has attempted in-person instruction, which is one of the advantages of being a small school. I was particularly struck by the end of the interview when I asked if he had any final thoughts; he spoke a bit of the emotional toll that COVID-19 has taken on our world. For example, Max didn’t sign up to be an on-line teacher. He wasn’t trained to teach online; he just had to figure it out. I think many people can relate to the fatigue that constant readjustment demands. He also talked about the absence of connection: “We’re all just really missing people.” It was a powerful experience to learn about Max’s individual experience in the pandemic and to recognize some of the universal truths brought about by this era.