Schooling may be delayed because of unexpected circumstances, learning will never halt and that’s for sure. Moreover by the time when physical schooling comes back, it will teach us new disciplines we had been neglecting before. The new normal in school will produce not only smart students but well-disciplined people.

When all lockdowns and limitations are lifted, there is still no reason for us to do what we used to do. The old classroom routines will definitely and necessarily change for the wellness of everyone. Hand sanitation and classroom disinfection will inevitably be incorporated to our traditional prayer-and-ice breaker routine. This’ll be unusual but that’s what to expect when you step in to the new normal.

First thing that the new normal will teach students is staying clean. Unlike before when classroom tidiness is a problem, it’ll be a primary goal now. Students themselves will have their own drive to keep their environment clean. Also, their parents will be more involved with housekeeping concerns in a classroom. It’ll provide not only a bacteria-free classroom but also a healthy environment for learning. Children will be more cautious of their surroundings and will act with extra care. In fear of contact with a bacteria or virus, they’ll obey what their parents and teachers told them to do. Simultaneously, the problem regarding children buying unsafe and unhealthy foods outside the school premises, which we have been dealing with in our school for years, will be no longer be a concern. In short, this can teach children to stay healthy and clean.

In addition, it’ll prevent students from wandering after class hours and head straight home. As a result, they’ll have more time to rest and to study. Students, particularly the youth, will spend less time wandering outside or playing in computer-renting shops. This way, we’ll save time in teaching them to prioritize school and study over anything else and they will listen in fear of having the remains of the virus.

The new normal will limit students and learners from doing unnecessary things and will teach them to do the necessary ones. Another effect to them is to put their gadgets and mobile devices to good use since the new normal education system will include the use of e-books and other resources in the web. Digital literacy, which is a core discipline of 21^st century learning, will be unlocked as well. Instead of just social media applications and other web-browsing services, they will be exposed to educational websites and softwares. This can even maximize learning to its full extent as of now.

Though this will provide many benefits and will teach many disciplines to students, it could also be an inconvenience when we lack planning. That is why, intense preparation and planning is still needed. Those benefits can only manifest if we are able to provide the right environment for the new normal of schools.

We may not be fully equipped today, but all we need to do is to visualize the best new environment we can make and make it happen.