The problem
Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, a new schedule — pushing back the academic year and shifting finals to after winter break — was adopted district-wide. From students to teachers,...
Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
• December 8, 2020
Five new staff members joined the Longhorn community in August, starting off their school year in a virtual setting and trying to connect with students through computer monitors.
Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
• December 8, 2020
Sonya McGowin, Spanish
When she learned about a higher level teaching position, Spanish teacher Sonya McGowin applied, got hired and transferred from Parkway Central Middle School to teach high school...
![“[With teaching,] It's very hard to know what you need until you start teaching. But I would say [that] just knowing students are typically doing their best [is the most important factor]. Many of the behaviors you might [recognize] are indications of not understanding [the lesson], or feeling that they're not confident in the class. Knowing that, I think [this mindset] would’ve helped me from the beginning instead of this adversarial type of situation that a lot of teachers might feel going [into teaching]. [It's important to know] that things get easier as you teach because you add more tools to your toolbox as you go. And the more tools you have, the more engaging your classes [will be] and the better feedback you can give [to your] students.” - Sonya McGowin, Spanish](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Sonya-Mcgowin-Staff-1200x800.jpg)
![For the past three years, Parkway has administered high school finals after winter break, a practice that proves to be detrimental to the success as well as the mental health of students. With finals after break appearing to do more harm than good, the question of what changes can be made arises time and time again. “The pressure for finals is difficult, and to have that [pressure for] a few weeks because you're on [a] break can make you generally sad. It's a bummer in general. I wish [finals] were before break, so we [could] have a break to sleep, celebrate and not study. Everyone I've talked to about it is like 'yeah, finals sucks,' and I wish that wasn't a thing,” junior Meadow Kostial said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/decembereditorial-1200x963.jpg)
![Sitting in her at-home office, Spanish teacher Sonya McGowin prepares to converse with her students. After teaching middle school students for 13 years, McGowin adjusted to teaching at a higher level. “It doesn't feel that different, except for the difference of virtual learning,” McGowin said. “High school students are more focused, [and] the course is more challenging.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/McGowin-874x900.jpeg)