On Sept. 1, students across the nation filed into schools, with the same nervous excitement as any other year. They were once again surrounded by their friends, peers, and teachers. But instead of the typical scene of other years, faces remained half-covered with masks, serving as a reminder of the difficult circumstances they returned to.

In the midst of a pandemic, safety measures like masks are imperative and supported by research. However, in spite of all the safety that masks provide, they also have an undeniable impact on the learning environment.

According to Patchogue-Medford senior Tiffany Henry, who is president of the National Honor Society and the Class of 2022, the biggest impact caused by masks has been social.

“It’s definitely more difficult to connect with fellow students,” she said. “It’s difficult not knowing what the faces of our teachers and peers look like, and that puts a huge strain on students’ social life at school.”

This is a common sentiment among students—that the normal interactions that make students feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie in a classroom environment have been largely absent. Senior and president of Government Organization, Sean Owen, said, “This is detrimental to human interaction, as small expressions such as a smile can go a long way, especially for kids and teens in school who once received smiles from their peers and teachers.”

In spite of the difficulties, many students recognize both the inconvenience and necessity of masks.

“While I believe that masks are helpful in maintaining a safe environment, they have been very detrimental to the overall atmosphere of school,” added Henry.

To students, the perfect plan balances social and public health needs; maintaining social distancing and avoiding extended exposure in hallways is a necessity, but finding ways to allow students to communicate with one another could reignite their sense of community.

Teachers experience many of the after-effects of limited interaction between students; getting people to participate in class has been a persistent issue since the pandemic, as students felt removed from the classroom. As a result, many have had to adjust classes and teaching methods to accommodate the situation.

“Teachers have had to become significantly more understanding of their students, and students have had to put a lot more effort into keeping up with their school work, as there has been more independence than ever for students,” Henry added.

A positive effect of the pandemic is that truly everyone within the school community and the larger world is in it together. Teachers can relate to their students and the difficulties they’re facing because they are enduring them, too. They had to create an engaging atmosphere in the face of a pandemic that made students less interested in school.

To do so, many used outside resources like interactive educational games and programs, such as Kahoot (a trivia-style game) and “creating activities and fun assignments for all students, including group and collaborative work, while still maintaining proper safety measures,” said Owen.

Ultimately, the students are looking to the future, at the possibility of reaching a state of normalcy again, hopefully before they graduate. There are doubts about what that future would look like, and if they can ever truly return to the sheltered pre-pandemic past.

“I would love to think that we may be back to ‘normal’ by the end of this year, but I’m not sure if there’s such thing anymore. After experiencing what we have been through in the past year and a half, I don’t think it’s possible to predict the future,” continued Henry.