Minhtam Nguyen

Mindset Matters in Distance Learning

By First Avenue Middle School's Minhtam Nguyen

The first whispers of the coronavirus reached the United States around the end of 2019. In the months that followed, anxiety arose in the midst of uncertainty; people feared contracting the disease. They also worried about losing their jobs, thus not being able to make ends meet. The apprehension continued to escalate as social interaction was reduced to brief nods from six feet away. Even schools where children were considered at low risk for transmission and death were forced to transition to distance learning. 

Following the guidelines of the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Arcadia Unified School District directed teachers to make all assignments optional to students. The district was concerned families would be overwhelmed and become more distressed. Most teachers adhered to the guidelines; however, Mrs. Zaima did things differently: maintaining a sense of normalcy and unity for her students. Every day, before eight in the morning, there would be an assignment paired with some words of encouragement posted. Every Monday, there would be a Mindful check-in. This history teacher at First Avenue Middle School was determined to help her students keep up with their regular routines and ensure stability in the uncharted times. Surely, everyone was stressed out; yet amongst all this chaos, Mrs. Zaima took the initiative to act as a lighthouse for numerous students.

“I didn’t have anything to do,” a seventh grader complained, “And that made me grateful for the slightest bit of work given to me by teachers, especially Mrs. Zaima’s daily assignments.” With nothing to do, some were feeling aimless. From days full of activities and social interactions, students now slouched in a corner and stared at their chromebooks with no friends and teachers to converse with. Of all grade levels, perhaps the sixth graders were impacted the most. They had finally acclimated to the heavy stream of work in transitioning from elementary to middle school. Suddenly, not having to do anything depleted their sense of purpose. Mrs. Zaima not only helped the students continue to learn the curriculum but also made them feel important. Her demeanors, especially during the weekly check-in meets, were always warm and enthusiastic. Regardless of whatever challenges she might be enduring at home, Mrs. Zaima maintained her positive composure. A sixth grader admired, “She’s really nice, and smiling 24/7. Once she was like, ‘Alright, let’s discuss,’ and after people provided their answer, she went, ‘GREAT!’” 

In an interview, Mrs. Zaima explained, “Closing school for longer than two weeks was incomprehensible to me at the time, so I really believed it was for short term… My thinking was that we'd all be back in a few weeks, so it was best just to keep things going.“ And she did keep things going, day after day, even after it became clear school wasn’t going to restart. She continued to post daily assignments and announcements, while hosting weekly Mindful Mondays. Despite her personal challenges, this hardworking teacher persevered and lightened the burden on her students. “I knew I was going to fare better if my life had structure [… ]I was hoping to offer that to students as well.”

How can someone stay so positive and supportive in such a tough situation? Mrs. Zaima answered, “I try to avoid the ‘I wishes’ and ‘if onlys’. I believe in being a kind and good person [at all times].” It’s not about the situation, but rather the mindset that enables people to overcome their adversities. After all, life can be full of hardships; having the right mindset is the key to success.

Listen to Minhtam read her article in the episode of the Keepin' It Arcadia podcast below!