Socially Distanced Classroom Photos Aren't Just Safe, They're Adorable

Getting the perfect school pictures is never fun or easy by any means, especially during a global pandemic. But socially distanced classroom photos are a cool and creative way of getting the perfect group shot, while still keeping students safe at the same time.

Let's be real, school photos can be incredibly unpredictable. You never know if your kid will make a funny face, have a hair out of place, or end up with a mysterious lunchtime stain on their shirt that they definitely didn't have before. But there is a reason why parents (and kids) end up cherishing them forever — these photos capture a specific time in your kid's life that is over in almost an instant. If there is any year that needs to be documented, it's this wild and unpredictable school year amid the current coronavirus pandemic.

Schools and teachers across the nation are getting creative about taking classroom photos. Instead of taking a screenshot of the gallery view in their Zoom classroom, some teachers get getting crafty to get the perfect picture, having each student pose in large boxes (that have been sanitized) and editing the pictures together to create one large class photo that gives the appearance of all of the students being together while allowing them to keep their distance.

"So, because of COVID, we couldn't do a real class photo this year," Kat Marsch, a second grade teacher from Canada, wrote in the caption of her classroom photo, which she posted to Facebook. "So best believe I found a large box, sanitized between kids, and made our own socially distanced class photo. Excuse my poor editing skills. I love these kids. Every stressful moment, every gut wrenching thought of the unknown, it's all worth it for them."

Instead of lining kids up in a row, these school photos actually give students freedom to pose and the opportunity to show off their personalities. Not to mention they're super adorable, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise that other teachers are hopping on the trend. This isn't the only way that schools are doing group photos this year. Some are taking photos of students standing against a green screen and editing them into a large group photo, according to Rangefinder, which still works just as well.

"Honestly I love this photo even more than a regular class one we would get," Marsch tells Romper. "I love how (when you can see their faces) their personalities shine and you can see these kids care about each other and have a connection."

As previously stated, this school year isn't a normal school year. Almost half of the school districts across the nation opened schools with remote learning, according to Education Week, while some school districts have made the decision to open schools based on the guidance from local health officials, according to CNN. An unconventional school year calls for an unconventional class photo to document this forever.