New Challenges
Student struggles range mostly from heavy workloads to having a hard time finding motivation to complete schoolwork. Another struggle, said junior Emilia Patalita, is “confusion on directions and being unable to ask all the questions that I want to.”
Teacher struggles stretch from technology issues to missing seeing student’s faces, whether to check for understanding of the content or to simply see their smiles. An additional struggle, said Señora Slade, is the thought “that some students came into this year thinking that they would get credit for simply turning in work, but this is not the case. Students need to try their best and put in effort. We are not looking for perfection; we are looking for growth.”
What Teachers Do Well, According to Students — and Vice-Versa
Students appreciate when teachers post video notes, use Google Classroom, and teach “the Zoom kids and the in-person kids the same lesson at the same time,” said sophomore Hailey Webber.
Teachers also had a few thoughts on what students do that seems to benefit them, such as using their planners, communicating with their teachers and asking any questions that they may have, and “attending class. There’s simply no substitute for being present,” said Mr. DeChick.
Areas for Improvement
Among the things that teachers do that don’t seem to work well for students are preparing poorly for tests and quizzes and posting content without context or due dates.
Teachers responded that a few things that students do that don’t work well are failing to reach out and ask for help, distracting themselves with things that do not contribute to a productive learning environment, and putting off work just before the due date.
Advice Going Forward
Many students recommend that teachers stick to a predictable schedule, improve their flexibility about late work, and “acknowledge the fact that remote students will not have the same level of focus,” said senior Nathan Chen.
Teachers advise students to use checklists to get themselves organized, stay focused on their goals for this school year, and simply make the most of the time that they have in the building. Attendance is also extremely important, and as Mr. DeChick said in quoting Director Woody Allen, “80% of success is showing up.”
Embarrassing Moments
To lighten the mood, a few students and teachers have shared their embarrassing stories related to hybrid/remote learning. Junior Kate Wilcox said she “emailed the wrong teacher” and hasn’t “been able to hear a teacher talk on Zoom and missed where they called on me.”
“I was on a Zoom with my juniors, thought I was muted and I was yelling at my own kids,” said Señora DeJesus. Not everyone has embarrassing stories, but rather ones of little victories. Mrs. Huyck says that she just discovered “a filter on Zoom to enhance my image. I look fabulous.”
