Features
DIVIDED BUT ONE STUDENT BODY
Students choose between in-person, online learning Abby Doriot
2 1
co-editor-in-chief This year has taken a turn that no one had expected. One day, students were going to school, hanging out with friends, and going to sporting events. The next, students move to being quarantined in their homes for what seemed like an eternity. Now, students wonder what will come next, how long they will stay in school, and whether things will go back to normal — before the pandemic.
in-person learning While some students chose the online learning experience, many students chose to return to the classroom to do their learning in-person, at the school building. However, returning to the school came with many new changes to the way school
now operates due to the guidelines placed by the health department, state, and school district; therefore, students had to relearn how to go back to school. “The hardest adjustment would have to be social distancing. I was used to walking to lunch with my friends and sitting by them. Now, we have to spread out and it was hard to get used to,” sophomore Sonya King said. Another big adjustment has been wearing the masks. With as many rules and regulations that come with the masks alone, it can be hard to keep track of when to put them on and when to take them off. “It has been really hard to get used to. We’re obviously not used to wearing masks around school, or anywhere else, so it’s just a lot to keep track of. My classes all differ on the mask policy, too. I
have some classes that are socially distant enough to take them off, some that we have to wear them all the time, and some where we get mask breaks,” junior Mella Neace said. While it may differ for each student, many chose the traditional learning experience because of the social aspect, such as getting to see their friends, connecting with teachers, and the ease of moving from the classroom to one’s extracurricular activities after school. “The thing I enjoy most about traditional learning is the social aspect of if. I really like getting to see my friends each day and being able to connect with them on a daily basis without having to make outside plans,” junior Johnathan Perkinson said. Slowly, students learn to get used to the way
things are now and are falling into normalcy.
3 4
Teachers work to adapt to in-person, online classes Teachers, too, continue to have to change their plans During the school day for 30 minutes, teachers have and adapt to all the new changes and guidelines that to host Google Meet sessions and answer emails or are thrown at them. This year, teachers not only have Canvas messages to help with online students during to manage their in-perthe school son classrooms, they day and in the have to manage their TEACHERS STRUGGLE WITH FINDING evenings. On virtual classrooms to A BALANCE BETWEEN MANAGING top of that, accommodate online THEIR ONLINE STUDENTS teachers have students. Each week, AND THEIR IN-PERSON STUDENTS. to keep up with teachers have to cregrading and ate online content on following up with Canvas, so students can students to make learn using modules whether in-person or online. The sure they have a successful year. teacher continues to teach in-person, but the online With all the new requirements and performing learner learns the same lessons being taught in the twice as much work, some teachers struggle with classroom, synchronously. finding a balance between managing their online stu-
08
Features
Sept. 2020, Issue 1
dents and their in-person students. “I feel that my in-person students get the most attention because they are present with me in class and so they will ask me questions that I can address immediately. Whereas, my online students do not get that benefit, and my response time lags because I am most concerned about in-person students since they are present. Also, figuring out ways to deliver direct instruction to my online students in a timely manner is challenging,” chemistry teacher Deonna Puckett said. Another issue has been finding ways to teach that correlate to students’ learning styles, so that they are able to get the most out of their lessons. “I teach two different levels of classes. I have kids that I’ve had before in my AP Environmental class,
and then, I have kids that I’ve never had before and don’t know anything about in my chemistry class,” chemistry teacher Alex Johnson said. “I would definitely say with those chemistry kids that it’s hard to gauge the type of learning they’re doing and what type of learning they are to know if they’re being successful online.”
