Students should return to in-person classes EMILY FRIEDMAN SPORTS EDITOR LAINE PHILLIPS FEATURES EDITOR
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ake up, sign into online school, stare at a computer screen for hours, do homework, sleep, repeat for months on end. Over time, this routine is causing students to lose motivation and attentiveness. The pandemic has forced students worldwide to learn virtually, but Fairfax County’s online school system has created an inadequate learning environment. According to The New York Times, Virginia has chosen to put an emphasis on opening bars and restaurants but not on opening schools. In many European countries, they have focused on keeping schools open, and the U.S. should be doing the same. Education should be prioritized over leisure. Not only has instructional time dramatically decreased, but the quality of instruction is not as good as in-person learning. For most math and science classes, teachers are using a flipped classroom, where students watch videos of lessons instead of receiving live instruction. Some students don’t watch the videos at all, while others do not fully understand the material because they can’t communicate with their teachers about confusing concepts. Although teachers offer office hours to meet with students outside of class, the scheduled times (often Monday mornings) are not easy to make. The office hours usually only last about an hour, so if a student has a scheduling conflict, it’s more difficult to find another time to meet with their teachers than it is at school. Online learning poses an additional challenge for teachers, as they are forced to adjust lessons to fit the virtual format. “It’s mentally draining adjusting previous lessons to make them work more effectively online. There is a lot of cognitive load that just wears you out,” social studies teacher Joseph Dwyer said. Even though students are logged into class, teachers notice that participation is low 36 | OPINIONS | DECEMBER
because students have no motivation to be attentive during class. Virtual learning is not ideal, especially for younger students, those who have ADHD or other learning disabilities and students with other distractions and responsibilities. At home, students must contend with elements that interfere with their learning, including siblings and electronics. These outside factors can interfere with their ability to learn effectively. The online format not only affects learning, but it also limits social interaction, which is detrimental to mental health. “The emphasis on only learning has been really demoralizing because there’s nothing fun about school—it’s just all the [work],” junior Sophia Tursi said. In school, students learn more than just the educational content. School is also a place for students to build relationships with friends and teachers and learn important social skills. “I miss the social aspect of learning and the camaraderie that comes along with that,” Dwyer said. “I think the lack of physical proximity makes learning more difficult for everyone involved. I imagine it is harder for students to stay engaged and on task, and it is harder for teachers to get natural feedback we used to take for granted like body language and facial expressions.” Private schools in the DMV area have figured out ways for their students to go into school for hybrid learning, where students have in-person school twice a week. There’s no reason FCPS shouldn’t be able to make similar adjustments. Bishop O’Connell High School started their school year with hybrid learning. “During online school I have absolutely no motivation, and being in person kind of reinforces you to stay on top of things,” junior O’Connell student Abby Zimmerman said. “It’s nice to have clarification from teachers and to have the teacher contact.” Although the risks of in-person learning require new precautions to be taken, FCPS could easily imitate the safety adjustments
taken by private schools in the area. “At O’Connell, they make you wipe down desks after every class. There’s built in sanitation time. All the desks are six feet apart, including during lunch. They’re pretty on top of it,” Zimmerman said. Returning to school will be safe if teachers are provided with personal protective equipment and everyone in the building wears a mask at all times. “From what I’ve read, schools are not a major source of community transmission if they are set up properly, but I think there are a lot of logistical concerns and hurdles to make that come to fruition in all of the different contexts for FCPS,” Dwyer said. FCPS plans to bring 7th-12th grade students back for hybrid learning on Jan. 26. Since teachers and students with serious health concerns can opt out of in-person school, it’s not fair to deprive all students and teachers of a somewhat normal school experience. As a result of insufficient schooling, students are struggling. Schools need to focus on reopening for the sake of students and their futures.
