Pandemic Schooling, from the student perspective
Thankfully, this too, will pass. There is a post-pandemic world. But for the remainder of the calendar year, and probably even the school year, we are still in it. And while much has been written about the impact on parents, and mothers and the economy, and even on children, I felt an almost “time capsule” need to capture student’s own feelings about pandemic schooling, specifically virtual learning. From age 7 to 17, certain things stood out– screen time is hard for all. Everyone misses interacting with others– friends and teachers. There’s just something special about learning and being together. So from their own perspective– student reflections on these times.
Elementary
Henry, Age 10, 5th Grade
What do you like about school this year?
“Not much. I would say that asynchronous learning has proven beneficial because I can learn at my own pace and I like that. But It’s much harder to get stuff done because you have to do it online and there always seems to be an internet issue.”
Hadley, Age 7, 1st Grade
What is one thing you want your teacher to know?
“That virtual school is sometimes hard for me to focus on. It’s hard to look at the screen for a long time. “
Middle School
Caroline, Age 11, 6th Grade
What has been your favorite virtual learning lesson?
“Engineering slideshow presentation lessons, because I got to communicate with my partner in a breakout room.”
What is one thing you want your teacher to know?
“That breakout rooms are a great way to get to know other people, and I wish we did them more often.
Mara, Age 12, 6th Grade
What is the one thing that you want your teacher to know?
“I hope I can meet them in person one day. And, they are not doing a terrible job. We know it’s hard for them too.”
High School
Gabe, Age 16, 10th Grade
What is the one thing you’d like your teachers to know?
“I really appreciate how hard the teachers are working, and know they are dealing with so much, including tech issues. My teachers, in particular, are doing a great job of helping everyone…being aware of different learning levels, and making sure they are helping each student in the way that they need.”
What do you miss most about school?
“I learn a lot better in person. I miss seeing friends, interacting with people. I have social media….as a teenager, we have so much online interaction already, school is where you see people, in-person, and we really need that.”
