Student View: Struggles with Covid-19 and learning are normal

Most high school students have been “distance learning” since last March. Last school year we were sent home from school for the rest of the academic year due to rising Covid-19 cases. That being said, we only had about two months left of the semester. It was easy for teachers to post their end-of-the-year assignments and for the students to move on with our summers. No one knew we wouldn’t be back on campus for the fall semester. Most teachers and students were unprepared to go back to distance learning, as everyone assumed we would be back on campus by the next school year.

Many high school students feel stressed about the amount of work they are assigned each day. “I had a job before online schooling and I could manage it with schoolwork, but after we went online I found myself struggling with getting my work done in time. I had to quit my job to keep my schedule open for my schoolwork,” stated junior Kylie Parker during an interview about her experience with distance learning. Even the smallest tasks can feel draining to complete. Being socially isolated from classmates, but still having to do the work that normally could be done as a class can make assigned work overwhelming.

I had the opportunity to ask a teacher’s opinion on distance learning. Wrenshall High School teacher Mrs. Swanson observed that “The biggest challenge with distance learning is how few students are truly engaging in the process. While we have some students who are doing remarkably well, this style of teaching just does not work for many students. They need to be face-to-face with teachers. So, it’s like teaching a class in which only half of the class shows up on any given day.”

It’s important to listen to students and understand that not everyone learns the same way. For some, online learning is easy, and they can manage their own schedule well, but some students struggle with self-motivation when it comes to distance learning.

The main problem in many online learning models is the very little amount of student-to-student contact. Students may interact with teachers in online class meetings, but there are rarely any opportunities to talk to other students. Normally during a school day, you could talk to others during any free time given or passing time between classes. Now, the only interaction received are the greetings before the meeting and goodbyes after.

It’s easy to become discouraged in times like these. Especially when school feels like a daunting task, but it’s OK to take breaks and ask for help when it’s needed.

Kaya Stark is a junior at Wrenshall High School. She enjoys reading in her free time and hopes to study international relations in college. She says she chose this topic for an editorial because it’s important for people to know that they’re not alone with what they’re feeling about school right now.