As covid cases consume the CCHS student body, classes continue to dwindle in attendance. Forced to stay home, students are struggling to stay on top of their schoolwork while recovering.
In the midst of the pandemic last school year, schooling transitioned to online instruction. While this type of learning environment was successful at the time, the same model is no longer working for new quarantine cases.
With students required to return to campus for their schooling, teachers have since shifted their focus from online to in-person. As a result, those who must stay home are now missing out on learning while sick with covid.
“So many of my friends have been out with covid lately,” freshman Gabriel Wensloff said. “Some of my classes even look empty some days.”
The school has attempted to alleviate this issue by rehashing the dreaded Microsoft Teams meetings. For students coming back from a year of online learning, these calls are not only unappealing but ineffective.
“I was out of school because of covid, but I never joined any Teams calls,” junior Zachary Risk said.“I just didn’t want to have to worry about school while I was sick.”
Many students have complained that their teachers never started the Teams calls they requested while quarantining. Further, a few of these same students have expressed frustration in attempting to contact their teachers at all.
While the school attempts to notify teachers of this situation and teachers work to show leniency, this simply does not make missing a week of school any easier for students.
Regardless of their condition, students are still being forced to work on piles of schoolwork while sick in order to avoid being behind. And still, many students must make up tests upon returning, leaving them in the dust as the curriculum marches forward.
“It was a bit stressful being out,” senior Colby Dernis said. “Some of my classes offered ways to connect on teams but a lot more didn’t. It’s a lot of catching up and trying to figure out where everything is.”
While the school has attempted to make quarantined schooling easier for students, it is virtually impossible in today’s learning environment. The current situation has proved ineffective, serving only to make students’ and teachers’ lives more difficult.
While covid cases among the CCHS student body are simply inevitable, it is imperative that the school takes greater measures to ease the minds of those who are ill during their time of recovery.
One solution is to implement alternate assignments for those who are sick. By modifying work to make it more accommodating for quarantined students, catching up would not be a major source of stress for them upon their return.
Additionally, it is quite clear that Microsoft Teams meetings are no longer an effective method of teaching. Instead, teachers should aim to record and upload lessons so that students can stay up-to-date when they are feeling able.
While increasing covid cases have certainly made it more difficult for students to stay on top of school, there is no reason why the school cannot be more accommodating for these unique circumstances. By working to understand student needs, the school can be more proactive in maintaining a learning environment while at home.
