Winter Break Remote Week
Winter break was a well-needed break for the Hackley community, including the additional online week. Throughout the remote week, students and teachers were challenged to exceed expectations set by the remote institution during the spring season. With the new schedule and additional professional development over the summer, this remote week was pleasant for many people.
Students seemed to be in consensus about their opinions on the week of remote school post-winter break. The highlight of most people’s schedules was the later start along with the fifteen-minute breaks in between classes. Freshman NJ Roc-Sennett, Junior Dechhen Sherpa, and Senior Daniel Riviera felt that this allowed them to catch up on sleep and provided adequate time between classes for them to take a break from their screens. However, students agreed that the lunch period was too short, as many needed extra time to cook their meal, which itself took up the majority of the period. On Friday, the day for pool testing, some thought that the modified schedule could have accommodated more time for the commute.
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Classwork and homework loads varied for students – some felt that the amount of time spent was significantly less, while others felt that it increased. Many students struggled with the online aspect of it. If students were working on a paper or project, teachers would usually let them out to use the time as a “work period”. Junior Dechhen Sherpa felt that the “work period” made her less productive because it was basically free time for her to do anything she wanted. The “work periods” were self-guided, where the student had to decide what work to complete, which is difficult for many students. Instead using the period as a “teaching period”, where assignments and note sheets are more set would have been more effective.
Though these self-guided periods were not as effective for some students, it enabled them to take a break from their screens. Despite the decrease in number of classes per day, the screen time was still fairly high, as both classes and homework required people to turn their attention to a computer.
This particular week of remote learning went smoothly in comparison to those in the past. Lack of personal interaction was something all students struggled with, but they are grateful for a safe return on campus. There are improvements to be made, however, for the most part, the experience was pleasant for the students.
