The 2021-2022 school year has been relatively consistent in terms of staying in class. But an announcement was made on January 26, 2022, that announced the start of a two-day remote learning break. Students moved their learning online and staff shifted their teaching to Webex or Microsoft Teams.
Many different opinions circulated the school before the bell rang on the Wednesday before Doherty moved remote. Students’ opinions varied from relatively pleased to downright distressed. The entire situation may have seemed oddly reminiscent of March 2020 before the world shut down due to the initial outbreak of COVID19.
Now, students have been through a bit of remote learning this week and the results are in.
“My least favorite part of online school is not being with people. I am a very social creature and being behind a screen staring at black boxes, [who] might be my classmates, is hard,” sophomore Rebekah McMurray said.
“Online learning is a challenge. It limits our socialization with classmates and makes us less adaptable to future relationships and career situations,” senior Jordan Pyne added.
Other students certainly share this opinion, but with remote learning only guaranteed for two days, the situation is a bit different.
“Part of me thinks we will go back in person on Monday and part of me thinks we won’t,” McMurray continued. “But, I think, overall…we will go back on Monday, once staff and security are all back.
While some students are having a more negative reaction to the online schooling announcement, some students are excited. And some students are split.
“My favorite part of online school is a less rigorous workload and the factor of not having to commute back and forth,” senior Connor Skelton added.
“My favorite part of online school is that I get really to relax as I learn. I get to sit in my comfy chair with fuzzy socks and a blanket, and I really have freedom [to] learn in my conditions,” McMurray concluded.
In addition to some things being split for students, there are pros and cons for teacher’s too.
Doc H (Scott Hebrink) enjoys the ease in which he can use the bathroom, but misses the face to face time with his students and the in-person instruction.
Overall, there is a broad spectrum of opinions of online learning at Doherty High School. Whether you are hoping to stay home and learn or go in person keep your eyes out for any upcoming announcements.