Thoughts on Remote Learning: Students and Staff Opine
By Theresa Stronach
December 1, 2020
On September 16, students and staff began a school year like no other. Many found themselves facing enormous challenges on a daily basis throughout the first couple of months. During this time, the Mirror set up Zoom calls with four students and four teachers. The following feature article highlights the most insightful quotes from those discussions.
Dr. Dudley, History Teacher
“I didn’t realize how much I respond to nonverbal cues, and how much harder it can be to understand on the screen.”
“I had to really rethink my class top to bottom and [figure out] what's the best way to get content across while using the technology...It has been hard, but kind of fun (not going to lie), but it's definitely been hard.”
“I like talking about history, so it’s kind of hard just to put stuff out and have the kids interact with it.”
“A lot of teachers are saying that this is like being a first-year teacher all over again. You’re back to the drawing board. You have fewer already established lessons. It’s all new.”
“It just feels a little less natural or organic.”
Maeve O'Leary, Class of '21
"It's my senior year, and I’ve been playing field hockey since I was in 7th grade. I really like it! Senior year sports is something I really looked forward to, and it's definitely not the same, so it's sad.”
“I feel like I have to try ten times harder to make sure I know the assignments I need to be completing...and when you're turning things in online, you have to make sure that your teacher receives it. It's harder than handing it to them directly.”
“The teachers are being very understanding of everyone’s different circumstances.”
“At the end of junior year, you have a meeting regarding what colleges you're interested in...what your GPA is and SAT scores. You start to get the ball rolling. But because of the quarantine, I never got that meeting, so the ball never got rolling."
Dr. Rouse, Business Teacher
"I miss the body language you have with someone when you are right next to them. You can read their face, read their body language. [Students] are a little more quiet when on Zoom, so those kind of things I call that the Zoom filter. Being in front of a monitor just filters out a lot of stuff that you can have when you're conversing person-to-person. The Zoom filter changes your behavior a little bit. You wouldn’t behave in front of a monitor the same way you would in-person.”
“[Being in an empty classroom] is kind of strange, it is kind of weird. It has kind of an unnatural feeling to it.”
“I cannot wait to have the students back in the classroom.”
“The social interaction with [my students] is what I miss the most.”
“We’ve been doing just as well as we can. I’m not sure we could improve [anymore].”
Julia Haelsen, Class of '22
“Remote learning was definitely hard to adjust to.”
“I don’t have as strong a work ethic as I used to, and it is hard to stay motivated, for the most part.”
“My least favorite part of remote learning is being stuck in my room all day. There is no movement."
“The teachers are doing a good job communicating. They are really making an effort to reach out and making sure we aren’t overwhelmed.”
Ms. Jacques, English Teacher
“What I miss most is seeing everyone and being updated on the lives of my students. While school is for learning, there's also the jokes and tangents... you know, the general fun of being in class.”
“Trying to wrap my head around not seeing my students in person [has been the hardest part]… Not having them in front of me, in-person, where we can really discuss things, help out one-on-one, walk around, do groups, interact.”
“ I feel like there is less of a collaboration and connection. I am not getting to know my students as well as I usually do. I don’t have interaction with anyone, really, because we are all trying to stay safe.”
"When I ask students, 'How's your day going?'...these days [the answers are almost always] 'It’s fine; I'm on my couch.'"
“The figuring-things-out is probably the hardest part.”
“We all laughed about it, thinking it would only be two weeks...and now it’s been over six months.”
Justin Reilly, Class of '23
“[Online school has] been easier than I expected. I expected a lot of technical difficulty, but it’s been pretty smooth for me. I haven’t had much trouble logging into classes, and I feel like I am getting stuff out of it.”
“I like [online school] because classes flow nicely and they’re all similarly formatted because of Zoom. But I also don’t like that. It can get boring."
“The teachers are doing a good job, especially considering how dramatic the change has been.”
“It is hard to think of other things teachers can do since options are so limited right now.”
Ms. Currivan, Wellness Teacher
“I miss the personal connections with students.”
“It gets lonely. It’s hard looking out there and not seeing anyone there”
“Everyday is a new day, and you just have to keep modifying and adapting.”
“It's not the same. I just feel like I am not having the [same] connections [with students]. It's a lot harder through the computer.”
“Students are saying how stressed they are. I just worry about everybody sitting all day. I don’t think it is healthy sitting and staring at the computer. We need to get out, we need to move”
“I am trusting students.”
Danielle O'Neill, Class of '24
“I really miss hockey. I just want to get on the ice!”
“I liked meeting all my teachers and learning the new material. I just wish it was in school.”
“I thought [online school] was going to be way harder.”
“My favorite part [of online school] is seeing everyone at once."
Meet the Writer!
Theresa Stronach, class of 2023, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Dedham Mirror. She also competes as a Marauder on the field hockey, ice hockey, and softball teams, and is a member of the Performing Arts Company at DHS.