The hybrid model has officially started at Needham High School! Students entered the building for classes on Tuesday for the first time in over six months. However, the school looked very different from last March, the last time it hosted in-person classes. The hallways seemed almost gloomy with only half the number of students as usual, and with everyone sporting masks it was hard to see if students were happy, excited, scared, or angry. In the cafeteria, individual desks are spaced at six feet apart, a scene one teacher said “looked like a horror film.”
Needham administrators and teachers spent countless hours over the summer developing a plan they deemed safe and followed state guidelines. In the end, Needham settled on a “week on, week off” schedule that divided the students into two cohorts, Blue and Gold*. On the weeks the Blue cohort is in-person, the Gold cohort is remote, and vice versa. The one exception to this is Wednesdays, where everyone is remote.
During a cohort’s remote week, teachers were given two options when deciding how to connect with the remote students: synchronously and asynchronously. If a teacher chooses to teach synchronously, students will join the class via zoom. If a teacher chooses to teach asynchronous, students will be assigned independent work to complete during the class period.
Ms. McCalley, an NHS English teacher, acknowledges the advantages of teaching asynchronously, saying “[it gives] the chance to interact face-to-face with small groups of students and in order to make the most out of the in-person class dynamic.” However, Ms. McCalley also explains that it is difficult for teachers to create two different lesson plans. Additionally, she adds that asynchronous learning requires students to stay on top of their assignments and deadlines, which can be difficult for some. “I want to be able to support all my students and help them learn,” Ms. McCalley states.
Not only does the building have half as many students as usual, but many rules and regulations have been put in place. The biggest and most obvious rule is that everyone must have a mask on at all times inside (other than eating and designated outdoor mask breaks). Another rule is that hallways and staircases are one-way, making traveling around the building much harder.
Along with the new rules in place is a ten-minute passing period during which first years and seniors pass during the first five minutes, and sophomores and juniors pass during the second half. Throughout each of the passing periods, the hallways felt virtually empty because basically, only a quarter of the school was moving at once. However, this staggered passing system did not occur once the last bell of the day rang. Students were cramped together, all trying to leave the building at once. The hallways and stairwells were all extremely crowded. Many students were ignoring the one-way mandates.
In order to understand how teachers viewed the new protocols, Ms. Downey, one of the school’s Latin teachers, was interviewed. Without hesitation, Ms. Downey expressed that she feels completely safe and comfortable in the building. When asked if she thought that students would follow all of the precautions set up by the school, Ms. Downey, unfortunately, said that she was slightly worried, as it is difficult to get all of the students to follow all of the rules. She hopes that the hybrid model will last as long as possible, but she would be grateful if we did not return to fully remote school before Thanksgiving.
Overall, students seem to be happy to be back in-person, even if it is just for four days every other week. Dana Freedman, a junior at NHS, says that “I’m grateful to finally be in-person. It’s nice to see people and establish a sense of normalcy during these crazy times.”
Hopefully, we can continue with the hybrid model for the rest of the year. Despite the difficulties that come along with the hybrid model, it is the best possible form of learning. In order for this model to stay in place, the best thing that all of us can do is remember to wear our masks and be mindful of others.
*The Blue and Gold cohorts are only for students who are going in person every other week. There is also a Green cohort where students who need the support offered in-person go in every day (except for Wednesdays when everyone is remote). The last cohort is the Red cohort, which consists of students who are all-remote.