As the year comes to a close, students and teachers wait to see what’s to come. With the possibility of going back to school in January, both parties discuss the hardships they have faced with online learning and express their hopes for the future.
“I hope I can see my friends next year,” junior Manfredo De Leon said. “I also hope for this year to be over and to get a fresh start.”
A common theme between teachers and students is that they want to go back to school in-person.
“My hopes for next year are that we are back to school in-person,” AP Physics and Chemistry teacher Tim Blok said. “I think with the vaccine coming out, that hope is realistic.”
Junior Kaitlin Michelucci also shared what she anticipates for next year.
“My hopes for next year [are] being able to be fully at school, and for everyone to be happy,” Michelucci said. “I hope to achieve new friendships, good grades, and figure out what I want to do for college.”
With all the unknowns of the pandemic, teachers have had to adjust to online learning which for some, took away time that they would have spent with their children.
“I started off the semester burying my head in work and preparation since we are doing everything different and I didn’t spend much time with my kids,” P.E. Dep. Chair Ben Philpot said. “I’ve been shifting that more recently but I want to make sure I don’t revert back to that.”
Along with teacher mistakes, students also experienced some difficulties throughout the year.
“With the year being online I’ve encountered a lot of mistakes, for example one of them being procrastination,” De Leon said. “I’ve procrastinated pretty much this whole year, but recently I have been doing little things on time, like taking out the trash on time or limiting my screen time, etc.”
With next semester classes coming up, motivation and patience from students and teachers will again be tested, especially with the likelihood of returning back to school in January.
“Have patience with yourself, have patience with your teachers, have patience with your parents,” Blok said.
Students and staff look ahead to next year, 2021. Both students and staff hope to make changes by reflecting on actions made during the first semester.
