It has been almost 2 weeks since school has started, and everybody is already struggling with this new way of learning. Due to it being such an unfamiliar situation and atmosphere, it’s hard for most of us to get used to it, especially for the teachers who are used to teaching in classrooms. Despite such limited resources, the teachers try their best every day to give students the support and education they need. What are some struggles that teachers face during this uncertain time?

Online learning has been off to a pretty good start for Ms. Chen (staff) as she stated, “Online teaching so far has been better than expected! I am thankful for not having too many technical difficulties, and I am thankful to be at YLHS where students are old enough to type and use a computer by themselves. It’s been nice to still be able to talk to students. It’s always the best part of my day.” But of course, there are always the cons to it.

Since Ms. Chen goes to school and does zoom in her classroom, the lights will turn off if there is no movement detected. She said, “The cons are: I can’t hear anyone laugh at my jokes, and the lights keep turning off.” Hopefully we can go back to school so the motion and interaction of students will keep the lights on.

Many of us students think about the struggles we face like Wi-Fi problems, technological difficulties, how tiring online learning is, and many other issues that are bound to happen in the future. It is hard for some of us who are used to classroom settings, since not everyone is familiar with technology and rely on in-person interaction to learn better. The teachers alike are struggling with trying to make things better for students.

Mr. Walls (staff) said, “I am learning new techniques and re-evaluating/changing existing lessons which is helping me to look at my curriculum from new angles. I’m hoping this results in me advancing my teaching to better serve my students.” He too misses school as he said that the cons outnumber the pros, saying, “Teaching is a wonderful career, but what I enjoy and cherish most is getting to interact with my students. Distance learning lacks the sense of community that you can really only get by being in a room with others.”

The teachers miss us as much as we miss school. However, online learning is so far the best option in the current situation Covid-19 has brought us. School might change again depending on the future situation, but let’s still face online learning with some positivity in our pockets. On the other hand, some teachers are totally rocking it!

Mrs. Pilkenton (staff) said she’d give herself an 8 out of 10 so far. She is glad that she is still able to teach and deliver her lesson, but she wishes she can be more engaging through more discussions. She greatly misses students and wants to learn and meet her students soon!

Ms. Ferris (staff) said that some of the good things about online teaching is that she gets to be comfortable and teaches with her dog on her lap! She is also proud how she is saving the environment by not driving her car as well. She enjoys the quality time with her family as she gets to spend time with her daughter. But due to this unfamiliar situation, it feels to her like she is learning how to teach again! Of course, she misses her students, saying, “I also miss seeing my students and the human interaction that comes with that–hugging former students to celebrate a college acceptance, high-fiving students to celebrate an achievement, saying good morning, and seeing students smile back. I also miss chatting with my teacher friends and seeing them in person as well.”

It is amazing how even though the teachers miss us, they still try their best to make the most out of this situation! We can stick together Mustangs during this time, so let’s try and hang on a bit more. Be kind to yourself and those around you and stay happy!