COVID school year summarized

by Izze Kaukonen

As the 20-21 school year comes to an end at Athens High School, many students look forward to a more “normal” school year in the fall. From online school to mask mandates, this year has been one of many changes and difficulties, not only at AHS but around the world. Since the school year has been so vastly different than previous years, some might wonder how the pandemic has affected how well students retain information.

Towards the beginning of the school year, all students were learning virtually through Canvas and Zoom meetings. It quickly became apparent that online learning was not conducive for top-tier performance. While staring at a Zoom screen and a Canvas page full of assignments due at 11:59 pm, many students found themselves drifting off and not being as attentive to their classes as would be expected. Additionally, the block schedule created longer class periods, which makes it much harder for students to be able to pay full attention to the entirety of their classes. This is in no way the fault of the school or even students. Many students are still performing to the best of their abilities given the circumstances, but even the best students might find themselves losing a bit of work ethic. School being packed into the span of a computer screen can feel isolating, especially since school is normally a social environment.

Although those who attend school in-person do experience a vastly different educational experience than those who are online, retention of information is still likely more difficult than it would be in a traditional school year. As students return to school in person, they may find themselves seeing people they haven’t had contact with for months, even a year. After being thrust back into the world of AHS after a year of relative isolation, it is only natural for students to want to socialize with their peers, as well as with teachers who they have probably never met in person before.

Although this year has been vastly different and more challenging than others, the prospect of a relatively normal school year in the fall gives AHS students a positive light!