The year 2020 has proved to be anything but normal. With the effects of the virus COVID-19, the whole world has had to deal with its difficulties and adapt in order to live a semi-normal life. With these complications, comes the issues involving school- the prime place for all sicknesses. 

Most schools chose to go completely online for the year or push back the first day past flu season. Edmond Memorial went the safest route possible while still being able to go to in-person school for two days a week and online the rest (minimizing exposure). They made this decision in the best interest of its students and staff and so far, it seems to be working. But how do the staff and students feel about the online portion of school? 

Online can have its complications, especially in a school with a wide variety of students. Some may not have access to online resources at home, some may lack a personal drive to complete the work and some may find the workload to be increased. 

After the early cancellation of school last year, the teachers of Edmond Memorial had an added stress of catching up and keeping on pace to ensure the students’ success. All of the teachers are working at a fast pace to put the curriculum in front of students and having the added hassle of online complications. 

Even last year, before the mayhem, teachers struggled with online assignments and working Canvas (the online platform used for assignments). Emails are being flooded with questions, demands and confusion leaving the teachers ready to pull their hair out.

From the students’ perspective, they have just as much stress to re-learn and learn the criteria expected to graduate. Students feel as though their workload is too much to handle (especially on their own) and cannot seem to keep up in all of their classes at once. They have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of work expected for them to complete each week and many have begun to complain. The teachers have listened and made as many changes as they can while still managing to keep up, trying to find the perfect balance. 

 Now more than ever, students are expected to clearly communicate with all six or seven teachers in order to do well and stay organized. This can be really stressful for students in various situations. Some are expected to watch over younger siblings at home while others have jobs and extracurriculars. 

Going into the fifth week of school, things have begun to turn into a normal routine. At the least, it can be said that every student and teacher at Edmond Memorial are in the pits together, dealing with the same levels of stress from different sides. 

Last year, the biggest complaint was wearing ID badges. This year, a whole new level of requirement is to be personally responsible for your own education and what you will or want to accomplish (not to mention the mask requirement while at school). The students and staff are handling online school the best they can, given the circumstances, but still this year will prove to be one of the most confusing and stressful school year yet. 

Contact Avery Hamlin at [email protected]