Recently, there has been a lot of discussion regarding the possibility of the district transitioning to a four day a week remote schedule, and I believe transitioning to this four day remote schedule could be very beneficial to students.

As of a few weeks ago, we transitioned from the hybrid model to all remote for the time being. Two days a week, we are independently completing our schoolwork that has been posted for each class on Schoology. Wednesdays are reserved for office hours, and the other two days of the week are remote classes according to your schedule.

For me, the days that I am independently working on my schoolwork, I am the most stressed. I can only ask questions via email, and unfortunately most teachers aren’t able to answer those questions quickly as they are teaching other classes. Without answers to questions, schoolwork takes longer as I don’t want to submit answers that I’m not sure about. Another thing I have noticed about those days of the week is that it is up to me to teach myself. Sometimes I catch myself blindly going through my work just to complete it and get a good grade, but I am not actually understanding it as if it was being explained to me. This causes a lot of stress and makes for a longer day.

Remote days on the other hand go way smoother. I have a schedule to guide me through the day and give structure. I get a closer experience to how school is normally when I am face to face with my teachers and classmates. When a teacher is on a call, they tend to explain things better and provide a better sense of understanding. It is easier to learn when it is coming from someone who actually knows what they are talking about. They can screen share on a call and do assignments with you. Asking questions is so much easier on a call as well. Without the delay that comes with asking questions via email, you can get an immediate answer from your teacher and continue work quickly. 

One major concern people have had with the switch to to remote was the mental strain it takes on everyone. When it comes to stress, I feel like having that structure and certainty that you will understand or be taught what you need to learn will significantly reduce your stress. Having some sense of normalcy in the form of socializing and communication is healthy during these hard times. 

Some people would argue that a 2-day a week remote schedule is enough, and a 4-day a week remote schedule would be too much to handle. If you are worried about falling behind with this method, office hours are provided for extra help! It should be noted that last year, before COVID-19 hit us, we had packed schedules. We were at school for around 7 hours, with plenty of homework and some of us also had sports and club meetings to attend as well. This year we aren’t doing most of these things, so we have more time for this type of schedule. We aren’t learning as fast and as much as last year too. 

This year has been incredibly hard on all of us. Lots of changes have been made and more changes are yet to come. All we have to do is stick together and stay strong! Stay tuned for updates as to how Sweet Home will proceed with their remote schedule!

Maddie VanDusen

Maddie is a freshman this year and is new to the Panther Eye. She is eager to start this year and help out writing about a lot of topics.