Dear teacher,
Thank you for taking the time to teach me on Zoom. I understand how busy you must be with your families at home, trying to be a good teacher and how difficult this situation is.
However, please try and take a moment to understand my side of things. In school, I was a good student, taking notes, asking questions, getting involved.
Now, I too am home all day with my whole family. I too, try my best to be a good student. But at home, things are different than how they are in school. It’s hard to concentrate… a full house can be noisy at times.
There can be a lack of internet-enabled devices to go on. There are siblings to spend time with, parents to help, chores to do. There are also other distractions, such as hobbies, projects, toys and games.
Besides all this, I find it hard to sit in a chair and table in front of an electrical device for lengths of time without moving in between.
During breaks, you say?
Well, if breaks are 20 minutes each, then I also need time to eat, and why would I want to go exercise if all my friends are chatting with each other and having fun? And, the biggest problem of all, it is near impossible for me to concentrate on your lesson.
So please, have me in mind when you teach. It may look like just a screen but there are struggling students behind it.
Signed,
Your student
It’s hard for everyone. Teachers, students, parents and other household members. Wifi can’t stretch so far, quiet places just don’t exist. This is far less than an ideal situation, but we all have to make the best of it and work with what we’ve got. We can’t do better than that.
Main thing is don’t stress. This too shall pass….
please dont forgot that when you say that your sure you dint mind if we go over time by 5/10 minutes because your sure we dont mind and have plenty of extra time either way, that is not true. we have younger siblings to care for, parents who want us to take care of making supper or helping out by cleaning or with the younger kids, and a social life to keep up with. especially if its a break in between classes. like we need to eat and use the bathroom in that 5 min or even half hour break!!!!
sometimes due to situations at home u need to do that for a few minutes please understand ty
yes ty for all that your doing just please dont announce names if camera is off ty it might be for a few min or so
And if the student is young and hyper active. It should also be taken in consideration.
Neither the Teacher, neither the student have it easy.
Please take into consideration your beloved Dormies or students that board. Yes we might have bigger houses but we have more kids on different schedules and rules. It’s very hard to be the only person eating lunch at 1 in the afternoon and having to fend for yourself cuz lunch is all cleaned up. Or having school certain days of the week when your siblings don’t. And please put into consideration the challenge of not being home for years and then being home for more time that you’ve ever been home in your high school. Or giving tests on material… Read more »
Why is this specific to out of towners? The in town high school students are struggling with the same things.
And for the record the in town students didn’t get a single specific email yet 😉
Unfortunately the schools don’t seem to take into consideration the out of towners. The school is for the intowners and there for the rules are meant to be kept with no complaints or glitches.
As a mother with four kids on zoom, I see what works. I am fortunate that some of my kids have very engaging teachers who rose to the challenge and more than exceeded my expectations. To the point that some of my kids look forward to class and all the interesting programs that the teacher uses to keep kids participating, from like kahoot, quizlet or nearpod. Some of my kids are learning more now than in physical school because there are no distractions. But then there are other teachers who remain unseen during the class and just speak for hours… Read more »
I’m a high school student and I can’t agree more. The schools are not accommodating at all their overloading us with work more than we have in school and expect us to have our cameras on 24/7 on zoom, and it’s just unrealistic expectations. Their putting on extra pressure and stress on us. It’s really unfair, I wish all principals would change their attitude and try to understand our perspective. This article explains it 100%!
It’s very good to hear from a student’s perspective. Because it is a struggle for these students. Learning on line for young children is extremely difficult. I also think it is a struggle for older children as well. Each an every student had no outlet everyone had to stay home. Also in NY these parents could have been sick and many parents were working from home. It would have been such a great thing if someone could have acknowledged all of these factors and made the easiest and best schedule. Teaching in a way that you ask a question but… Read more »
Everyone is in this together-no one asked for this.
It’s not “easy” for anyone.
Emunah, tefila, asking for Moshiach and positive attitude are the main things.
Specific situations should be addressed directly to the student or the teacher, and not wait for an article to be written about it.
Please let’s not blame any side in this-many people are trying their best.
May Hashem send Moshiach NOW!
This is all absolutely true. Sometimes, somebody needs to get through where your computer is and they might not want to be seen, so therefore a student should be allowed to turn off his camera for a couple of moments. Another note: imagine this whole crazy online situation, which has only been going on for three months, having to juggle your kids, helping them with school, trying to concentrate, and still maintain a somewhat social life, but imagine it not 3 months, but your whole life. This is the life of a Shliach in Online School. I have left the… Read more »
Yes but it is a very different scenario when on online school. First of all when you start you know that you will be online and you are prepared for it. In addition they know you are behind a computer a whole day and before the year starts they plan the schedule accordingly. As well the teachers know that they will need to be teaching over a computer and not in a real classroom. Now everyone was thrown into this situation very suddenly, as well they still want to cover the curriculum that was planned for this year. No one… Read more »
I hope the grade level expectations are adjusted for next year. Children learning how to read, for example, next year the standard grade expectations have to be adjusted, a rebbi that would be teaching Chumash should be prepared to teach reading
Thank you for putting this out. I feel that others have to hear how us students are feeling. In school it’s way easier to learn since you are in a closed room with no distraction and everyone is doing the same thing. At home it’s extremely chaotic.
Thank you for putting this out. I feel it’s very important for everyone out there to see how it is for us students. For many times people side with the teachers. In school it is way easier to learn since you are in a closed room with no distractions and everyone is doing the same thing. At home it is extremely chaotic. I do appreciate the time the teachers are taking and you can see when a teacher is making an effort.