With the new changes to school this year, the teachers, both in-person and remote, have had to adjust how they teach their classes. COVID-19 has made HB rework multiple systems used in the past to make our school safer.

Out of all the issues, teachers have to work around “The greatest is technology. It is very frustrating for students when they get bounced out of a zoom because the signal is wonky,” said teacher Lin Illingworth, who is remote in the English department. “It is also difficult to sustain a long discussion or talk for long periods with masks on,” says Lisa Danis, an in-person teacher in the English department.

Another issue that has presented itself is managing remote learners while teaching the students in the class. “It is hard to give equal focus to both groups,” said Danis, “I am not used to being tethered to technology all day long.”

Fitness teacher Tracy Gray has had to find new ways to teach her class due to the COVID-19 guidelines. “I have to be mindful of if someone has first period PE, they are here for the rest of the day, and they are not gonna wanna be sweaty and gross.” She has around 40 remote students, whom she has to Zoom and assign work for them to complete. “They are expected to do the same amount of physical activity, but it might look different.”

Many teachers are also finding it difficult to get to know their students this year. “A huge part of why I love teaching is the connections I make with the kids in the classroom,” said Lisa Danis in the English department. “Not every student turns their screen on when they are on Zoom. So I have a hard time with that because I like to know everyone and see their faces,” said Gray, who prefers to teach only freshmen to try and aid them as much as possible in their transition to the new school and new set of responsibilities. “I can’t even imagine coming up as a freshman and then having this be your first year.”

According to teachers, what has made this model of school work has been the students. “I’m amazed by the students. I have always thought that HB students are just pretty awesome,” said Illingworth. “I’m so glad to have a community this year.” The HB students have been working hard to make a life for the teachers more accessible and find new ways to solve any issues that arise.

This school year looks very different than those in the past for both the teachers and the students. Whether it’s managing two classes at once or trying to connect to your students on the same level that they would be able to in person, the drastic changes to our school days have taken a toll on the social and academic learning styles. “It’s just different, no matter how hard you try, it’s gonna be different,” explained Gray. It will take time to adjust to this new way of learning and teaching and the new life way.