This school this year has been a whirlwind adventure for everyone. No one could have expected that the 20/21 school year was going to look the way it does, but here we are!

Life as we know it continues to feel farther and farther away with little to no social interactions, no going out to eat, or hanging out with friends. Some schools, like Telstar Middle School, have worked to make our education experience as meaningful as they can, under the circumstances, with both remote and in-person learning happening.

A good portion of the student body have chosen to be remote Rebels, who Zoom into their classes, while the rest are learning, masks on, and socially distanced, at school. For those Rebels who are remote learners, they see both pros and cons when it comes to learning via Zoom, and we have the inside scoop on it.

The learning is a very different and strange middle school experience. Not having social interactions with peers is one of the downsides. There are no friends to talk to at lunch or in the halls, no contact with teachers who walk around the room providing support, and being stuck in the house all day looking at a screen can get both boring and tiresome.

Some students invest in blue light screens to help their eyes from being exposed to the bright screen all day, and getting outside is key to giving your mind, body and eyes a break. Not all of it is bad, though. One of the upsides is that you do not have to ride the bus every day, and there are no loud crowds to deal with.

Eating is definitely a pro because you can make your own lunch and eat what you want all day. You can wear whatever you want, too, as long as it is school appropriate. The best part is that you usually have a little bit of a shorter school day.

As an eighth grader who is remote, I know first-hand what it is like to be a remote learner. You have to wake up every morning to a screen that has a little face on, it and you are expected to learn your lesson with the same focus as the in person students. I have to tell you that is not easy at all. It is hard to be stuck in one room all day, but learning is possible.

The classes that I miss the most in person are definitely the Unified Arts classes like band and chorus, PE and Art. However, the teachers at Telstar Middle School do their best to include the remote students in everything they do. Elliot Norton, also a remote rebel and co-writer of our weekly articles, shares his experience with us.

“When we did mouse trap cars, they were very fun but kind of difficult since we are remote,” he said.

I agree with him, but Mr. Hedden did his best to include us, which we appreciated. The students and staff at Telstar Middle School are all trying to get through this one day at a time, like everyone else in the world. Learning has been very interesting, even if it is in a non-conventional way.

Yes, it may not be the standard middle school experience, but make no mistake, this learning adventure is something that both kids and parents will never forget. We are making history every day!

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.