Schools should reopen for in person learning

Alaya Foote, Junior

My day consists of six hours of mandatory instruction, two hours of optional homework and around four hours of entertainment. This adds up to about 12 hours of screen time– the recommended daily amount is two hours. Parents and teachers tell students like myself to stay off of our electronics as much as we can, but then go silent when we have no choice. The idea of home can be seen in many different ways, but it can be simplified to a distraction from a professional workspace. People need to compartmentalize in order to stay sane.  We need organization in order to stay focused on our goals, which for students, is to graduate high school and set ourselves on the path to college and a career. For these reasons, Atlanta Public School’s (APS) plan to return to in-person learning starting January of 2021 is a step in the right direction.

As a junior in high school, I love Algebra– when I understand it. When I’m in school, I don’t feel the pressure of clicking a button to unmute myself (which means potentially interrupting someone with a bad connection) to ask a question about the solution to a problem. In school I’m not interrupted by my baby brother asking for a juice box or distracted by the loud banging noises from the construction outside. When I am at school, I have a mindset of getting tasks done on time and well. There’s something about the cool temperature inside the classroom and  the white brick walls that gets me focused and wanting to learn more.

The lack of being in a vibrant environment has also contributed to my lack of motivation with online school. Motivation is something that keeps me engaged. At school there were always interactive students who raised their hand for almost every question, encouraging us to do the same thing. But now we have black screens with names on them, separating us from classroom engagement and instruction. 

Students interested in art, business, sports and video production are restricted to the materials they have at their home, which not everyone has access to. Grady High School was filled with so much creativity and colors, with the courtyard, theatre and hallways being an inspiration to some, but not many homes have the same kind of detail. From the perspective of a student with a passion for creativity, it is hard to find motivation from a bright screen and the same family members in my home everyday. 

Online work and learning has affected everyone in some negative way. Returning to school may not be the safest option in these uncertain times, but it will help many students who are not up for hours on technology. For me, the prospect of returning to school will allow me to find motivation and the classroom engagement that I have been lacking online.