On the morning of August 26, students smiled behind their masks as they reunited with school friends, eager to make their way back to the classroom. As students returned to the hustle and bustle of school hallways, laptop screens and daily Zoom meetings came to a close, and with it, a long year of online struggles. Many teachers and students are returning after an entire school year of distance learning, readapting to the school scene with excitement for the upcoming year.

   For many distanced learners, the school year brought several obstacles. Because learning through a screen proved to be rather difficult, Kayla Dadivas (11) expressed her eagerness to be able to take in person art classes. She explained, “We had less visual examples… Usually, they have props setup and everything, but we kind of had to work our way around that and use our own things.” Furthermore, she learned that direct communication with teachers was a struggle online. Virtual meetings made it hard for teachers to offer help on a student’s work during the creation process. However, this year, Dadivas walked into her art classrooms with excitement: “I think I’m going to learn a lot more in person because I’ll get that extra help from Ms. Kim.” For Dadivas, constructive criticism is essential to growth in art, and she was able to take a sigh of relief as she gained easier access to it this year.

   The circumstances of the previous school year created trouble for teachers as well. They, too, began the school year with hopes of a smoother teaching experience. Mr. Welch, an English teacher at West High, addressed the interactions he’s excited to bring back to his classroom: “Being able to see faces offers insight about students’ understanding and enjoyment of a lesson.” 

   With the start of a new year, the weight of distance learning has been lifted off the shoulders of students and teachers alike. West High can only look forward to a smoother school year.