One-way hallways, striped tents, circus signs, and many power cords later, Riverdale’s hybrid program has been meticulously planned and set up to ensure that everyone feels safe on campus. With most grades on campus one to two days per week (unlike Horace Mann’s five days per week), it seems that there are never too many people on campus on the same day. This new schedule allows students to get some rest and learn from the comfort of their own home, though not without a few complications.
The first thing I thought of when asked my opinion on the hybrid schedule was: “more sleep!” With remote classes starting at 9
a.m. on most weekdays, I have been getting around two more hours of sleep every night.
I used to go to school constantly physically exhausted; after track practice and the late bus, I would get home around 7 p.m., and then have to eat dinner and complete hours of homework before waking up at 6:30 a.m. the next day. As a current senior busy with supplements and college applications, I cannot imagine how little sleep last year’s seniors got.
Another positive about hybrid learning is flexibility. During my at-home school days, I am able to go on a run during my free periods and squeeze in some homework after lunch. When we are in person, class discussions flow naturally, and it is always fun to catch up with friends. Additionally, I believe that there is less pressure on timed assessments with remote classes. In my experience, teachers do not put as much emphasis on time (so far), making it easier for both students with regular and extra time to complete their assignments.
On the other hand, remote classes put more pressure on the graded assessments that students complete both at home and at school. Teachers are discouraged from giving major assessments on in-person days; however, sometimes this can be unavoidable. Though, from a student’s perspective, this policy is certainly helpful, it also puts more weight on the small quizzes that students take in person. Because many students feel like they don’t have enough opportunities to boost their grade, we place enormous weight on the small in-person
assessments that we do have. In addition, some of my peers wished that their teachers would focus on discussion-heavy classes, rather than taking the precious in-person time to assess students.
Screen time adds an additional difficulty to remote classes. On certain days I have four classes practically back to back, and the ten minute break is not enough to alleviate the headache from staring at my computer screen for hours in a row.
While students are grateful that teachers for the most part stick to the ten-minute rule, (and some give 11 minutes!) many note that the ten minute break often ends up becoming five minutes or less.
Finally, building connections in non-academic courses has proven to be more difficult than expected. Leaders of activity periods are struggling to organize activities that include both in person and remote students.
Oftentimes it seems like two separate activities are taking place, and it is difficult to captivate students’ attention through a screen. Physical Education and sports practices in the middle of the day also pose challenges, as on-camera workouts can be uncomfortable.
Even though remote learning does not offer the daily interactions we are exposed to with in-person learning, we should not ignore the advantages of increased sleep and flexibility.
Overall, I think that Riverdale’s hybrid plan balances safety and social interaction well, though it may take some getting used to for all of us.
