A little over half a year ago our world was turned upside down, and with it, the rest of our academic year. I can still recall the earliest predictions saying that Abington School District would only be closed for a long weekend (maybe 2 additional days or so) for a thorough sanitization of the buildings, but boy, were we all wrong. As Governor Tom Wolf announced the closure of Pennsylvania schools for 2 weeks, the entire state was in shock, but teachers didn’t have the same luxury. With no time to panic or worry about the global pandemic spreading to the United States, the teachers got right to work with creating assignments and distributing materials in case of a longer closure.

With everyone stuck at home and in an unforeseen situation, both teachers and students had to quickly adapt. While I can only speak from the perspective of one student, the beginning of online schooling was chaotic, to say the least. The lack of organization and the varying amounts of work assigned per teacher was confusing, and lots of students involved were struggling to learn anything new from the material. Without being able to engage in a classroom discussion, the disconnect was surreal and many began to miss what they had previously taken for granted. 

Despite the hiccups and struggles along the way, Abington School District staff really stepped up to plate once the 2020-21 academic year rolled around. While I will admit I was skeptical at first, the new schedules and synchronous learning are overall a huge success. Compared to the messily put together online schooling at the tail end of the 2019-20 school year, there’s a lot to say for how much it’s truly improved. I can see the effort teachers are putting into their lessons and classes, and I once again feel like I’m actually absorbing knowledge.

I believe a huge round of applause is in order for the teachers who have been working tirelessly day in and day out to give their students the full experience of school. The environment of online school this year is so much more comfortable with additions such as Zoom meetings for daily periods, and even an Advisory, which is essentially a homeroom period with insightful questions and friendly interaction to go along with it. As a way to check the mental health of our students, Advisory “class” was added to the roster as a way to further conversation and make sure there’s ample time for socialization, a key part of any high schooler’s experience. 

Thanks to the tireless efforts of those involved in the district, we’ve had a successful first few weeks completely online. So if you see a teacher struggling or in need of some help, be patient, they’re trying their best. This year would not be the same without everyone’s support and unconditional understanding during these trying times, so please, count yourself lucky.