How High Schoolers Really Feel about Zoom School
Teachers have been very outspoken about their take on this whole virtual instruction thing — myself included. I’ve both seen and made TikToks about the situation, highlighting humorously the struggle of teaching through a computer screen. I’ve read articles from teachers, gone to seminars for teachers, attended staff meetings with colleagues about how to adapt and cope in this virtual reality.
What I have not seen or heard is how the students feel. As a teacher, we check in with our students when we can, but I wanted to take it a step farther — I wanted to delve into how students are reacting to virtual school and how their relationships with school-related people have been impacted. We’ve heard from the teachers; now let’s hear from the students.
I decided to reach out to a few of my own 9th grade students, being sure to include all genders, course levels, and backgrounds. I asked them if they’d be willing to meet with me (individually) virtually during lunch, and to my surprise, they all said yes. To protect their identities, I’ll be referring to them by a fake name. I was also careful not to include discussions about myself as their teacher throughout this analysis, as I didn’t want my findings to come off as bias.
Students’ take on virtual school in general
Some students maintained a positive outlook on their personal virtual education, while others were more upfront about their distaste. When asked about the impact she felt online learning had on herself and her friends, Erin admitted that it has helped her come out of her “comfort zone.” She has embraced the camera-on rule and has no problem unmuting her mic to answer a question. She even saw the future impact: “Participating in virtual class has prepared me for potential job interviews when I get to that.” That is a positive spin that I never even thought about.
Not everyone was this optimistic. When asked the same question about the impact virtual school has on students, Devon grimaced when he responded shortly, “Negative.” He continued explaining that he wishes we were going to school in person because he sees his friends’ grades dropping and their social skills worsening. He conceded that he’s always cared about his grades and his relationship with his teachers, but he said that his friends are “becoming too comfortable being at home, and they’re going to struggle” when we inevitably make that transition back to the classroom.
Other students are more in the middle with their opinions on this whole virtual thing. One student says he is “learning to adjust to it, but [he knows he] needs physical school” for his well-being. Khalid has noticed his friends getting bored and having a hard time staying on task when on the computer. Jordan says that virtual school is “beneficial for [her], but not at all for some of [her] friends.” She realizes that in an online setting, you get out what you put in. She also recognizes that “some people with ADHD and other learning needs have a hard time teaching themselves.” It’s clear to these students that their classmates’ grades have been dropping drastically, and this “self-teach” way of learning is not for everyone.
Students’ take on student-teacher relationships
I started off my discussion with each student by asking them if they normally connected with their teachers easily in a normal school setting (in the classroom). They all generally agreed that — depending on the teacher — forming bonds with teachers came somewhat naturally to them. When asked if they felt they were forming the same types of bonds with their teachers this year in a virtual setting, their answers were a bit scattered.
Khalid discussed how it’s been easy for him to stand out in class this year because he takes a genuine interest in the subject matter, and teachers usually appreciate this. Trust me, we do. He said that he knows he “can be disruptive at times, but [he] maintains a friendly attitude” during class time. He also pointed out that most of his teachers made an effort to get to know him in the beginning of the year, but after a month or so, they seemed to have lost interest. Khalid remains on his teachers’ good side by volunteering and participating in class discussions, which forces him to “stay alert” when it is so easy to doze off, like his classmates.
Devon admitted that he doesn’t have as tight of bonds this year as he normally does with his teachers. He’s formed a solid relationship with a couple of his teachers, but not nearly as deep as his connections were last year. When I asked him how he’s been able to connect with these two teachers, he said “They talk to their students like they’re humans.” This seems like a simple enough task for teachers, doesn’t it?
Jordan highlighted that she has an easier time connecting with teachers who make themselves relatable to their students. For example, she pointed out that a certain teacher has no problem “exposing herself on TikTok and keeping up with all the latest trends.” She says that students love to see a teacher try to understand the latest music because it proves that they care. When asked what teachers have done to try to get to know her, Jordan says that “some don’t do anything. They’ll ask us random questions as a warm-up, like what’s your favorite color, but that’s not deep at all,” and likely doesn’t make students feel any more connected to their teacher.
Erin agrees that not all teachers are making an effort to get to know their students. She said that the most effort from a teacher she’s seen is when one of her teachers will open a second Google Meet, and call students over for one-on-one discussions pertaining to their projects or assignments. During these individual meet-ups, this teacher shows how much she cares just by talking. Erin, as well as the other students I met with, agree that any teacher attempt at connection with a student is a good attempt. As long as a teacher tries to reach his or her students — whether it be a big or small effort — , it’s always seen as a positive thing.
Students’ take on student-student relationships
While every student has friends outside of school, not all of them came to high school with friends in their classes. I was curious to know how hard it was to make new friends in a virtual setting because, as an adult, it’s very difficult to bond with my coworkers that I’ve never met in person. Some of their outlooks on this dilemma surprised me.
When asked if she has made any new friends in her classes, Erin said, “No new friends” (which wasn’t a reference to Drake’s hit song). She discussed how she came into the school year with a good group of friends already, and their friendships have progressed despite not seeing each other in the classroom due to (socially distanced) out-of-school hang-outs. When asked the same question about her friends prior to 9th grade, Jordan says that “the bond has declined because there’s nothing to talk about anymore,” and it’s harder to connect when you can’t see them face-to-face. Luckily, however, she has been able to make new connections with her classmates that also participate in class discussions, mainly in the chat-box. She said she enjoys when she and her classmates can have a fun conversation, albeit chat-box, and has even added some of them as a friend on TikTok and Instagram.
Khalid’s experience with friendships haven’t been as positive as Erin’s and Jordan’s. He opened up about how the friendships that he did have coming into high school have completely fizzled out because he isn’t able to see them or eat lunch with them. He also discussed that he has struggled making new friends in the virtual setting because there is no time set aside for students to interact with each other without a teacher present. This was a new perspective for me — no bonding time with friends during lunch, P.E., sports games, hallway class change, etc. Can you imagine?
Students’ take on the camera debate
Whether you’re a teacher, friend of a teacher, parent, or student, everyone is aware of the infamous camera debate. Teachers want the cameras on during class time so they can see the nonverbal cues — a nod if students understand, a dazed look if students are confused. Cameras also keep students accountable for their behavior and participation in class — they can’t be gaming or texting or falling asleep. Each student I met with is great at keeping their cameras on, so I was mainly focused on hearing their perspective on this debate pertaining to their observations, not their personal choices.
Devon was quick to argue that cameras should be optional. He also let me know that “most people [he knows] don’t have it on because they don’t think they look good.” I hear this a lot as a teacher.
Khalid took a more realistic, security-driven approach. While he agrees that cameras should be on because “it allows their classmates to actually see them,” he also pointed out that people might be scared for others to get information on them based on their backgrounds. However, he offered a simple solution to this: “Put on a fake background.”
On the same background token, Jordan knows that some people are embarrassed about the messiness of their rooms or a “distracting background” — siblings, pets, other movement. She knows that some of her friends keep their cameras off because they are shy, but she understands that “if we were in person, they couldn’t hide” like they do now.
Erin is gracious that most of her teachers are fair about the whole camera thing. She says that the only time she doesn’t feel comfortable having her camera on is during gym “when doing sit-ups or something.” I don’t blame her — I wouldn’t be comfortable with that, either! When I asked her why she thought her classmates continuously choose to keep their cameras off, she said, “they’re probably distracted doing other things; they’re not necessarily self-conscious.” This explains why so many students remain in the Google Meet/Zoom class long after the teacher has dismissed them — they’re too distracted doing something else to even realize that class ended.
Students’ final takeaways
I ended the discussion by asking each student for a final word on their experience with virtual learning. They each had unique responses to this question.
Erin wanted to remind teachers that “everyone has a different experience — some are struggling, and some are doing great — across the board. Be understanding with everyone.”
Devon was clear about “how much [he] hates it, and it’s not good for anyone. People are failing and losing their social skills every day.”
Khalid took a more personal approach to his answer: “It’s been hard, but I’m still doing good in my classes. I want to get back to the building because it makes me feel more normal with friends, clubs, extracurriculars, and sports games. I really hope that 10th grade will be in-person.”
Jordan remained positive when she offered, “it’s a new way to learn, and it’s been interesting.” She thinks that in-person would probably be more beneficial for most people, but she’s “happy we had the chance to at least try virtual learning because it’s allowed [her] to learn patience.”
My takeaway from all this? I need to listen to my students more. We all do. They have way more stock in this situation than we think they do. After all, it’s their education at stake here, and they have a right to feel however they want to feel about this virtual phenomenon… And it’s our responsibility to try our best to listen to them.
