By: Disha Dhingra and Ariana Nayak
On September 9, the halls of Old Bridge High School met waves of confused students. Now, more adjusted, students and staff have various feelings about being back.
Junior Malina Alwis says” The transition has been difficult because I can’t find motivation … not having anything to do for months to now having a list of things to do in a short amount of time, which is hard,” said Alwis. The lack of time and energy has taken its toll on many of the other students as well.
Daily routines and habits had to change because of the transition. Senior Alexia Slitas says, “I am still working on the transition…I feel so drained and not myself by the time school is over, I need to recharge after social interaction, so having to be in school for all these hours is a bit draining.”
The shift from remote to in-person proves a struggle for both the students and staff. Robert Geist, a math teacher says “I think we have all forgotten what it is like to be in a classroom and have expectations like being on time and preparing to work at an earlier hour. Plus, with the addition of block scheduling, returning has made readjusting a bit more difficult. “
Jenna Ferro didn’t realize students would spend a whole year online. Ferro, now a junior says, “I was happy when I found out school was going to be online because I thought of it as a long spring break.” Now being back, many students and teachers are happy to have in-person learning and return to normal.
Senior Janna Adams is happy to be back in school. “I was very excited to hear that school was going back in person this fall because that meant I would be able to spend my senior year in person with all my favorite teachers and friends,” said Adams.
For teachers, the in-person instruction allows them to help the students more, and understand what areas the students need to improve in. “In person instruction is more effective overall. I understand that some students benefit and do well remotely but… it is much easier to identify areas where students may need support when learning in-person,” says Adele Cockrill, a biology teacher.
Junior Vedant Patel says, “I didn’t like remote learning because it was more difficult to learn.”
After almost two months, students and staff alike have become accustomed to the shifts from remote to in-person, and, despite the hesitancy this school year presents, students look forward to a great year.
Posted 11/9/21
Photos by: Ariana Nayak
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