No student at MCHS thought when they were sent home in March that they’d still be home in August.

Even though last school year Minooka had to start remote learning, it still is a fairly new way of teaching and learning. Last year some students blew off doing work because their grade couldn’t drop. This year is a whole different ball game. 

Students are given a 30-minute synchronous time to be on a Google Meet with their class. Then they are supposed to have an hour of asynchronous time for assignments or questions.

Students have had many mixed emotions on remote learning. 

“I’ve been having to do a lot of homework after school, because almost every teacher is going over the allotted Google Meet time,” senior Luke Coffel said. “While that can be helpful in certain ways I don’t have much time afterwards to work. I’ve been stressed about falling behind.” 

Some of the students who have teachers going past time have voiced that it leaves little to no time for all their assignments. 

Another issue from some students is communication. It’s hard for them to have to sit on mute for an extended period of time and absorb everything.

“I’ve been stressed about late work because I think communication between my teachers and I is not the best apparently. It’s hard to talk to them or get to know them through the calls,” Emma Nelson, junior, said. 

 It’s a different atmosphere to be in. Students are used to having a 6-minute passing period full of interaction. The hallways were the place to see people you know. It was a time for teachers to see their students from other classes or prior years. It was a place to have social interaction, get a break from work, get off a computer. Now the students are put behind a computer screen with little to no interaction a day. 

On the other hand, some students at MCHS are digging remote learning. They don’t have to get ready in the morning the same way, and they get to stay in their cozy home. For some, it’s just a lot easier.

“Other than my bad internet, I’ve been able to get through all my classes with ease and have not felt overwhelmed with work,” junior Carson McFadden said. 

Most agree that this situation is different. Some are unbothered and some are struggling. 

“E-learning has been a huge transition that I know everyone has just been trying to work with,” Keaghan Otto, senior, said. 

Students, teachers, staff, parents, are all affected by COVID-19 and remote learning. 

“The stresses that I’m feeling are more towards the feeling that this will last for a long time. I’m not a big fan of this COVID-19 thing (I’d say most people aren’t),” McFadden said.