A Look into Hybrid Learning from Students and Parents

By: Olivia Bowersox

Students wake up at 9 for school, eat some breakfast, finish homework from the night before, and get on zoom at 9:30. That’s the normal every day schedule, right? These students got used to the 9:30 to 1:15 fully remote schedule, but suddenly everything changed. On February 8th, hybrid learning started for the high school. For the younger kids, 5 days a week in school learning started on January 26th. The schedule was changed from the remote 9:30 to 1:15 to the usual 7:35 to 2:30.

The actual hybrid schedule has two different groups of kids going into school during different days of the week, to ensure safety with COVID-19. Students with the last name A-L go into school Monday and Tuesday, and students with the last name M-Z go into school Thursday and Friday. These groups alternate Wednesdays.

Aaliyah M’Bai, a junior at Salisbury High School, gave her opinion on hybrid learning. Aaliyah doesn’t necessarily dislike hybrid, but doesn’t necessarily like it either. “It’s not the worst, but it’s not necessarily the best. I’ve seen teachers struggling to keep their masks above their noses, but I feel like I’m getting more work done and focusing a bit better.”

George Spann, freshman at Salisbury High School, had a bit of a different opinion. George overall really likes the hybrid schedule against the fully remote schedule. “I like the hybrid schedule. I enjoy seeing all my friends, and I think they’re doing a good job of keeping people safe. I think getting us back into school is better for learning, and forces us to engage more as well…”

Students are not the only people affected by this new learning schedule. Parents, especially of young children, face obstacles with their kids due to the remote and hybrid learning every day. Young kids are just developing their social, behavioral, and communication skills during this difficult learning time. Teenagers are still learning time management and how to handle their emotions.

Ms. Roman, a mom to a first grade student at Salisbury Elementary School, had only positive things to say regarding in school learning. She says that being back at school has really helped her daughter. “I think her attention to school is better since being back to school. She was really losing interest through virtual. I think her emotional state is better now that she’s interacting with her teacher and friends!”

Ms. Bowersox, a mom to a freshman at Salisbury High School, had a very similar opinion. She also agrees that being back to school has really helped her daughter as well. “I think it’s good for all kids because you get socialization. I think it’s easier to focus when learning in a classroom, in front of a teacher. I think it’s also important that kids have to get up and actually get ready to leave their house.”

You could either continue remote learning or sign up for hybrid learning at the high school. Allowing students to decide this for themselves gives them a chance to do what is best for them. There are dozens of different opinions on this new learning schedule, but students are able to do what’s best for them and their life.