The good news is that Westport kept school open for most of Quarter One.

On the flip side, we may witness strange consequences. While the quantity of school days remains the same, the quality of education that teachers deliver and students receive is harder to obtain over Zoom. It is hard for adults to take one online class, let alone blasting kids with over six hours of distance learning every day.

It is a miracle that our teachers are holding up. “I think all teachers would say that we have had to focus on the skills/content that students absolutely must learn this year. …I would also say that the pace at which we are able to move through the content is a bit slower.,” said Bedford Mandarin teacher Ms. Murray (杨老师).

Distance learning is difficult for teachers and students. As College Raptor and Prep Scholar report, the average American high school GPA declined from 3.38 in 2017 to 3.0 in 2020. That is an equivalent grade drop from a B+ to a B.

Still, I think that there are ways to improve distance learning. The first way to improve your distance learning is to find a good workspace. Many teachers find that classrooms, even while empty, make great work spaces. Find your best classroom — even if it is at home. The workspace should be repetitive, so you establish a consistent work routine. My final tip is to make some sort of planner or organizer. Schoology is a resource, but for assignments stretching multiple days, Schoology is not enough. It is up to you to make your distance learning a success.