On August 18, Frederick High School implemented an online learning system for students to begin the 2020-2021 school year. Students of Frederick High School have been using the online learning system until October 5, when they returned to school in a hybrid learning environment. Students were asked in an interview what was the hardest part of online learning, what they would miss the most about online learning.

Hailey Hendren, a freshman at Frederick High School, expressed that she felt it was much harder to adjust at the beginning of the year to the online learning environment. “The online learning environment was fine but hard to focus or find motivation.” Hailey says, “I don’t really miss much but I liked getting to stay home and sleep.” Most students at Frederick High School liked to stay home in their comfy clothes curled up in their beds. The relaxing part of getting to stay home will be over for days students have to go in person to school. Now that we’re going in-person to school I know that it will be a lot easier for students to find motivation and be able to focus on schoolwork.

Jay Ybanez, a sophomore at Frederick High School says that “The hardest part of online learning is just trying to establish relationships to feel comfortable talking and sharing answers or opinions in class.” Jay also says, “What I miss most about online learning is my freedom. I’m a good kid, I think, and I turned in each assignment on time so I felt like by doing hybrid I lost my freedom.” Interacting over the screen with teachers and peers can be difficult because you don’t get to interact with your peers in a real-life setting. When students did interact in breakout groups over WebEx usually all you heard was silence.

During hybrid learning students are still doing online learning the days of the week they’re not in person at school. Being online every day will be missed, students enjoyed getting to stay home and not have to wake up so early. The online environment I feel is more relaxing and gives students the freedom to complete work at their own pace. Don Haddad, superintendent of St Vrain Valley School District says that it’s possible over the next few weeks we could be back in online learning and that we must continue to remain flexible if we need to change hybrid learning as the pandemic and health guidelines continue to evolve.