Students survey peers about online learning,

socializing during pandemic

By Seattle Times, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.11.20
Word Count 866
Level 920L

Teens in Washington state reported feeling anxious, unmotivated and uncertain about their future during this past spring semester when the
pandemic COVID-19 prompted nationwide school closings, according to a survey conducted by students. Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

High school students face stressors of all kinds. They want to make friends, have to do schoolwork
and take tests. In 2020, they are also dealing with COVID-19 and its effects. The spread of COVID-
19 brought school closures, social separation and online instruction.

These factors are stressing out teens in Washington state. They recently reported feeling anxious
and uncertain about their future in the spring of 2020. Their responses were collected in survey
results gathered by students.

Teachers can learn from these survey results. Not all at-home learning setups are equal. Having
assignments on different platforms makes it hard to keep track. Most students need
understanding and patience as they face extra stress.

Some students have taken on additional tasks like helping a younger sibling with school. Some
might have started jobs to support their families.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Students are asking educators to make online safety rules. They also want clear expectations for
behavior. They're also emphasizing a need to think of students in arts programs.

Students Neela Agarwal, Ava Finn and Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta developed the survey. They are
seniors at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington. The three met with Chris Reykdal to
share their findings on September 1. Reykdal is the state superintendent of public instruction.

They spoke to Reykdal about the need for schools to help with students' mental-health concerns.
The students asked for outreach from counselors and empathy from teachers. Ava said much of
the conversation was about what the format would look like for online instruction.

"It was really important to all of us that we advocated for the mental and emotional needs that
students would have," Ava said. For many students, school is their main resource, she said.

The students said they felt heard by Reykdal.

Online Learning

More than 1,800 students took the online survey. The survey was distributed through social
media, school emails and a Seattle, Washington, newspaper between March and June. These are
some of their responses.

Almost all students surveyed said online learning was a challenge. They had difficulty
understanding coursework, trouble focusing and problems finding internet service or a place to
study.

"There isn't an easy way to communicate with peers and work together to solve problems,
complete work or to ask questions," one student wrote.

Students worried about understanding subjects like math, which requires prior knowledge to build
on. They wanted to review because not all students are on the same page going into the next school
year.

Some students said class discussions suffered because of the distance. Certain courses, like theater
and pottery, fell short of in-person learning.

Others said their teachers posted information online, but they still had to teach themselves. Some
brought up that not everyone has equal access to technology.

"Online school assumes that I have the technology I need, that I know how to do all the work and
that I don't need any teacher help. All of that was at times not true," one response read.

Socializing

School can be a safe place to escape, particularly for those with troubled family lives, students said.
It's also where they connect with friends.

School activities often help build their social lives. Without events like sports games or dances,
some students expressed worry that they would not make friends.

One student wrote about their experience having a hard time maintaining friendships. "I'm
worried that I'll have to start all over," they wrote.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Mental Health

For students already having mental health challenges, the pandemic brought more hardship.

Mental illness refers to a range of mental-health conditions. They are disorders that can affect
mood, thoughts and behavior. Examples include depression and anxiety. Many people have
mental-health concerns at some point. What distinguishes a mental illness, such as depression,
from normal feelings such as sadness, is that mental illnesses cause ongoing stress and severely
interfere with a person's ability to function. Most mental illnesses can be treated with medication
and therapy.

"Everything feels like things are piling up and there's not mental help support available," a student
said.

Students urged teachers to have compassion for students facing added stress.

"Many students including myself struggle with depression," a student said. "Having a teacher call
or email your parent saying how you are missing class is very exhausting and makes you feel that
schools don't care about your well-being," the student said.

Several students said it was hard to stay productive, especially at home with distractions.

"As a student with ADHD, it's been a struggle absorbing information, remembering class
schedules" and being motivated, said one response.

ADHD is short for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A person with ADHD may have
trouble staying focused and paying attention. People with ADHD also have many strengths. Many
are very energetic and enthusiastic. A number of famous scientists, artists and thinkers with
ADHD have made important contributions to society, likely because of their ability to at times be
extremely focused.

Other students said conversations about racial justice felt more urgent. They felt their schools
weren't addressing these topics. "With everything going on right now with COVID-19 or the
protests for Black Lives Matter, it can be hard to want to sit and write an essay," one survey
response read.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.