Teachers at Camas High School have weighed in on the positives and negatives of remote learning this year. They have found it simpler than last year’s schedule, but it has more difficult to develop relationships with their students.

There are some positives and negatives that come with online schooling. 

CHS civics teacher Eric Linthwaite said, “Teaching is normally very stressful and hurry-hurry and now it’s a very leisurely pace and feels much more sedate.”

He also believes that he will not regret learning the new tools through Zoom, like how to create video lessons and lectures for students. 

On the other hand, Linthwaite finds online schooling extremely boring and much harder to form friendships with students.

“Sitting in a room alone all day, talking to myself is not only quite dull, it occasionally makes me feel like I’m losing my mind,” he said.

CHS Math teacher Barbara Loewen expressed some of her thoughts about remote learning.

“It is quite different than last spring in a positive way! It has much more structure which is best for teachers and students and we meet with our students through zoom for some live interaction,” she said.

On the negative side, she thinks students do not ask enough questions during the online Zoom classes. Loewen added that it is difficult to check-in with students and see how they are progressing in class.

She said, “I really dislike that during most of my live Zoom classes all I see is black squares with names, thus I feel I have no connections with students”.

Loewen believes that it is crucial to have a social part of school because it is good for everybody’s health. She is hoping for the best and that students can eventually return to school safely.