A Lack of Connection-Rachael Berghahn

Back when virtual learning began in the Spring, one of my teachers made the comment that the biggest problem learning this way is the lack of emotional connection between students and teachers. This "lack of connection" could also apply to poor technological connections that everyone has had to deal with, and has become even more evident during the start of this new school year. 

    This year, we've been in class for about three weeks, and we barely know our teachers, as they don't know us. During a normal new school year, this would be completely different, as teachers would know the students, and students would understand the teachers and what each class entails. This was not a problem in the Spring, as teachers already had established relationships with their students.

    One impact of the lack of an emotional connection between students and teachers could be the idea that teachers are less impactful on students in a virtual format. Students' homes contain a myriad of distractions, so teachers can no longer keep students fully engaged in an important lesson or lecture. Instead, students struggle to stay focused which means that teachers can no longer deliver impactful and powerful lessons to their fullest potential. 

    Teachers lack the ability to build deep emotional connections with students, as there is less interaction between the two parties. In school, teachers would have the time to talk to students in between and during classes, which would create strong and personal relationships. This can happen in virtual learning, but teachers and students don't often take the time to get to know each other, and students often stay closed off with their cameras off during class. Also, teachers can no longer easily read the emotions of students during class, which leads to a disconnect between them. Virtual learning removes an extra level of interaction that is necessary for teachers to build deep relationships with their students, which takes away from the overall effectiveness of learning.

    Students and teachers have also shared similar problems with technology during virtual classes. In the first few days of school, Google Drive reported massive outages across the country, as a large number of schools went back to learning. This outage foreshadowed a myriad of problems that individuals in virtual learning would face going forward. Students are constantly disconnected and kicked out of classes, due to bad luck and problems with the technology students and teachers have to use. Many students, including myself, have been dealing with Chromebook issues that have limited the level of learning that they can receive. Students and teachers both have had to figure out how to stay engaged in classes, even through technological issues which have caused a lack of technological connection. 

    Throughout the past year, virtual learning has been a journey into an unexplored frontier for teachers and students alike. Issues that wouldn't exist in a normal school year have arisen, relating to a lack of relationships between students and teachers, as well as technical problems that cause a disconnection in class. These different aspects combine together to exhibit a general "lack of connection," both emotionally and technologically, which has created a completely new learning experience for students and teachers.