So, it’s official. Starting Monday, Nov. 23, LHS will be completely remote until the end of January. The announcement has left teachers scrambling to plan their lessons while students also try to prepare themselves for the switch. 

One of the changes that has been made to the remote learning style is that all students must join Google Meet in their classes for each period. This will allow them to attend lectures/get instructions, similar to regular school.

Unlike in the spring, the expectation will be that all students must keep their cameras on during their classes. Students with legitimate reasons to have their camera off must reach out to their house offices and make other arrangements as needed.

Now, it may seem like your teachers are forcing you to turn your camera on for your classes because they hate you and want to make you miserable, but I promise that isn’t the case. 

Teachers are expected to teach remotely for around 30-45 minutes. This means they will spend about half of the 90-minute period lecturing. Imagine giving a speech in a room full of people that you know are listening, yet you can’t see them and have no idea how they are reacting to what you’re saying. 

That’s what teachers are expected to do. Five days a week.

Teachers have so much to juggle as we make the switch to remote learning. Isn’t the least we can do turn on our cameras? Being able to see students’ faces as they teach will make teachers feel more comfortable, making the period go more smoothly overall.

Not only this but using your camera during classes also resembles the school environment. In the days before COVID-19 (if you can believe there was a time we didn’t wear masks everywhere) you came in and sat through all your classes, which is basically the equivalent to having your camera on. It means being present. 

Although I understand it will be early in the morning, and you would much rather secretly sit on TikTok while class is in session, we must remember that although school will be online, it is still school.

You wouldn’t lay down and watch TikToks in the middle of precalculus in school, so don’t do it during your Google Meet. 

With the madness of remote learning weighing down on everyone right now, we should do our best to be cooperative and make the process as easy as possible. 

If your teacher prefers your camera to be on, just turn it on. It may not be ideal, but we are in the middle of a pandemic, so really none of this is.