As students wrap up the last week of hybrid learning at Greeley West, it’s time to reflect on the experience and how students and staff adjusted their perspectives to a computer and camera based model of instruction.  Along the way, Spartans young and old dealt with hiccups and hilarity, but most seem excited about a return to all in-person learning next week.  

One would think that most kids used the past year of online learning to be lazy and would want to just stay home for the rest of the year.  Surprisingly, there were many students that actually prefer to be in school.  Junior Aidan Belcher said he likes being home for half of the week, but prefers to be at school because he won’t have to do things around the house like washing dishes. While he will have to get used to a full week’s schedule after being at school just two days a week, Belcher said it will be worth it to get away from the chores. “It’s going to be different being back here for the whole week,” Belcher said. 

Freshman Ka Te Zar Bee,  will have to say goodbye to her quarantine best friend, her phone, starting next week.  Bee said she got used to being on her phone while she was in class, but it will be worth keeping it in her pocket now.  “I prefer being in person because it is easier to learn,” Bee said.  

One other big change for Bee: she’ll have to get up earlier to get ready for school. Students found that to be something they weren’t looking forward to next week. 

Some teachers tried to make online learning more bearable through the past year.  One of the ways that English teacher Mr. Colin Shaha tried to entertain students was through show and tell days.  “I would ask students to walk around their house and show us something that made them unique while they were at home,” Shaha said.  “I would love to see teachers do that more too.”

Shaha said doing this helped get students moving and helped everyone get to know each other a little better.  Shaha said he met pets, saw family heirlooms and enjoyed learning about his students’ outside lives. 

One of the most unique stories to come from the hybrid model came from social studies teacher Ms. Lea Sanford.  While teaching last quarter, she, learned one of her students’ father was a semi driver.  “I’m just teaching class and the student showed me the cab of the truck as she travelled with him,” Sanford said. “It was really neat to see the technology of the wifi and how they were still learning on the road.”

Sanford said at the beginning of class, the student would share their current location and talk a little about that city.This was a good way for kids to learn a bit about that student and a little about the city she was in.

Just because the online learning is ending doesn’t mean things won’t stay interesting.  You never know what will happen next week when everybody comes back.  Stay tuned for more fascinating stories about life back together in the coming weeks.