Having almost done a full semester of online learning, the question of how doing school solely online affects personal connections between teachers and students arose. 

I am grateful for all the hard work teachers have been putting into making our education as strong as it can be during virtual school. However, at the end of some class periods, I dread the awkward goodbyes with the class. Some are long and drawn out and others are cut off too soon. It’s a new scenario we have to deal with as students and teachers, and it gives us a chance to create strong relationships in a new way by working through the difficulties together. 

The awkward goodbyes are not the fault of the teachers, it also happens in breakout rooms between students. Every time I get put in a breakout room and it’s time to return to the main room, there are the students who freeze and make awkward comments, drawing out the exciting process. On the other hand, there are the students that just leave abruptly without any announcement. This gives us a chance to laugh off the weirdness, letting us connect to peers in a whole new light than before in a classroom. We use the struggles of our new way of life to show that we are not alone. 

These weird interactions of people not knowing what to do but embracing the awkwardness create a sense of unity during a time it is easy to feel alone. We usually don’t have to think about saying goodbyes as we join a class after working in groups or leaving a class. These types of Zoom calls creating these unknown interactions make students and teachers feel more comfortable during the uncomfortable new school routine.

In one of my classes, I was left in a class with me, my friend and the teacher. We talked for a while and drew out the goodbye. Although I love talking to my teachers, the avoidance of leaving the Zoom call made me feel a little weird. It made me think about how before COVID-19 impacted school, I would stop by some teacher’s classes just to have a quick conversation and leave, no nerves on saying goodbye necessary. The thoughts that have to go into hanging up have the potential to create a wedge in the relationships because it forms a sense of discomfort that isn’t necessary. However, me, my friend and my teacher laughed and acknowledged the weirdness, and it made me feel closer to my teacher and allowed me to see her as a person who also feels uncomfortable with all this new technology needs sometimes.  

Overall, the awkward ends to class calls during virtual school have the potential to hurt our relationships with teachers and fellow students, but talking about it lets us grow even closer than if we were fully in person. It lets us see classmates and teachers in another light.