Today marked the first day of distanced learning for St. Louis Park High School students. Although hesitant at first, the school day went better than I expected.

So far, I’ve enjoyed having a scheduled time to meet with teachers everyday for the class period. Therefore, there’s a set time for each class and expectations are more clear. Last spring was very hectic, as we were all new to distanced learning. 

I learn better in a classroom, with a teacher, hands on. But given the circumstances, I’m making it work virtually. I’m adapting to the new schedule of learning. 

A new piece to distanced learning is “Park Connections.” As of now it feels odd to have advisory everyday. However, I feel it’ll aid me and my classmates in our future careers and schooling.

To be successful in online classes, I make sure there’s no distractions in the room and that I’m in a quiet space. I found it helpful to have a notebook nearby in case I needed to write anything down. I didn’t have to take too many notes today because most of my classes were just introductions. 

As the school year continues, I’m looking forward to when we move to a hybrid learning model. It will definitely be nice to meet my teachers in person, and to start building student/teacher relationships. I’m also looking forward to actually sitting in a classroom for school, instead of my bedroom. 

Overall, I want to keep an open mind for distance learning. I also want to keep being flexible, as things are constantly changing.