Trying to continue with daily life has proven to be difficult for everyone, especially students who had to transition from in-person learning to online learning. With quarter one coming to an end, nine weeks for online students have felt like a lifetime.

Many families who were uncomfortable with the state of the pandemic and returning back to normal life made the decision to sign their kids up for Lee Home Connect (LHC) learning in order to ensure their health and the health of others around them.

This has created a multitude of problems for learners as if jumping back into learning after nearly a six-month state of vegetation wasn’t difficult enough. 

While some may argue that LHC is an easier solution because students can stay in bed, take naps during lunch, and go on their phones with greater lenience, the pros do not outweigh the cons on an academic scale.

  From technical issues to differing learning styles, trying to keep grades up and paying attention to what is going on during the day can be a daunting task.

Most teachers are understanding when it comes to tech issues, however, some students find that the laggy audio and poor video quality hinder the amount of material they can absorb. If they were an in-person learner, this would not even cross their mind.

Furthermore, trying to teach two groups of students at once creates problems in regards to giving each group an equal amount of attention. Online learners usually find themselves as the group that is less interacted with, which adds to the list of why LHC is the more difficult learning approach.

Due dates get lost in a stream of Google Classroom posts, and teachers tend to forget to remind online students of outlier assignments while in-person students get last-minute reminders right before the bell.

Each student has a different preference for how they like to learn, whether it be through lectures, handouts, videos, or hands-on activities. By limiting students to the resources within their home, different teaching methods have been stripped from students. 

Also, if learners have a question, they tend to have a hard time getting the teacher to understand what they are saying due to low audio quality. Many times, teachers give up and move on to the Face-to-Face student questions in hopes that they will solve similar confusions.

It can also be embarrassing to ask a question in front of the entire class as opposed to calling the teacher over in person privately. In person, it is difficult for students to speak up, let alone in this new learning environment. 

One of the biggest tasks that LHC students face is battling procrastination every day. It is so much easier to get distracted in your own home, especially with your bed and fridge so close to you.

Sleeping through classes is so appealing, especially at seven in the morning when the sun has barely risen. Being in your own personal surroundings all the time causes students to feel less motivated to work, as the environment they are working in is the same one they relax in.

The school district and staff are trying their best to accommodate everyone, but the difficulties of LHC should not be downplayed with the idyllic idea that they can be on their phone all day and not have to pay attention.