When we began online learning I didn’t know what to expect or how it would go but we’re reaching the end and we’ve survived. Don’t get me wrong, it was difficult to focus and wake up on time to attend ZOOM classes but learning from home has taught me a few things.
Firstly, I now have a much deeper appreciation for the classroom and the resources available to us at school. From learning support and just basic social interactions. And secondly, I realised how lucky we are to have teachers who have adapted so quickly to this new way of life.
Now that we are coming back after months of seeing each other on screens, I hope that we all will treat this as a new beginning for 2020.
Eli Davern - Year 10
Being at school during these strange times has been a very interesting experience, one that doesn’t occur very often. Since a lot of students, including my fellow classmates, were working at home, I found school to be a very quiet place to be. There was a lot of space and I felt less overwhelmed by the 900 plus students at Xavier, since the population of my old school was about 150. I chose to attend school so that I could escape the distractions and comforts of home, especially since I have a baby brother around. I really liked the Zoom meetings conducted by the teachers, I thought they were very useful if you wanted any clarification on the work. The lack of people also meant more space, because I had the freedom to do laps around the oval.
However, I find that being at school can have its own disadvantages. The workload being handed out looked like it was designed to work for people at home, since it’s a lot easier to manage. This meant I became very overwhelmed as a result and this caused me a huge amount of stress. Although I came to school by my own accord, this will prove to be very challenging for the other students who have no other choice but to attend. Despite this, I owe everything to the teachers and staff at Xavier for their support. The way the teachers handed out work has been outstanding and perfectly demonstrates their ability to educate us even during difficult times. I highly commend them in their efforts and unwavering support, by organising zoom meetings and checking to see if we were alright. I also would like to commend the year 12 students and all the challenges that they have to go through. Knowing that all things will pass eventually, I hope for a better future for everyone. Remember that we are all in this together. Never stop smiling.
Joseph Chandrasegaran.
In the past six weeks life has changed dramatically for everyone.
In week 9 we changed from face-to-face teaching and launched online learning and teaching from our family homes. My weekdays now consist of me sitting at the dining table and communicating with students using online platforms, replying to students through messages and emails, planning year 7 PDHPE courses to a fully online program, linking in to daily zoom calls and juggling the schedule of three children! There isn't much peace and quiet throughout the day, and when I am trying to focus at some level or in a certain room, it's hard to block out the herd of cattle coming through in another. Having things completely sink in doesn't always happen, and you can guarantee as soon as the zoom meeting begins something goes horribly wrong. Don't get me wrong teaching from home has a few perks like wearing my activewear everyday and the selection of food for lunch!
We are now completing our fourth week of online learning and teaching. I've taken this opportunity to reflect on what lessons I have taken from this time...
Online teaching has been a challenging yet rewarding experience with the majority of our students attending online zoom lessons.
Teachers are constantly exploring and learning new ways to collaborate and engage students
Online check ins have provided a new platform/avenue to develop and build relationships with students
I have enjoyed communicating with students who wouldn't necessarily get my attention in the classroom because of the distracting behavioural issues around us at times
It's been great to see some students thrive in this new learning environment
Whilst it's been overwhelming at times, we know its short term and the experience has allowed me to put what's important into perspective.
I am so lucky to work with some of the best teachers around and will be forever grateful to share this journey with them and the students from XHS.
Thank you for the opportunity to come into your home during this time. May you all stay safe and continue to reach out to loved ones.
Mrs Lieschke
