b'schools are a major contender for virus infections, andImayaGore,a10thgraderatNorthMyrtleBeach she has to live with that reality. high school, agrees that initially when her school first Five Days, Face-to-FaceAcknowledgingthatteachersSometimes you have towentallvirtualthingswere rocky,anditseemedlikethey feeldifferentindifferentdidnotdoalotofplanning. Instruction Debate partsofthestate,Harrissaysmake difficult decisionsEventually,howevershesays sometimesyouhavetomakethings got better.A straight A difficult decisions and no matterand no matter what youstudent, Beta Club member, and whatyoudecideitwontbecheerleader,Imayasaidwhat By Debra Young right for everyone.Harris saysdecide it wont be rightshe missed most was socializing shewholeheartedlyagreeswithfor everyone. withherfriendsandhandson politiciansandeducatorsthatlearning.Buteventuallywe childrenlearnbestinperson Cheryl Harris beganhavingmeetingsandif andsherealizesthechallengesyou needed help you could call thatsomestudentscontinueyourteachersoruseGoogle to face virtual learning challenges. Students with nomeettotalkwitheachother,soitwasmorelikea broadband access, slow running internet service whenregular class but online, she explained. When school multi-peopleinthehomeresumedinAugust2020, areusingitandalackoftheyweregiventhechoice supervisionwhenparentsareof hybrid or virtual.Imaya working make virtual learningsaysshechosehybrid difficult.However,withSCsbecause she likes being able high infection rate, she firmlyto go in two days per week, believes that its just too riskypick up her work and work and not healthy right now foronherownschedulefor studentsorteacherstofullythe rest of the week. Imaya return. expressed being amazed that it only took her a couple of A Studentshours to complete work that and Parentstooksevenhoursinschool. Perspective She also feels it is preparing Harrisdisagreeswithsomeherforcollege.Imaya whocontendthatstudentscontinuestobeastraight arenotlearninginavirtualAstudentandoffersthe environment.Shebelievesfollowingtipstostudents theyarelearningbutinwho may be struggling:adifferent,self-guidedPractice good time management. way.WhatIhavewitnessedischildrenthatarePut your phones away. disciplined can do very well, but some students mustFind a quiet room and focus. have a teacher in front of them, she noted. She alsoAsk your teachers for help when needed.admits that back in March 2020 when schools were suddenly closed because of the pandemic, the entireWhileImayaprefershybrid,sheadmitsthatitis statewasnotpreparedforsuchanunprecedentedstill risky, and she definitely does not want to return event.However, she affirms, when we reopened into five days per week classes right now.She shared August, we were able to roll out a robust virtual andthatsomeoneintheirclasstestedpositiveforthe hybrid program.Students can choose to attend invirusandeveryonearoundthemhadtoquarantine. person classes two days per week in the hybrid option.IMARA25'