Students Struggle to Achieve in First Semester
Michaela Wall ‘23 Staff Writer
The 2020-21 school year has undeniably looked different for everyone. Teachers, students and administrators have all had to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning. Expectations for students, however, have stayed relatively the same as in years past. While teachers have been more understanding during this pandemic, the grade book has been showing some worrisome results. A Washington Post article by Donna St. George about Montgomery County schools states, “Failure rates in math and English jumped as much as sixfold for some of the most vulnerable students in Maryland’s largest school system, according to data released as the pandemic’s toll becomes increasingly visible in schools across the country.” Similarly, Howard High has been seeing some unsettling grade averages as the 2020 fall semester draws to a close.
Assistant Principal Ms. Patterson says, “The data of Howard High School is concerning. There’s a much larger number of students who are earning Ds and Es for both a quarter grade and a final grade.” Without teachers being an in-person source of motivation, students have been less inclined to perform better academically, resulting in more failing grades. Dr. Saunders, another one of Howard’s assistant principals, says, “It requires a lot of intrinsic motivation… because you don’t have a teacher who’s standing over you holding you accountable.” Including the checking of their grades, students’ displays of work ethic have become an independent undertaking. The social aspect has essentially disappeared for students while completing assignments, which for most of them was a big motivator for attending classes and paying attention. Socialization is not the only loss; sports have been canceled for fall and winter seasons multiple times, giving a lot of false hope to athletes at Howard. In order to play sports in the past, students had to keep up with their grades.
Dr. Saunders says, “The more engagement that you bring to the learning environment, the more enriching it will be for you.” Knowing the number of distractions around, keeping students engaged during classes has been a struggle. While students know that classes are important, actively participating in class is not always their top priority. Assistant Principal Mr. Sackett says, “The more you participate in a class, the more engaged you will be, and the more you will learn. Thus, likely, the higher grades you will earn.” Without normal motivators and no firm idea of when school might return to normal, students have been having a hard time contributing in their classes. Howard’s staff and students are both doing everything they can in a virtual learning environment. As the year continues, administrators are hopeful for grades to increase as students gain more knowledge about how to best help themselves during distance learning.
Assistant Principal Ms. Patterson says, “The data of Howard High School is concerning. There’s a much larger number of students who are earning Ds and Es for both a quarter grade and a final grade.” Without teachers being an in-person source of motivation, students have been less inclined to perform better academically, resulting in more failing grades. Dr. Saunders, another one of Howard’s assistant principals, says, “It requires a lot of intrinsic motivation… because you don’t have a teacher who’s standing over you holding you accountable.” Including the checking of their grades, students’ displays of work ethic have become an independent undertaking. The social aspect has essentially disappeared for students while completing assignments, which for most of them was a big motivator for attending classes and paying attention. Socialization is not the only loss; sports have been canceled for fall and winter seasons multiple times, giving a lot of false hope to athletes at Howard. In order to play sports in the past, students had to keep up with their grades.
Dr. Saunders says, “The more engagement that you bring to the learning environment, the more enriching it will be for you.” Knowing the number of distractions around, keeping students engaged during classes has been a struggle. While students know that classes are important, actively participating in class is not always their top priority. Assistant Principal Mr. Sackett says, “The more you participate in a class, the more engaged you will be, and the more you will learn. Thus, likely, the higher grades you will earn.” Without normal motivators and no firm idea of when school might return to normal, students have been having a hard time contributing in their classes. Howard’s staff and students are both doing everything they can in a virtual learning environment. As the year continues, administrators are hopeful for grades to increase as students gain more knowledge about how to best help themselves during distance learning.