Virtual schooling has evolved significantly since the educational system’s trial-by-fire last March. After a hectic spring, faculty and school administrators around the world worked tirelessly through the summer to prepare us for a fall term which faced challenges unlike any before. Teachers at Kent were no exception. In the end, we were able to have a complete fall term of hybrid learning at Kent.

This winter period of school-wide at-home learning has been months in the making. After a successful fall on campus, the community approached another stretch where our closest connections would be through a computer screen. Kent’s hard work has decidedly paid off. All of my classes have had a wonderful experience this winter and all around productivity has been strides ahead of my virtual experience last spring. One class which I especially enjoyed during this period is my Honors Chemistry class taught by Mrs. Zurolo.

Online school can give a pervasive feeling of disconnection to students and teachers alike. What made Honors Chemistry stand out was how–despite our extreme geographical distance–it felt as though we were all still learning together in the same space. The class routine was organized and the students consistently engaged. A highlight of the season was our hands-on polarity lab.

“For me, what made it successful was being so organized.” says Mrs. Zurolo. “I see myself as being organized and very orderly. Doing the online teaching actually encouraged me to be even more so.” Using Powerschool to plan lessons and post assignments is something she greatly appreciated and plans to continue doing with hybrid and in-person learning models. “Over zoom, it’s a lot less personable, but it’s effective.”

“I think Mrs. Zurolo was very prepared for us to go online,” says fellow chemistry student Sacha Kherredine. “She made an extra effort to make it feel like we were really in the class… At Kent the classes are very interactive and everyone’s participating… I like that when we went online that didn’t change.”

Students and teachers alike have learned a lot from our online experience. While executing a complete virtual transition was certainly a challenge, the Kent community has undoubtedly come out stronger for it.