New school year brings organization, return of activities, yet motivation remains low

April 9, 2021

The 2020-21 school year came with a new, more structured, block schedule that followed CPS’s new reopening framework that set certain requirements for synchronous class times and attendance.

The new block schedule has been helpful to students in dealing with long days on their computers.

“It was actually very helpful because at first you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work and all that other stuff. So with the different days it gives you different brief periods to recuperate from things to get off the computer, you know, and to actually chill out, or like make time to do work,” Kenwood Academy junior Billy Torain said.

Sam said that the extracurriculars he’s a part of, Best Buddies, debate team and the National Honor Society, have resumed meeting online.

Billy said that his club, Anime and Video Games, started meeting again this year after not meeting last year.

“I gathered everything together and figured out how to like organize everything and get everything established and done. And so we really started meeting when junior year started,” Billy said.

Billy is also on the wrestling team at Kenwood Academy, which recently resumed practices. 

Despite all the efforts to support students during distance learning, it has inevitably taken its toll on students, making it hard for them to find the motivation to accomplish schoolwork. 

“A lot of my friends — and then I would include myself in this group — are finding it a lot harder to be motivated, to pay attention and then do work after having sat in the same chair all day in front of the computer,” Sam said. 

Billy said he feels being home has also affected his learning, making him feel less driven.

“Academically it has been way harder. Usually, as a student, I can get A’s and B’s and do my own thing and everything, but for me, as it now is, it’s not just because it’s e-learning but it’s just because I’m always home,” Billy said. “To me, home is a place where I relax and everything, and settle down. So constantly being at home, it’s like subconsciously I’m always relaxed or like trying to chill and not wanting to do anything.” 

Another challenge students have faced is limited opportunities for social interaction with friends.

“Everybody would rather be in person right now… It’s tough here and it’s tough not seeing people,” Sam said.

Distance learning has brought challenges, but neither Sam, Billy nor Angelina anticipate opting in to hybrid learning, which is supposed to resume in CPS’s fourth quarter.

“Personally, I think it’s so unethical. Like, there’s just so many things that aren’t being discussed in terms of COVID safety. Just my class alone is 368 people. How would that work?” Angelina said. 

The challenge isn’t just with accommodating safety measures for the immense number of students but also doing so with the already limited resources.

“Kenwood already has a lot of strained resources, as it is, not enough desks, sometimes not enough books, and so I couldn’t imagine how — I remember I had a class of 48 people last year. How are you going to social distance?” Angelina said.

A 2019 report from the Chicago Public Education Fund said Illinois recommends schools spend about $22,000 per student. The average CPS school spends about $16,000 and Kenwood Academy spent $11,039 per student during the 2020 fiscal year, a 2.36% increase from 2019, even though its enrollment increased 8.75%.

While Angelina remains frustrated by the lack of resources for the public school, she takes pride in attending Kenwood.

“I take pride in the school where I will graduate, I take pride in just going to Kenwood. I love being there. I love the atmosphere,” Angelina said. “I love it all, but it’s definitely like, where’s the tax money for Kenwood?”

 

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