Sophomore Hannah Tirrell on Covid-19’s Impact on Learning

Abington High School sophomore Hannah Tirrell said the worst part of going back to school amidst the pandemic was not seeing the people she had been going to school with her whole life. “I have gotten used to the new schedule and managing time for my work, but it’s weird not seeing my entire class at school everyday. There are some people I haven’t seen since March and won’t see until we go back normal,” Tirrell said.

Most of this year, the school has followed a hybrid schedule, which has pros and cons. With the hybrid model, Tirrell said, “Although limited, it is great to be back in school and in a classroom learning in person lessons.”  The downside to this model is the lack of one-on-one time with teachers while the remote experience allowed for more learning opportunities.

The hybrid model means there as been an extensive amount of time on the computer. However, it allows for in-person, socially distanced conversations with friends and teachers in school. 

During Covid-19, many people have lost what gave them a sense of identity. Tirrell, who is a student-athlete, said, “having sports taken away was very difficult when we went fully remote. I spend much of my time committed to my sport in long nights training and when that was all taken away it felt like part of me was taken away as well.”

Tirrell plays volleyball and basketball. Because volleyball was moved to Fall II, Tirrell joined the Girls Cross Country team and is happy that the hybrid model has allowed for some level of sports to be played.

Although there are negative impacts to athletics and teams, “The bond on the Girls Cross Country team is stronger because of it [the pandemic],” Tirrell said. 

Since the basketball season started in January this year. Tirrell said, “We have learned to adapt to a constantly evolving environment which has helped us grow personally and as a team.”