It’s been over a month since we’ve been quarantined at home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m beginning to miss my usual daily routines of going to school, seeing friends, and taking part in after-school activities. If I’m not finishing the digital stacks of online school assignments, I’m playing games on my phone, napping, or eating. I tend to do a lot of the latter, but I’m not bored enough to watch or make TikTok videos. In fact, this period of self-isolation has reduced my daily interactions through social media.  

Distance learning actually offers a better set up than I had anticipated. I can do my work — and still play games if I want to without an overbearing teacher trying to keep me on task.  

In the midst of this, adults, and especially teachers, should think more about the digital gap many students face when making assignments. Most of the work for high schoolers is assigned and completed online. Some students may not have access to smart devices or WiFi. And certain home environments may not be conducive to online learning. Some may not be able to complete schoolwork up to the standards required by their teachers, or in a timely manner. 

In the midst of this, adults, and especially teachers, should think more about the digital gap many students face when making assignments.

Of course, my mother feels obliged to fill the role of a stand-in teacher, much to my dismay. But I have discovered a silver lining: I can abstain from taking showers for a few days before being forced by my family to do so. Cooking my own meals, instead of eating cafeteria food, is another advantage. And, of course, I get to choose my own menu.  

On the other hand, I appreciate the value of a haircut more now than before. My hair is no longer cooperating and it’s hard to look decent when I need to go out for essentials. If I could zip back in time when word of the coronavirus — and not the virus itself ¸— was spreading, I wish I would have made or bought some cloth masks. We have just one cloth mask and some sanding masks for dust, which are too small for my face. 

That leaves me and my mom at odds to see who gets the cloth mask when we go out. (She usually wins).