As of March 1st, Nashoba has transitioned from fully remote classes to a new hybrid model. While students are still given the option to continue remote classes, the schedule has changed for everyone, making this a large adjustment for the whole student body. 

The hybrid students have been split into two cohorts, one going to school in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, while the other attends Thursdays and Fridays. On the days when one cohort is in person, the other cohort participates in synchronous classes with the remote cohort. This means that the only days when everyone in a class is in the same place at the same time is on Wednesdays, which is now remote and synchronous for the full day.

As someone who has stayed remote for the time being, I can definitely see a difference in the overall learning experience over the past few weeks. Without the presence of the whole class for most of the week, it can be confusing to try to communicate with classmates in different cohorts. Also, the lack of consistency in what time classes start each morning forces me to create my own routine a lot more than was seen in the past. Monday and Thursday have synchronous periods beginning at 11:50, Tuesday and Friday begin synchronous classes at 10:25, and Wednesdays start at 7:40. Since nearly the entire morning consists of asynchronous classes for most days of the week, it creates a sense of accountability to complete all work without any check-ins.

For the students who have decided to attend in-person classes this quarter, there has been the change of schedule as well as actually going to school again. Nina Ambrose, a junior in Cohort A, tells The Regional about her experience in the hybrid environment, saying that it has made a difference in every aspect of learning, including her work ethic and experiences with teachers: “It’s really helped me with motivation, and it’s been really awesome to finally meet all of our teachers and see our classmates again.” The social aspect of seeing classmates in person has been a significant upside of the hybrid model, and getting to see teachers face-to-face can drastically change learning conditions.

Another student who has been participating in the hybrid schedule is Jess Beck, who is also a junior in Cohort A. She says, “Although the new schedule has taken a bit to get used to, going back into school again after almost a year has been great! It’s so nice to have more actual human connection and form better relationships with our teachers.” 

As seen in the comparisons of experiences with Nina, relationships with teachers have been one of the more prominent changes with going hybrid. Things like asking questions and participating in class discussions have been made much easier in person than through an online meeting. Jess also touched on the difficulty in the transition of the new schedule.

From the students physically going to school to those staying at home, all Nashoba students have seen significant changes in these past few weeks. While it has certainly been an adjustment, this is hopefully just a step in the right direction towards being able to go into school full-time again. 

The Bolton middle and elementary school is planning to move from a hybrid model to a full return on April 5th. By observing the success of that transition, the high school will likely have a better understanding of the steps needed to smoothly steer us in the right direction. There will definitely be more updates to come, and I know that I’m anxiously anticipating any news of a potential return date or plan.