When the East Brunswick administration first announced the learning plan for the 2020-21 school year, my family and I knew what our answer was immediately. We chose remote learning because my dad would not be able to pick both my sister and I up from different schools and we thought it would be safer. Hybrid learning, on the other hand, includes going to school for two days in a row, and then staying home for another six days. Each afternoon at home, you go online and attend two periods of supplemental classes. While they are learning face-to-face, from what I’ve noticed, hybrid learners also have to get up earlier, are often alone in their classrooms, and have less time for lunch when they get back home. These aspects have me wondering: why would one choose hybrid learning and how is it beneficial?

EBHS sophomore Jaiden Radoczy says, “I chose hybrid because I like interacting with my teachers. I like talking to them more one-on-one, and doing that in Zoom/Teams is awkward. I think it’s a good thing because I actually move places in between classes. But it sometimes feels like it’s just a change in location rather than a change in how/what I’m being taught.”

Brandon Eigen, a junior at EBHS, adds, “I feel like I have a better relationship with the teacher when I’m in person, but at the same time, I feel like I can get the same education at home and have more time to work too.”

Although two opinions obviously do not represent the entire school body, it seems that while you are basically getting the same experience while at home or in school, the main benefit of hybrid learning is getting to see and converse with your teachers in real life.