6 min read

What Remote Learning Looks Like at Waring - Four Students Break Down a Typical Day

04/22/2020

On March 24, Waring School switched to a remote learning plan in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Faculty began conducting classes via Zoom and Google Classroom, music teachers continued with voice and instrument lessons, and our Athletic Director shared weekly workout schedules. Our Writing and Art Departments challenged our community to participate in weekly writing prompts and community art projects. Musicians began to share weekly #TuesdayTunes performances on Waring’s Facebook and Instagram, and we continued to gather every Friday for a (virtual) All-School Meeting. 

A lot has changed but much has stayed the same. 

What does a typical day of online learning look like for a Waring student? Four students give you an inside look below.

Minute by Minute Breakdowns-3

Elli, Group 4

7:45 - Woke up slowly but surely 
8:15 - Put on makeup that made me look like I have pink eye
9:00 - Logged into Gallaudet’s Humanities class and did some research on women in American comedy for my research project
9:45 - Rushed downstairs to make myself some cinnamon toast
10:00 - Made eleven blind contours of Anna in art class and then massacred them to make them into a collage
11:00 - Had physics with Francis where we learned about sound waves and human hearing. Apparently elephants can talk through the ground
12:00 - Turned on my Russian gothic synth pop, Молчат Дома, because this is the ideal music to make noodles to
12:30 - Started my independent time, which I spend reading I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
1:30 - My French class started reading Le Petit Nicolas, and my book promptly fell apart
2:15 - Took my dog outside and ran like maniacs
3:30 - Started cutting up an art calendar  
4:00 - Once I had 112 carefully cut pieces of famous artwork I began taping them, mosaic style, to my ceiling
5:30 - Almost gave up because this was sucking the life out of me
6:00 - Put on a crime documentary to ease the pain of curating a ceiling art show
9:30 - Finished my endeavor which ended up only covering a third of the ceiling
9:31 - Brainstormed more things to tape to my ceiling
9:32 - Brainstorm inconclusive
10:30 - Facetimed Jamie to show off my ceiling innovation
12:00 - Read myself to sleep

Minute by Minute Breakdowns-2

Anand, Group 5

8:30 – My alarm clock goes off. I flip over and hit the snooze button.
8:39 – My alarm goes off again. This time, I throw my legs over the side of my bed. 
8:50 – I sit down in front of my laptop with a cup of coffee and glass of water. 
9:00 – I have Humanities class with Joshua. We break off into groups and read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
9:45 – I finish class and take a shower. Rub a dub dub!
10:15 – I make some breakfast. Buttered toast for me please.
11:00 – I go to oceanography with Tim Te. We have a contentious conversation about climate change.
12:00 – I make a ham sandwich for lunch and eat outside on the patio.
1:30 – I go to math class and learn about slope fields. 
2:30 – Next up is my senior intensive. We talk about the films we want to watch in the future and our plan to discuss them.
3:15 – I play some piano. I practice for a while, but then just jam out. 
5:00 – I go for a run at the quarries in Rockport. 
6:30 – I eat dinner with the fam. Stir fry hits the spot. 
7:15 – Homework awaits me. I do some Humanities research, some Calculus problems, and some work on my Science project.
9:00 – I hop on Skype with Benny and Henry. We talk and play some warzone. We dub out. 
12:00 – I say good night to the lads and fall asleep to sweet dreams!

Minute by Minute Breakdowns-1

Lola, Core

7:30 - Slowly woke up with a gentle shake from my parents. Stayed in bed until absolutely necessary
7:45 - Got up, had a shower, got dressed, and brushed teeth 
8:10 - Went downstairs to eat breakfast 
8:30 - Cleaned up my desk, which is usually covered in my books from the day before. Finished up whatever was left unfinished from last night
8:55 - Drank a cup of tea while waiting for Math class to start 
9:45 - Got up from my desk, tired from Math class, stretched legs, spoke with friends online 
10:00 - Puzzled over Les Passe Compose in French class
10:45 - Ran downstairs at the speed of light to grab a snack before my next class 
11:00 - Off to Humanities to discuss To Kill a Mockingbird, and Tom Robinson’s case
11:45 - Convinced a parent to stop whatever they were working on to cook me some food 
12:00 - Food acquired! 
12:45 - Started Humanities, Science, Math, and French homework 
1:30 - Logged into grade meeting with Colleen and Cory
2:15 - Made a new playlist, finished up whatever homework remained undone 
2:45 - Frantically searched my house for my phone so that I could send in pictures of my homework to Google classroom
3:00 - Found it! Uploaded all of my homework
3:05 - Did some flute practice
3:30 - Made some drawings, ate some Easter chocolate 
4:30 - Grew tired of drawing, went downstairs to hang out with my family, where I declared myself the Yahtzee master 
6:05 - Went back upstairs tried to decide what to paint, couldn’t, decided to watch Netflix and snuggle with dogs instead
7:10 - Supper - Lamb Curry! 
8:40 - Mother signed up for a ‘Glo Yoga’ account, so we did some yoga together  
10:00 - Said goodnight to my family, went to bed

Minute by Minute Breakdowns-4

Luna, Group 5

8:30 - Woke up to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles
8:45 - Got out of bed, brushed teeth, ate pancakes
9:00 - Oceanography with John Wiggs, learned about bleaching of the great barrier reef
9:25 - John let us out early! Did the dishes, got dressed
9:50 - Did math homework
10:30 - Helped my dad build a fire in the fireplace then called Turner
10:45 - Started new knitting project
11:00 - Humanities with Gallaudet, did research
12:00 - Called Ellie
12:30 - Made tomato toast for lunch for my brothers and me
1:00 - Called Turner
1:30 - Math with Joan, learned differential equations
2:15 - Called Phoebe and Swara for our senior intensive, knitted and talked in French
3:15 - Called Turner and watched Sherlock
5:00 - Vassar admitted students Zoom call
6:45 - Dinner! Spaghetti and asparagus
7:30 - Dishes
8:00 - Carleton admitted students Zoom call
9:00 - Chores
10:00 - Science, French, and Humanities homework
12:00 - Bed

Graham Pearsall
Written by Graham Pearsall

Waring School's Communications Manager

Featured