With the Omicron variant making its way around, more and more students are missing classes for days at a time. With school being back to fully in-person this school year, sick students struggle to keep up with the work they miss while out of class.

Most teachers have been less than accommodating to students who are out sick, with little to no information on Canvas for students to keep up. In times where so many students are consistently out of class, it’s crucial for teachers to update Canvas so Titans at home are able to stay up to date with their work.

Some teachers are requiring students to be in person for tests, whereas for some students it would make more sense to be able to test virtually via Zoom, especially because testing in person may mean missing out on another lesson to test, as opposed to jumping back into class.

Additionally, Zoom classes should be an option for all students, whether because they are concerned for safety, or because they are at home sick and want to stay involved in class. It is important for teachers to adapt to students’ needs during these times where it cannot be expected that every student will be present in class.

Many students have been left without help from teachers while already having to deal with the stress and discomfort stemming from being sick with COVID, making it much more difficult to stay on top of school in the midst of things. Teachers are often hard to get in touch with; not answering their emails for several days at a time, which keeps students from even having the option to catch up while at home.

The school requires teachers to have all material available on Canvas for students to access outside of school, which unfortunately hasn’t been carried out by many teachers on campus. It’s extremely frustrating for students at home sick to open up an empty Canvas page when they know they’re missing out on class.

Administration is putting into motion after hours Zoom tutoring available for all students, with personal invitations sent out specifically to students out sick with COVID, and struggling students are encouraged to reach out to their counselors or any other staff member if they are struggling to keep up due to COVID or any other reason, but first and foremost teachers should make learning as easy and accessible as possible to all students while students try to stay safe and healthy.