The past year has put a great amount of stress on school staff and students. From switching between virtual learning and in-person school to juggling new Covid-19 precautions, the past 12 months have brought many hardships. I think it is important to not only acknowledge the stress the teachers are put under, but also notice the stress, hard work and personal time that some students are putting in this school year.

As a student, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of assignments I have been given. I feel as though we are given too much classwork to complete in the allotted class time. Most of my teachers decided to cancel the final exam for their first semester class, their generosity lifted a lot of weight off my shoulders and took away one extra assignment to complete.

Virtual learning is very different than learning in-person. Although some students find virtual learning to be a prosperous source for their education, there are many, including myself, who feel they get a better education when in school. If students do not completely understand the class curriculum, their grades on the final exam will be affected. Students will be more likely to perform poorly on the final exams especially on top of all of the other stress of school and life in general.

If teachers cancel their final exam, it will not only lift stress from students, but also ease stress on them as well. If teachers do not assign a big final exam, they will not have to struggle to find time to grade and evaluate it before final grades are due.

Some other ways that teachers can assist students and reduce stress would be cutting down assignment length, reaching out to those who seem to be struggling and those who seem to be doing well (even the students who perform well struggle too), going more in depth on instructions, and providing built in mental breaks for students during class. If teachers implement these tips into their teaching styles and into their classrooms, it will help students relax, get organized and focus on the task at hand.