Clarke Central High School freshman Riley Ramsey works virtually at her house on Oct. 2, 2019. Ramsey has done several different forms of schooling throughout her middle school experience. Photo courtesy of Randy Ramsey
CCHS freshman Riley Ramsey shares her experience transitioning from public school to homeschool and back again in 2021.
On Wednesday, Aug. 4, while some people were returning to in-person school after just over a year of virtual learning, I was returning after almost three years.
I left Clarke Middle School halfway through sixth grade in 2019 after realizing that it wasn’t a good fit for me. Using a website called Outschool, I attended classes through Zoom with other students from all over the world. Through the program, I got to choose which classes I wanted to take with no structure and no grades.
I was at home, alone with my cats, doing schoolwork for hours every day.
Then, in the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States. Suddenly everyone’s day-to-day life was exactly like mine and isolation was the new normal.
For eighth grade, I switched to Georgia Virtual School (GAVS), an online learning platform. I had teachers that would grade my work but I had no physical classes. Because I was given all the material at the beginning of the year, I could work through it at my own pace.
I was still working by myself, but everybody else was at home too. I wasn’t alone anymore.
I was still working by myself, but everybody else was at home too. I wasn’t alone anymore.
Because of this, GAVS was a positive experience for me, much more than the previous year, but I missed some of the positive aspects of in-person school.
On Aug. 4, I started at Clarke Central High School as a freshman. Once again, everything changed.
It was easier to merge back into in-person school because most were transitioning back from virtual learning with me. Now, my teachers were more than just profile pictures. I hadn’t realized how much I missed leaving my house every day and talking to different people. This was a refreshing change from the isolation of virtual school.
Coming to school is something we’ve all grown to appreciate in different ways. My experience taught me that sometimes what’s ideal isn’t always an option, and you have to make the best out of what you have.
