BIBB COUNTY, Ga. — Bibb County Schools kicked off the school year virtually on Tuesday with some successes and some challenges.
School system leaders admitted the pandemic caught them off guard in the spring when it came to at-home instruction, but the start of this school year looks a lot different.
Ashley Rios is an 11th grade teacher at Northeast High School. She says she was nervous at first, but overall things went well.
"It was a very positive experience. I was nervous in the beginning, but after seeing how excited the kids were, you know, the nerves went away," Rios said.
Students are learning online using platforms such as Canvas and Microsoft Teams. Rios says she encountered some technical difficulties.
"The technology, you know, it fails. Like, I had a pretty awesome icebreaker today, and I found out that I could not do that icebreaker while being on a live session because of the camera situation. So just having to work through those type of things," she said. "Once the kids kind of get a hang of it, and the teachers really get a really good feel for it, I think it's going to go amazing."
Northeast High School Principal Steven Jones says he knows there will be some glitches and technical issues in the beginning. He's encouraging everyone to be patient and says virtual learning is off to a good start.
"Our teachers appeared to be very comfortable with this first day. You know, we still had several glitches, but I think that overall our teachers have been working exceptionally well. Teachers, students and parents, we all have to exercise patience right now," Jones said.
Devetta Hardy has a 9th grader at Central High School. She says the first day was smoother than she expected.
"It's very simple, it isn't hard. They show you step-by-step what you need to click on to get your work done, or if you have homework or what not," Hardy said. "Right now, you know, it's just gonna be a little rocky because this is something new to everybody. So let's just give it a try, and we're gonna be alright."
If you have trouble with online learning, you can contact the school directly, or Bibb County School District Technology Services at 478-765-8659.