The secrets behind Zoom meetings

Nowadays, Zoom takes a big place in the COVID-19 world. Zoom is a free video telephony software program first released on September 10, 2012 created by Eric Yuan. Thanks to this program, schools are able to organize classes with all the students, and companies can organize conferences with all the workers, working remotely. But what is really going on at school with Zoom? What are some funny and awkward moments teachers and students lived during Zoom meetings?

A lot of teachers and students don’t have the same opinion about Zoom, but in the majority, this is an appreciated program.
“One thing I like about Zoom is that we can all stay connected,” says Junior Kassidy Gutsch.
Mr. Tharp also said: “Without Zoom, I don’t know how we could have done that. We needed something like that so we could have face to face interactions with students.”

A lot of students are pretending to be listening, or present during Zoom meetings, but we all know, students as much as teachers, that most of the time students are just connected, but doing something else.
Junior Sabrina Jankowski says, “I turn off my camera and do face masks sometimes”.

The funniest part is maybe when teachers catch some students doing something else during remote classes on Zoom.
“I have one caught at the restaurant. I said, ‘you’re in a restaurant?’ And he was ‘yeah.’ And I go, ‘get off the Zoom!’.” exclaims Mr. Robinson.

Some of the students also try to excuse themselves from being absent or inactive during the meeting by finding some excuses like:
“I used to say my internet went out when I missed a class” mentioned an anonymous Junior.

They even try to find ways to make it look like they are following the Zoom, but they are actually doing something else, even though their camera is on.
“I put my computer on the coffee table so that I can watch TV without it looking like I’m not paying attention,” commented Junior Jackson Paeth.

But fortunately for the students, it’s rare for a teacher to catch them doing something else than what they are supposed to do.
Mr. Lauxman confirms this fact, “That has not happened, because most people don’t turn their camera on, so I don’t really see them that much”.
But the students are not the only ones to try to avoid their camera…

Teachers also want to be unseen during some meetings.
“During any staff meetings that we have. I’m just like a student, I don’t want to be seen,” said Mrs. Weirick.

Zoom can be sometimes a source of stress for the students, as for the teachers, but it can also be an infinite source of fun. Mr. Lauxman adds to the comedy of Zoom by showing me an uncomfortable freeze-frame.
“…so here is a picture of one of my students, right when her screen froze, her WI-FI went out. And so I kept it, because this picture right there represents everything about this school year, all in once, the frustration, the inguish, the freeze-frame,” Lauxman reminices.
Beware of your teachers, who are also able to keep some embarrassing images of you, thanks to Zoom, but they are just having fun.

What we can say is that Zoom was really helpful for teaching and learning during remote days. But it also brings frustration to some students and teachers…
Weirick explains, “I’m just a people person, and sometimes they don’t even talk, so it’s really hard.”
… As much as it sometimes brings fun.
A junior here at Eudora said, “One time I played harmonica for like 5 minutes before anyone said anything.”

Featured imaged by Danielle Proctor