Internet problems, virtual backgrounds, privacy issues, interruptions from family members or pets, forgetting to mute yourself before you say something that wasn't meant for everyone to hear, and the horribly awkward and inevitable facial expression everyone makes before clicking "leave meeting," are just a few of the challenges virtual school has caused. Teachers and students have both done their best to keep online classrooms productive and fun, but seeing all your peers in individual little muted squares on a screen just isn't the same as an in-person education.
Especially with so many families out of work, mourning the loss of loved ones, and worried about what the future holds, 2020-2021 has been a tumultuous time for young people. It's critically important that teachers be extra sensitive of what their students might be going through at home before jumping down their throats for not following the "cameras and sound on" rules for virtual sophomore Algebra II class.