Schools across the country have transitioned to distance learning models, but Huntington High School photography students are keeping busy at home and creating heartfelt and very honest artwork.
The photos highlight all the stress, pressure, boredom and emotions that just about every American is feeling. Some are inspiring, others express the raw feelings that surface each day, many are personal, but the teenagers want to share them.
Teacher Pamela Piffard-Williams has been guiding her students since the first day of the remote learning program. The longtime educator has always enjoyed close relationships with her students and remains so many years after they graduate and move on with their lives. So while maintaining student-teacher relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a challenge, the Huntington photography students have transitioned quite well so far.
Students enrolled in Mrs. Piffard-Williams’ Introduction to Photography and Advanced Photography classes are working just as hard as ever. They are snapping photos at or near their homes on a daily basis and submitting at least one each to their teacher.
“Each day they are supposed to take one of their images and write one to four sentences that speaks to the photo and how they feel,” Mrs. Piffard-Williams said. The photos are posted anonymously in a gallery on the Huntington School District’s website at www.hufsd.edu.
“As someone much older than my students I can honestly say that what’s going on in the world is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Mrs. Piffard-Williams said. “I want my students to have a record of how they were feeling and what they were doing to look back on when this is over. I’m doing the project along with them and sharing it with them each day. It’s a good way to feel connected in a time when we may feel isolated.”
