In September 2020, on her first day of the eighth grade, my daughter set up her laptop at our kitchen table and logged in to her class. Already weary of online learning, but a conscientious participant, she picked up her water bottle and plopped into her chair, waiting for class to start.
Sitting across from her, I listened as her teacher cheerfully welcomed students and quipped that since she’d ensured her braids were camera-ready, the least her students could do was turn on their computer cameras for her so she could see their faces, too.
