Supporting Our Youth During Chaotic Times

"We teach because we care."

As things get "back to normal," relatively speaking, as does the perspectives that our youth have had during this past school year. This year I was lucky to work at an elementary school in a Kindergarten classroom. Most of my students were not able to attend preschool due to protocols- as many of the preschools had stopped taking incoming students. I could see the positive impact that either preschool or the attentive parent serves for children 3-5 years old. They have seemed to have grasped the concept of writing and numbers much more easily if they had worked with it prior. Though there are always obstacles to overcome in learning, overcoming challenges are actually an integral piece to education.

While there were positives about staying home with our families and learning for the past couple of years, there were also downsides. I was lucky to speak to a few students about the impact this has had on their lives, and what they are doing to combat the negatives. One fourth-grader specifically mentioned the ability of being able to see friends at school. She is an only child, so it was important for her to get back into the classroom so that she could enjoy the physical social aspect of being around her friends.


Many students (mostly starting around third-grade) now rely on technology and social media apps to communicate with their friends. If they do not have a social media application, or an Ipod or smartphone, they will be seen as outcasts, falling out of the social paradigm which is dominated by internet communities this present day. Secondary schoolers have had to deal with higher-than-average suicide rates, and many students have suffered mental health issues at the behest of their stressed out, pandemic-scrutinizing parents.

There is hope. A recent article noted that schools in the D.C. area were moving to eliminate remote learning, except in instances wherein it may be a more lucrative learning option for Special Education students. An excerpt from the article states: "They are arguing that students fare poorly in an online environment, an assertion supported by copious data that emerged from the pandemic — including a recent McKinsey and Company study that found children, on average, fell behind four months in both mathematics and reading during remote schooling" (Washington Post).

In Flint, Michigan, they have moved to more remote learning. This affects some of the poorest students in the country, and does not aid in their learning advancement. As local jurisdictions format different ways to assess health risks in our schools, we have to keep in mind what is at stake for our youth.

Online learning going away in Maryland, Virginia, D.C. schools - The Washington Post




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