Pandemic Effect on Students
We are closing in on the end of our first “normal” school year since the 2018–2019 school year. You read that right. The 2019–2020 school year was when we ended the school year with a shutdown at Spring Break. We didn’t finish the year. I use the word normal for this school year loosely. People still wear masks, there is a teacher shortage, and attendance rates are still low. We are trying to adjust to our new normal.
The pandemic was/is traumatic for everyone. I’m sure it was most traumatic for those who lost a loved one, those suffering from long-term Covid effects, and those in the medical field. It was also very traumatic for everyone in education and everyone with school-aged children. In 2020, school, as we knew it, was over. Abruptly. No one had promotion ceremonies, end-of-year dances, field days, etc. Instead of end-of-year parties and graduations, we had drive-by, waving-from-afar celebrations.
To understand the effects of this pandemic, we need to remember where our kids were in their lives at the time. Our now Second graders were in Pre-k, the Fifth graders were in 2nd grade, our Freshmen were in 6th grade, and our Seniors were Freshmen.
Pause and think about that. Our students that are now in 2nd grade had their whole kinder year over a computer- with questionable wifi and with a teacher in a mask. They were supposed to learn through a screen while their parents tried to work from home, care for other siblings, keep the dog quiet, and possibly worry about putting food on the table because their job ended. Our now 5th graders learned their whole 3rd grade year on a computer. Some only went to school to take the state assessment-for the first time. They took their first state assessment during a pandemic, which is also true for our now 6th graders. They didn’t take the state assessment in 3rd grade because of the abrupt ending to the school year. They took it for the first time in 4th grade.
In Pre-K and Kindergarten, you learn so much more than letters and numbers. You learn how to talk and play with others and interact with and negotiate a space that is not your house. In 7th grade you are gaining independence- getting dropped off at the mall, having sleepovers, and playing sports on the school team. In 10th grade, you learn to drive, take your friends all over town, and start dating. Our students missed out on all of that. My daughter had her first date in our backyard, 6 feet away from her date at our patio table. She also had a drive-by ‘Sweet 16’ party with honking and signs instead of music and dancing.
All that is to say, it has been a struggle. Our kids have missed out on critical formative activities and experiences they should have had in their youth. Anxieties that were already there started to surface more. Many of our students still don’t have the interpersonal skills to make meaningful connections with their peers. The younger ones are hitting and grabbing rather than sharing and taking turns. The older students seem to lack the ability to plan outings with friends. They don’t ring doorbells when they get to someone’s house and have difficulty navigating conflict within their peer group. Developing these skills will take more than one ‘normal’ school year. These are things we will need to work on for years to come. And our education system needs to start reflecting that.
Luckily, my spouse earns more than a teacher’s salary, so we are able to afford therapy for our kids. This has helped the development of their interpersonal skills and has helped them learn how to cope with the trauma and anxiety brought on by the pandemic. Fortunately, I am a teacher and knew how important it was to still have my son, who has dysgraphia, practice cursive, and other skills even while he was on Zoom and even if it wasn’t part of his assignment. What about the parents who can’t do those things or the kids that weren’t identified as needing help because they were on Zoom for one school year-possibly longer?
The education system is still playing catch-up. That’s okay as long as we realize the students are also playing catch-up. The state and districts need to continue adjusting their lessons and expectations and add more mental health/counseling/SEL programs into the schools. They need to allow teachers and students to breathe and heal from their collective trauma. Of course, we should continue teaching core subjects, but we need to create more space for core connections.
There’s no easy fix to what the pandemic caused us to miss out on. There are only years of understanding, care, and perseverance from those with children in their care. I encourage all those in education to continue their education on SEL practices. Our students need more time to practice their social skills in the classroom. They need more understanding when they react significantly to (seemingly) small things. Continue those morning meetings, talk times, lunch bunches, brain breaks, and restorative circles. Continue to read books and take summer training about trauma and anxiety in children. Continue to reflect on yourself as an educator. And continue to keep both your expectations and empathy high.
