When we think about the COVID-19 Pandemic, some people might remember how we got to stay home and relax or chill. That we got a break from everything. Have you ever thought of the many changes students had to go through and how that affected them? Students were negatively impacted and couldn’t catch a “break”. Students couldn’t physically go to school during March 2020 to May 2020 right when the pandemic started in America. As well as the following school year from 2020-2021. Schools had to make adjustments “among virtual, hybrid, and in-person learning” (Dorn, Hancock, Sarakatsannis, and Viruleg par. 5). Students “faced multiple schedule changes…with glitchy internet connections and Zoom fatigue” (Dorn, Hancock, Sarakatsannis, and Viruleg par. 5) because they had to keep on switching back and forth. As stated above, students had many problems to worry about…

Throughout all these changes, teachers have been putting a lot of effort to help students readjust as much as possible. In the article “Modeling the Possibilities: Building the Caring, Reciprocal Relationships Needed to Nurture Powerful Learning” it states that “teachers have heroically been working to support children’s development—not just academically, but socially and emotionally too.” Even though teachers may look put together they were struggling if not just then more than students. Teachers wanted to school students that school could be entertaining as well as educational. By engaging a lot with students, teachers and students can form relationships that are “essential for children’s healthy brain and overall development—physically and socially/emotionally as well” (Falk Par. 3). These relationships could be hard to form but by just letting the children be comfortable can do a lot. When dealing with young kids in their out of place settings, you’ll have to know how to deal with them, including talking, playing, teaching, observing, or even just listening to them. When listening to students, teachers have found that some will speak “of illness, loss, sadness, fear, anxieties, and their pain about injustice; while it also expressed hope, gratitude for loved ones, longing for connection and community, and the opportunities that the pandemic has provided for personal learning and growth” (Falk par.6). With just enough effort teachers can and have made a positive change during this negative time.

Photo by Brandon Baker from PennToday