No one can doubt the profound and unrelenting impact that the past few months have had upon us all. And indeed, it seems that there is likely to be much more to come as we battle the storm that is COVID-19 together. Attention has rightly been focused on the incredible work being done by our first responders and health care personnel, as well as the countless others who work to save lives, provide meals, offer care and support and guide us all as safely as possible through this crisis. And in the wake of the first wave of response by healthcare workers, there has come a steady march of educators who are quietly and determinedly setting about the vital business of creating something that resembles a routine and a sense of normality for our young people.
These are the educators who are probably at this very moment teaching themselves new skills, mastering technology tools and applying their unique brand of creativity and enthusiasm to the sudden reality of home based learning that has been thrust upon themselves and their students. They are putting to one side their worries, fears and anxieties so that they can work to create activities and learning experiences that will work in the virtual world, and which can be used in a whole host of homes and settings. They need to produce, in a ridiculously short timeframe, work packets, learning scopes and sequences and digital resources that will meet everything from the needs of a young person who is on the autism spectrum through to the child who is twice exceptional and the one who is focused solely on the goal of achieving a perfect score and moving on to their chosen vocational or further study pathway. It is little wonder, then, that some of these incredible educators may find themselves experiencing stress, burnout and overwhelming fatigue in the months to come.
For what we are all experiencing is trauma, and it has, and will continue to have, a significant effect upon us all. So perhaps it is a good time to take stock for a moment, to pause and reflect on just how far we have come already, before we continue on the mammoth journey which lies ahead. We cannot expect that our students will simply return to their learning activities and levels and continue on as if nothing has happened. Too much has changed in the world for that. Instead, perhaps this is a good time to loosen the reins a little and allow our students the flexibility and time they need to process and express if they need to, the experiences they have had so far. It is time to allow them to step back a level in their science or to renew their skills in a previously mastered maths concept.
It is time to encourage them to write, draw and create without limits or boundaries, and perhaps even, for a time, without marking and grading. This time will let them find their place in a changed world once more, and think about how they can move forwards. It will let them re-establish relationships with teachers, mentors, trusted adults, family members and the other students in their lives. In the days that lie ahead, they will need each and every one of these relationships to sustain and support them.
So if you are one of those educators who has been tearing your hair out trying to master a new digital platform or feeling lost and overwhelmed by the enormity of the task ahead, make sure you take a break and a breath. Or even two. You cannot simply power through this task without giving yourself time.
Focus on the things that bring pleasure to the lives of your students and allow them to rebuild and move forwards. Don't sweat the small stuff at this point - the grades and the completed tasks will come, and young people will continue to learn when the world has settled around them. But until that happens, be kind to yourself and your students and let them simply find their level at their own pace.
Kommentare