I don’t know about anyone else but the thought of restarting again at this point makes me almost nauseous. No one knows quite the shape school will take this coming year. There are so many possible iterations of what could be. Some of the kids managed well when school went virtual last year, others got little. For some kids, the year effectively ended in March.
For most of us, we know masks will become part of the kids daily routine at school - a frightening thought if you ask me. I struggle to get through a full grocery shop in my mask.
So with this much uncertainty and chaos - how do we approach the topic with the kids? How do we help make them positive and confident in the coming year of learning?
One of my running partners made a great point the other day - we set the stage for how this year will be for the kids. If we keep it upbeat and present it in a positive light, if we downplay the negatives and focus them on what is gonna be amazing - they’ll follow suit.
I’ve been having talks with my kids about what if’s. Interestingly, the overwhelming sentiment was that they miss school and their friends so much they’re happy to return in whatever form it takes. I myself still don’t even know if I’m comfortable sending them but they’re literally ready to jump on the bandwagon. It’s something I plan to remind them about when they inevitably come complaining about the things that are tough. And in my mind, if they do get back into the classroom, there are definitely things which will be tough.
In high schools it appears there will be some hybrid model that combines being home and being in person. I know we’re gonna have to lay down some better ground rules than we had this spring. Somehow, dual tasking video game playing and Zoom classes didn’t result in amazing productivity...
And of course, there’s always the possibility of another shut down even if we restart. Being prepared for that is key to helping our kids succeed in this environment. I think schools are even sending double supply lists to be prepared for the possibility (happy shopping $$$).
So in this whole situation, is there a way to help them succeed? Apart from staying positive- is there anything we can do to help them?
Additional parental involvement may help set the stage. I think we all need to assess the needs of each of our learners and discuss with our administrators and teachers ways to help them succeed In the different scenarios - especially if last years shut down didn’t work for their style of learning.
I think we need to set very firm guidelines for the kids of the dos and donts of this new form of school. Clearly define what is and isn’t negotiable.
PAUSE...I’ve been thinking this piece through all week and then bombshell- our county is the first in the country (I believe) to prohibit private schools from opening in September. So I guess I do have a little more time to think this one through.
I’ve got to reset, think about zoom school and how to make it more effective for my kids, and I get a bit more time to restructure my thought patterns.
I know this is a huge blow to so many of the parents but I’m trying to stay positive. Maybe my expectations were set to this so it didn’t feel like such a shock to me. But I know this is hard for kids and parents alike.
So while we reset here, please share your thoughts and ideas with us about how we can make the most of this challenging setup for our kids.
Good luck...keep me posted.
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