At what cost?
This week I was connecting with a friend and former colleague, discussing the struggles within one of the local school districts. This is a large urban district that was struggling prior to the pandemic and now is barely keeping its head above water. And at what cost?
Students are suffering. For example, we have students who have entered first and second grade as first-timers at school or children who have completed entire academic years virtually. These students not only lost out on academic readiness skills but they also have not had the opportunity to learn the routine and rituals of school. Let that sink in while you think about what the majority of the first year of the school typically looks like for our students.
Our students haven’t had the opportunity to practice coming into school and following a routine to begin their day. In kindergarten, you are exposed to early education skills such as:
How to ride the bus or walk to school.
How to hang up our backpacks and find their seat.
How to go through the lunch line.
How to raise your hand and wait to be called on.
How to walk through the hallways.
How a classroom works with many students.
How to pack up and go home at the end of the day.
Our students also build up their endurance for a full day of learning. Students in first and second grade have not had full experiences. Additionally, how have their lives been impacted at home since March 2020? What have they experienced or survived? This needs to be part of our check-in cadence with students with an understanding that any deficits are by no fault of their own.
Here are some resources to help with our students:
Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19
What happens to children who missed kindergarten during COVID-19 crisis?
#standreadytosupport