Educational Whiplash

We know that there is a vaccine and a finish line, but it seems like the end will never come, and we are the adults.  Imagine what it must feel like to have lived all of this as a child or young adult. Many students are preparing for yet another change to their school routine when they return from spring break.  If there is nothing else to celebrate, we need to pat our children on the back for the resilience that they have shown through all of this.  As schools reopen, what will that mean for class schedules, homework, and sports?  We really aren’t sure and for students that is just the next twist in over a year of educational unknowns.

 What we do know is that we may need to revise some of our expectations for a smooth transition because the many variations of school schedules have created “educational whiplash” and returning to a full class, work, and sports schedule could prove overwhelming to students who have experienced stress and anxiety that is being compared to the Great Depression and the World Wars.   Patience and proven school stability will bring our children back to center, but in the meantime, what can we do to help them find their academic footing?

 Time is the first gift that we can give our children as we reenter normal.  They will be tired as the school day goes back to normal and the school week becomes 5 consecutive days again.  We can let the school know if homework is taking longer than expected, allow time on the weekend when they can catch up and move ahead, and pull back on typical after school activities so that they can handle what might, at first, feel very rigorous. 

 Patience is the second important gift that we can give at this time.  They may not be getting the grades that they got prior to the pandemic or we may see a grade drop when they are fully in-person again.  We need to remember that they are in transition and give them a bit of time to adjust before hyper vigilantly checking their grades.  Schools and teachers will be watching carefully, we, as parents, should support the transition rather than placing more expectations and anxiety on our children. 

 We can’t expect or promise that the next few months are going to be easier or more stable for ourselves and our children, but we can give them the space and time needed to do their best work. The educational whiplash that our children have been experiencing is going to take one more sharp turn, but we can make the ride safer by supporting the transition. With a deep breath and determination that this shift can be positive for students, we can take the first steps toward returning to a normal brick and mortar, school schedule, and school experience.