COVID-19’s impact on schools and student’s learning
The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed what schools are like, and how students learn. The shift to online learning became the norm, and the old ways of learning were thrown out the window. When it was safe to open again, new COVID-19 restrictions and protocols were put in place and schools became sterile places where students not only went to learn but to get the social interaction they had been missing out on during distance learning. However, for some students all these changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic proved to greatly impact their ability to learn and retain the information presented to them.
For most of 2020 school was being held remotely through distance learning. Students had to learn from their homes through computer screens. For many students this was a time of relaxation where they would be able to finish their school work on their own time and then do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day.
However, this leisurely academic style proved to be ineffective for many students, and greatly impacted their learning. For many students this time created a lot of anxiety because they did not have access to the resources needed for distance learning. According to U.S. census data households from lower incomes were less likely to rely on online resources to assist in distance learning. 65.8% of families with an income of $50,000 or less reported using online resources, while 21.1% reported using paper resources. For families with an income of $100,000 or more, 85.8% reported using online resources, and only 15.3% reported using paper resources.
The transition back to in-person classes in late 2020, early 2021 also proved to be quite challenging for students. Students went from being on their devices all day and getting little to no social interaction with their peers, to being thrown back into in-person classes and expected to pick up where they left off. For many students, this was a huge change. They had just gotten comfortable distance learning, and now were expected to go back to in person learning.
This transition proved to be consequential to many of the students abilities to actually learn and retain the information presented to them. During distance learning, many of the students were getting good grades because they had their parents at home to help them. When the students returned in-person, many of their grades suffered because teachers realized they were not up to the levels they had been at home.
The transition to in-person classes not only brought about many changes for students, but also big changes for the schools. Many schools, such as St. Pius Elementary School in Redwood City, CA, had to split classes up into 2 sections in order to follow safe COVID-19 protocols. While some of the students were transitioning back to in-person learning there were still a large group of students who stayed distance learning. Some families decided to stay distance learning because they thought it would be safer.
Students were also required to wear a mask at all times, even when they were running around and playing outside with their friends. Students were also required to wash and sanitize their hands every time they entered the classroom. Plastic barriers were set up around each student’s desk to help stop the spread of germs. “Children are super spreaders of germs, so schools have to take extra precautions when dealing with the COVID-19 virus.” said Cheryl Raffetto, resource teacher at St. Pius Elementary School.
Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic affect what schools look like, and how students learn but it also affected big events in the students lives such as their First Holy Communion. First Holy Communion is a sacrament, typically received by second graders, where they profess their devotion to the Catholic faith through taking the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The body and blood are called the Eucharist and come in the form of bread and wine. During the pandemic, the students were not able to receive the blood part of the sacrament because sharing the cup of wine did not follow COVID-19 procedures. Students were also required to wear masks, which presented an issue when going up to receive the bread. “They had to fumble with the masks. They had to take it off, and do the hands, it was a whole big thing.” Meaghan Brennan, second-grade religion teacher at St. Pius Elementary School said. Even despite all the new protocols that made the sacrament of First Holy Communion challenging for students they were able to receive it in person on May 2, 2021. “We rocked it and we’re awesome.” Brennan said.
The devastating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen globally, but for students those consequences are obvious. Losing out of social interaction during distance learning, and the anxiety of not having the proper resources was something that greatly affected not only the students personal lives, but also their academic lives. Many students learning and retaining the information was also affected not only by distance learning, but also by the transition back to in-person school. However, through all of these challenges students have adapted and made the best out of a bad situation.
