Real Talk
Ask nearly any teacher, and they will tell you that something has changed. Kids are needier than ever before. They are disrespectful. They lack focus. And many are unable to tolerate tasks they consider boring or difficult. The post-pandemic classroom is almost unmanageable.
Of course, when schools closed in the spring of 2020, we knew there would be learning loss, and there was a lot of discussion about what it would take to get kids caught up (to what or to whom was unclear.) But now it has been nearly five years, and while many people continue to blame the pandemic for the multitude of learning and behavior issues teachers face, it’s safe to say we’ve had time to catch up. The time out of the classroom in 2020 is not the problem. There are, however, other effects of the pandemic school closures that educators and parents would be wise to address.
Lasting effects of the pandemic on students and classrooms
1. An increase in screen time
During the COVID lockdowns, the American Pediatric Association relaxed its guidelines about screen time for children. But honestly, most of us weren’t waiting around for an official okay before allowing our children (and ourselves) a lot of leeway when it came to plugging in and zoning out. We turned to screens for entertainment, news, stress reduction, socialization, and of course, learning. Unfortunately, many families have found it difficult to put that horse back in the barn. Studies have found that screen time for children increased during that pandemic and has stayed elevated.
By now, most people know the negative effects too much screen time can have on children–an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and aggression as well as lower cognitive and social skills and increased behavior problems. Even so, since the pandemic, it is widely considered “too judgy” to suggest parents limit screen time.
Consider the controversy sparked by this couple who posted a video about not allowing iPads in restaurants. Generations of kids have dined out, ridden in cars, and gone to the grocery store without the benefit of digital distraction, and yet the internet lost its collective mind when this couple dared to say that kids should not have iPads when dining at a restaurant.
Perhaps the outraged internet would feel differently if more people spent time in the classroom. It’s difficult for anyone besides teachers to comprehend the massive challenges associated with trying to educate a whole generation of children suffering the ill effects of screen addiction.
2. Permissive parenting and the reduction in school discipline
In the same way that parents softened the reigns on screen time, many families began to cut their kids slack in other areas too. During the pandemic, bedtimes weren’t enforced, and household rules like no eating in front of the T.V., make your bed, no roughhousing, etc. were understandably relaxed. One of the most damaging effects of the pandemic, this more permissive mindset has persisted and carried over into schools. Many kids now bristle at rules, and unfortunately, too many schools have accommodated this by softening, if not the rules, then the consequences for breaking them. The result is that the kids are now deciding what restrictions they will tolerate and which lessons they are willing to learn.
3. Increased absenteeism
Another one of the effects of the pandemic is an overreliance on online learning. When the whole country went on lockdown in 2020, the only option for students seemed to be virtual learning. The fear of students “falling behind” impelled teachers to create online lessons and activities that allowed students to continue “doing school” while sheltering in place at home.
I did my best to keep my junior high students engaged–posting videos, creating fun at-home activities, and hosting Zoom sessions. But as a former homeschooling parent, I remember wondering if all that was necessary. After all, my children rarely got in a full school year by state standards, and I never worried about them falling behind. That’s because there’s nothing magic about 180 seven-hour days–it’s the quality of the instruction that counts. So, while I did my best with my students during the pandemic, I knew their real hope for a successful year was all the engaging lessons we had from August through early March.
It turns out I was right to question the necessity and wisdom of virtual learning. Most educators and parents agree that online learning was extremely stressful and marginally successful. But that’s not the worst part. Virtual learning has caused absenteeism to double since 2020. Online learning created a sense of apathy that many students and families have yet to recover from. Another unintended message that online learning sent was that attendance is optional. After all, even now, nearly five years later, many schools require teachers to post lessons and assignments online for absent students–as if this is a suitable substitute for in-person instruction. Now, given the implied option, many families, especially those in poorer districts, will save themselves the trouble and stay home.
4. Over-reliance on digital learning
For safety reasons, some teachers still required their students to turn in work via platforms like Google Classroom even after we returned to in-person schooling. As an ELA teacher, I understand the benefits of digital work. It is much easier to keep track of and grade essays turned in on the computer than handwritten ones.
There’s a good argument for expecting final drafts to be turned in digitally. But now there are students as young as elementary school who rarely, if ever, use a pencil and paper. In some schools, tasks like solving math problems, reading for comprehension and pleasure, creating charts and graphs, and even art projects are done on a computer. This flies in the face of what we know about writing by hand and cognitive function. We also know that actual books offer many benefits that children lose by reading ebooks. In an education system that continually touts the use of research-based practices, it’s scandalous that so many students are being deprived of the opportunity to write by hand and read real books.
No one denies that, since the pandemic, something has changed in America’s classrooms. It’s easy to blame these changes on learning loss–the weeks students spent out of school. But we’ve had four years to make up for lost time. All things being equal, that’s plenty of time for effective educators. But all things aren’t equal. Issues like screen addiction, permissiveness, absenteeism, and over-reliance on digital learning are the lasting effects of the pandemic. Until we address these, we can’t begin to make the crucial changes that will make classrooms manageable and learning possible again.
