At the end of the last school year, teachers reported that it was one of the most difficult in this most difficult pandemic era. There were physical altercations and inappropriate behaviors. There were disruptions and absences. And above all, there was emotional instability. As a new year begins, perhaps it is time to acknowledge, once and for all, that the kids are not all right and that something systemic needs to be done to help them.
In addition to the tragic recent spate of mass shootings conducted by teenage boys, studies also indicate a rise in suicide attempts and thoughts in both adolescent and elementary aged children. There are feelings of anger and hopelessness demonstrated in less dramatic ways as well, from students lashing out at teachers and family members, to once-vivacious and active individuals self-isolating because of fear and/or depression. There is also an increase in drug use. While many school districts have used federal funding to increase counselors and social workers, this has not proved to be enough.
At the beginning of the previous school year, most districts in the area opted to proceed with curriculum coverage full-speed ahead, rather than taking a pause to reset and reestablish procedures and expectations and to acknowledge the emotional consequences of the previous year and a half. As we can now see, this was not the correct approach. Several high schools in the area had groups of students checking in only for lunch and wandering through hallways the rest of the day. Students as young as four and five were running through buildings unchecked. Parents have lost faith in their districts to be safe environments that promote learning and mental health.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Every teacher knows that students cannot learn if they are under duress. The pandemic has revealed gaps in health outcomes, in income security and in access to technology. All of these, in addition to the obvious effects of illness and isolation, have compounded whatever stresses students were routinely under. It is now up to district leaders to accept this as well, and to provide a structure for relief. Take the time to help students (and their families) process what has been lost and to develop tools in order to move forward.
One of the backbones of education is to encourage students to take risks to learn from their mistakes. Let’s encourage school districts to do the same, and to create systems for emotional care, for all of our sakes.
Mala Hoffman is a retired teacher and freelance writer who lives in Gardiner.
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