Imagine doing the same thing over and over again. In 1993, the movie Groundhog Day featuring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell premiered. Although slated as a comedy, we now realize this is a deeply philosophical film about finding the true meaning of happiness even when life seems boring and routine. Like hamsters stuck in a wheel, students and educators are feeling the same emotions as the film's protagonist Phil Connors. With our current pandemic, it seems that life is dull and mundane. Last year during 2021, most schools moved to remote learning, and both students and educators soon became stuck in a never-ending nightmare. My two high schoolers would sit on their beds in pajamas and listen to their online classes. Rarely did I hear them interacting with other students or with the teacher. Since students were not required to turn on their cameras during their Zoom classes, many students became disengaged with the lessons or with school in general. In fact, according to The New York Times, "Students across the country failed courses at alarming rates during the coronavirus pandemic. In Houston, about half of high school students got at least one F in the fall 2020 semester, compared with 35 percent the year before" (Taylor and Neirenberg 2021). Students from low-socioeconomic communities were hit even harder. "Analysis shows that Fs spiked and attendance plummeted primarily at high schools serving mostly low-income students " (Karp 2021).
So now that many schools have returned to in-person instruction, have students fared better?
The answer depends on who you ask. For students, being able to see their friends, get out of their rooms, and participate in extracurricular activities was a welcomed joy. However, if you ask teachers and administrators, the new Omicron wave has wrecked havoc on schools. "Omicron has been a logistical nightmare and has taken an emotional toll on schools and the families they serve. It’s also complicated educators’ plans for making headway with academic recovery. Teachers are worried that the effects of this relatively short disruption will reverberate through the school year" (Schwartz and Gewertz 2022).
What can schools do to support students' emotional needs during this pandemic?
Schools need to set aside structured time to discuss students' social-emotional development. Just last week, as I was subbing a 1st-grade class and teaching a lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, I asked what was one thing they would like to change in our world. One little girl said she wishes she didn't hear gunshots at night. Another little boy slumped over on his desk. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, "I wish Covid was gone. My papa died because of it." How do I go back to teaching ELA standard 3.6 when my students are emotionally breaking down; when their world feels out of control and gray? One thing that I do now is take on the topic of emotions and depression head-on. I allow my students to discuss what they are feeling, and make time to discuss what we are going through.
Here is a great little video that I like to show classes when there is a bit of free time or when there are no lesson plans. This lesson is good for any grade level- yes, from kinder to 12th grade. The storyline is pretty simple in this silent film. The film begins with a father getting his enthusiastic son ready for school. As the film progresses, we note the change in color of the main characters as life's redundancy pushes out all joy and creativity. It is not until the end that the message of the film is revealed: we must seek our own happiness and find joy in the little things. This film also highlights the dangers of not expressing one's emotions, and the devastating affects standardized expectations can have on a child. It is for this reason that I advise both teachers and administrators to see this year as a year to teach social-emotional skills, to focus on inter- and intra- personal development, and to find joy in this era of post-Covid.
Here are some teaching ideas teachers can use:
Lesson Ideas:
1.) Check out this link to see easy discussion and/or writing activities.
2.) Check out this link if you teach math, art, technology teacher, or just want to do a cool lesson.
3.) Here's a Google Slide presentation I created to have a class discussion: Click here
3.) Strong academic summary writing is always important. Here is a template students can complete to help them develop their writing skills. Click here
4.) Are students tired of using computers? Here are some hands-on projects students can do:
-Using a blank sheet of paper, have students create their own avatar. They can rip the paper, fold it, crumple it, etc.
-Check out these easy Origami animal shapes kids can do. Click here
-If they have scissors, paper, and glue, click here to see some fun ideas
-Or you can have them make foil sculptures, click here for a tutorial
-Their avatar must have: a way to move, see, hear, think, smell, and eat- students need to be able to explain this. As an extension of this lesson, you can have them record their Flipgrid video to share their avatar.
References
Karp, S. (2021, June 21). In pandemic's wake, numbers tell the story of a devastating year for many Chicago students. WBEZ Chicago. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.wbez.org/stories/in-pandemics-wake-numbers-tell-the-story-of-a-devastating-year-for-many-chicago-students/36fc7420-8919-4cb1-8c2d-5ceaa8afe1bc
Schwartz, S., & Gewertz, C. (2022, January 11). Omicron is making a mess of instruction, even where schools are open. Education Week. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/omicron-is-making-a-mess-of-instruction-even-where-schools-are-open/2022/01
Taylor, K., & Nierenberg, A. (2021, June 23). The dangers of failing grades. The New York Times. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/us/failing-grades-covid.html
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