Preparing to Make Up Lost Ground in the Post-COVID Classroom
By Huntington Learning Center
With a return to typical school format this fall, you’re probably feeling a lot of excitement… and nerves. There’s plenty to deal with after a year and a half of closed schools and remote learning, hybrid in-person/remote school, and stress for students and teachers alike. Here are a few ways to go into this school year with optimism:
Be patient.
Some students will have big learning gaps, while others might have fared better. Some students might be more withdrawn and disinterested. You can’t fix every problem in the first week of school, so take time to assess where students are, develop plans for individualized instruction, and work closely with parents to help their children succeed and grow this year.
Be ready with resources.
There’s no question that many students will need additional support outside your classroom, so make sure you know what school and district resources are available to families. Let students and parents know at the start of the year that your door is always open and that your goal this year is to help students get back on track and feel good about themselves.
Partner with parents.
You partner with parents every year, but it’s more important than ever that you and your students’ parents team up to benefit their children. Establish a reliable communication system and consider sending home a parent survey early in the year to get their input on where their child needs the most support and what concerns they have starting this new year. Check in more often than usual and let parents know you encourage them to reach out with concerns.
Let parents know what you need.
As you get to know students, let parents know how they can support their children with homework, a common source of stress. Ask them what you need to help their children close any skill gaps. Help them help you, and make your teaching process and their role clear from early in the school year.
If you have concerns that some of your students need more individualized help with specific areas, refer them to Huntington. We’d be happy to perform an assessment to determine where they’re struggling, what skills they’re missing, and what they need going forward. Parents can contact us at 1-800 CAN LEARN.