Slow Start to Full Sprint | How is The School Year Going?
By Rachel Angrisani
November 6, 2021
It’s hard to believe that we’re already well into the first semester of the school year and report cards are just around the corner. For a majority of students, this has been the first semester in almost two years that they are learning fully in-person rather than on Zoom or in a hybrid model. Hooray! This is what we’ve been waiting for!
But wait . . . why is this feeling harder than we all expected it to feel?
This is the question that so many parents are asking right now. They are wondering why their child is struggling to organize themselves for homework and keep up with assignments when this has never been an issue before. Or why their typically straight-A student may have seen something different on this last report card. While every student’s experience is solely their own, we are seeing that this is a trend impacting children across grade levels and in both the public and private school environments.
In case you missed it, check out the conversation between TPL Specialists, Rachel Angrisani and Kate Hermosura where we discuss this topic. Here is the link. Below is an additional list of three strategy suggestions to implement during this school year.
Resetting Expectations
Because of the numerous factors that impacted students and their learning during the first year or so of the pandemic, many schools and teachers pulled back on things like tests, homework, and robust assignments, and understandably so. They likely felt that kids were going through enough as it was and so wanted to relieve them of as much stress as possible. And, we saw that many schools continued this gentle approach at the beginning of this school year as students and teachers settled back into in-person learning.
“‘It may be feeling like they are suddenly running a “full sprint” without proper training to do so.’”
However, as homework and assignments have started to ramp up again, many students feel out of practice in managing this new responsibility and rigor. It has been almost two years since they were last held to these expectations, if ever at all (think about those kiddos who were in Kindergarten in March of 2020 and have entered 2nd grade this year). So, it is not too surprising that it may be taking them time to get back into the swing of things comfortably. It may be feeling like they are suddenly running a “full sprint” without proper training to do so.
It can be beneficial for parents to sit down with their children and work together to reset expectations. In doing so, it opens up the opportunity for kids to ask for help and for parents to assist their children in creating a new plan for success.
Try this...
On Sunday evenings before the week starts, sit down with your child to brainstorm some goals for the week. Try to keep the goals attainable; for example, instead of “Get an A on the spelling test on Friday”, perhaps “Review spelling words in a different way each day”. Display these goals somewhere that your child will see them throughout the week and use it as a conversation starter around what they can be working towards.
2. Rebuilding a Strong Foundation
Another roadblock is that some students struggled more than others in the online learning environment, and may not have retained some foundation skills that were taught to them. Now that they are back in school at a higher grade level, they are learning new concepts that depend on those foundational skills being strong, and so what might have been simple to learn if that was the case is proving to be much more complex.
From this lens, parents can look at the specific areas in which their children are having difficulty and possibly identify foundational skills that aren’t yet strong enough and make a plan for support. Whether that is speaking to their teacher about supplemental material that could help strengthen those skills, finding outside resources such as tutoring, or providing support themselves.
Another important thing to remember is that even if a child is having difficulty in one or a few areas, they also have areas in which they shine. Highlighting those strengths and things that excite them and meeting them where they are will make them feel seen and heard, and can be really helpful in building confidence to tackle the hard things!
Try this...
Some kiddos may have a harder time identifying why a certain skill or concept is hard for them. Here are a few guiding questions that may help parents tease out any gaps in learning in order to rebuild from there. Remember that sometimes asking kids what feels easy to them can help identify what is not feeling easy.
Examples:
Can you think about this problem aloud with me?
What feels confusing about this homework/problem/assignment?
Tell me where you start to feel lost.
What part of this assignment feels really easy to you?
Show me what you have so far.
3. Reframing the “New Normal”
The past year and a half has tasked children with being more flexible than would typically be expected of them. They had to completely change the way in which they experienced school with little to no warning and in that transition, so many of the routine, rituals, and habits centered around school changed or were made obsolete. They’ve had to maneuver online learning, learning in masks and at a distance from their teachers and peers, and so many other small but significant changes. When considering this experience, it is understandable that being back in a “normal” school routine doesn’t quite feel... well... normal anymore.
“The past year and a half has tasked children with being more flexible than would typically be expected of them.”
We were all put into a seemingly impossible situation, and we all maneuvered through and have come out on the other side. That’s something to celebrate in and of itself! When hardships arise, sometimes just acknowledging what we’ve been through and how we’re building back up to a “new normal” can provide a sense of relief to kids and parents alike.
Try this...
Expressing our emotions and thoughts can be tough, and this is especially true for kids. Give family journaling a try. Set aside time a few times each week to sit with the whole family; on one page in a notebook, everyone can write one word that describes how they feel that day. This can help open the conversation around what might be feeling hard so that you can chat through reasons and possible solutions as a family.
As we move forward into the remainder of this semester and onto the next, we may continue to encounter tough moments along the way. Perhaps keeping a few things can help us through them:
If your kiddo is struggling right now, it can be helpful to pause and help them identify what is feeling hard. That way, you can make a plan for making things a little easier together.
Meeting your child where they are and adjusting expectations from there may be a beneficial first step in working through difficulties.
You and your kid(s) are not alone! We have all been through (and are still living in) unprecedented times; getting totally comfortable with our new normal may take more time than we thought it would.
Take Away Recap:
Resetting Expectations: Brainstorm attainable weekly goals
Rebuilding a Strong Foundation: Ask guiding questions to tease out gaps in learning
Reframing the “New Normal”: Give family journalling a try