Effects of Distance Learning

By Kathy Gilliam

As a result of the Covid-19 schools have had to transition into a distance learning program for the students. This happened very quickly and has affected many people: the parents, teachers, and most of all the students. The learning from home process is either done with packets made up by the teachers or online. I can only write about what we have done at our school; different schools may have different procedures

From the teacher’s point of view my first thoughts were the well-being of my “babies.” I would miss them greatly and, like many other teachers, worry about them every day like they were my own. I am a pullout teacher and help students who are struggling and need extra help. Therefore, I know it will not be easy for some of them to do the work unless they have someone to sit with them and help them read and understand it. I have seen the concern and the tears and the worry of the other teachers as they try so hard to make sure every student has what they need to do the work and understand it. They have tried to answer questions and be available to help when it was needed. They truly miss their students and will never forget the 2019/2020 school year.

As a parent I have also experienced it from the other side. I have a nine-year-old boy who is in third grade. He is very active and likes to be outside playing or working. So, it is frustrating to try to make him sit down and do work. I have other jobs I do, other than working at the school, so I know how parents feel trying to get their work done and teach the children. Like many parents I am old school and things were done very differently back then. Sometimes the new methods of teaching are difficult for us old-school parents to understand. It is very hard for parents to help our children with something we don’t understand. The process of working and teaching children from home is not an easy one, but I will say I am very impressed by the support and the dedication that I have seen from the parents.

The children! Oh, I can’t even begin to imagine what many of them are feeling: the fear, the frustration, the confusion. Their lives turned upside down in the blink of an eye: no school, no friends, and for many the need for food. So many students are missing a once in a lifetime event they worked so hard to achieve. They are missing out on the special events, like prom, grad night, walking the halls for the last time, and graduations, from the little ones to the seniors. Learning from home is not easy for some, they need the routine and the support. Many children will struggle next year as a result of having to do the distance learning. Some of the children will make it through this with just a memory to talk about later in life, but others will be affected for a very long time or even the rest of their lives from this experience.