Now that most schools have been back in-person for almost two years now, people have had a noticeable difference in learning from before the pandemic. Although a lot of learning and classroom instruction has gone back to normal, the kids who grew up during the pandemic have not adjusted the same way. There are many reasons why they haven't adjusted back to in-person learning, such as the lack of social interaction for such a long period of time. From new use of technology to decreased attention spans there are many reasons for the common struggle.
Kids who were very young during the pandemic and who had never been to school were very hard to assimilate into school and even public settings. These kids had never really experienced social settings and entered school after they missed crucial years of learning the basics of social interaction and how schooling works. This put them behind the average level of students in grades K-2 in the years before. This caused the teachers to have to adapt and create new teaching techniques in order to teach them successfully.
Older students who were already in school before the pandemic are in a different situation. They had spent their entire lives used to having social interactions everyday at school or in public and suddenly were confined to their homes for an entire year. This took a toll on both the kids’ and adults’ mental health. Over the quarantine most kids found entertainment in social media like TikTok or YouTube. This caused their attention spans and overall interest in the subjects at school to decrease.
Students learning online for so long had distractions from their phones during lessons, did not complete assignments until the last minute, and got out of the normal structure of school. Coming back to school was really hard for the students who were out of the normal rhythm of school. When not in school, students were staying up late and sleeping during the hours, and had to readjust to a typical school schedule. Students weren’t able to go on their phones whenever they wanted and that caused them to lose attention or not retain any information from the lesson.
When back in-person students had less of a work ethic and did the bare minimum for school. They no longer had any drive in school other than to pass their classes and get through school. A lot of kids don’t even study for tests and try to get along without it. High school Sophomore Joslyn DelSignore said, “I found myself struggling to get back into old studying habits.”
Another Lowellville High School student, Yalexa Santiago-Rivera, said that she felt a lot less motivated after coming back to school and that it was harder to get things done. It was hard for kids to adjust but eventually most of them found their way back into the rhythm.
High School Italian teacher, Drama Club advisor, and Pep Club advisor, Mia DiRienzo Olson said that she has noticed a major increase in disrespect and disruptive behavior in the classroom. She spends more class time correcting some students’ behavior than actually teaching which affects the way the students learn. She mentioned that students often can’t go the entire class without checking their phones. “From what I’ve seen students tend to have a compulsive need to check their phone for notifications more frequently or are using their phones without even being aware that they are using it.”
Another reason for the difference in learning was the new implementation of technology in school even after online learning. Most work is now done on the school Chromebooks which give students the ability to veer off and do other things when they should be working. While the technology isn't always great, it does help out with learning a lot. Students can turn in and carry around a lot more work in only one computer. Teachers have a way to directly communicate with students outside of instruction time or if they are homesick.
The pandemic caused a large difference in traditional learning. There were some positives like the ability to communicate with your teachers anywhere using technology or having a new appreciation of school or their social lives. On the other hand, there were a lot of negatives such as: decreased attention in kids, students falling behind in school, lack of motivation, and disruption were a few that really affected learning. While there will never be going back to before the pandemic students and teachers alike are finding their new normals. Whether it be through new technology or rules implemented to help with learning, schools are gradually getting back on track.
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