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<small class=”image-media media-photo-credit” placeholder=”Add Photo Credit…”>Photo courtesy of Justin Bernard</small></p><p>”We have students from all different backgrounds and sports are important to them, not just because they have fun, but also because it also involves study hall, team building stuff, accountability for staying on top of their grades, and making sure they are going to class.” When Covid-19 hit, all of that disappeared and students felt the impact immediately. Bernard stepped in to open spaces for socially distant workouts to provide a sense of normalcy. And in the months since the onset of the pandemic, he began running study halls for his football players, checking in and keeping communication open to support the kids as much as possible beyond the field and the classroom.</p><p class=”shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image”>
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<small class=”image-media media-photo-credit” placeholder=”Add Photo Credit…”>Photo courtesy of Lily Read</small></p><p>”Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than their school,” according to the<a href=”https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html” target=”_blank”> Center for Disease Control</a>. Schools not only provide educational instruction, but also social and emotional guidance, predictability, meals, and safety. When schools unexpectedly shut down in March 2020 due to Covid-19, over <a href=”https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372#:~:text=About%2056.4%20million%20students%20are,the%20United%20States%20(source).&text=Of%20the%2050.7%20million%20public%20school%20students%20(source)%3A” target=”_blank”>56 million students</a> lost access to that safety net.<br></p><p>Lack of structure and supervision aren’t the only challenges students face as they transition into a virtual learning environment. With virtual learning, their home lives are now on display. Read recognized this immediately when students expressed their concerns. “One of the things that we know is an issue for a lot of our students is the fact that they may live in situations that are maybe not conducive to showing their classmates on Zoom or Google Meets…it just causes them additional stress.” </p><p>Because of this, one of the things she did to prepare for this school year involved buying every trifold poster board she could find—really brightly colored ones—and offer them to her students to decorate and put behind themselves when they are in “class.” Read plans to personally deliver the boards to students and/or meet them at a local park so they can pick up art supplies and poster boards and hopes to make the project fun. “We are hoping this will get kids to have more face time because we know that having students on camera is actually going to benefit them if we do so in a way that will avoid actually increasing their anxiety.” </p><p>The transition from in-person instruction to virtual classrooms isn’t easy, but kids need structure—especially those who live in high-risk environments. And educators are thinking creatively to solve the challenges that students are facing, again reminding us how valuable teachers are to the future of our society.</p><p>”We are committed to doing everything we can to help our students feel safe, loved, supported, and keep them learning. No matter what happens in the next few months, we are all experiencing these challenges together—and we will overcome them, together,” said Read.</p><p class=”shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image”>
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<small class=”image-media media-photo-credit” placeholder=”Add Photo Credit…”>Photo courtesy of Lily Read</small></p><p>Another hurdle is figuring out how to virtually teach the incoming preschoolers and kindergarteners who are not yet able to read or type and getting crucial internet access to those families. Teaching a room full of wiggly 4-year-olds is challenging in a regular classroom setting—finding ways to keep them engaged through a screen is a whole new level of difficulty.<br></p><p>These concerns are part of the reason why getting kids back in school (safely!) and with equitable access to technology has been the top priority of educators and parents. <a href=”https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/united-way-educational-packets/” target=”_blank”>Procter & Gamble and United Way are working together to bridge the digital divide</a>. No matter what age, in times when kids can’t be in the classroom, families need to have affordable internet so they can stay on track with their education; otherwise, students will fall further behind.</p><p><strong>If you would like to help teachers and families during this incredibly challenging time, P&G Good Everyday make it easy by<a href=”https://www.pggoodeveryday.com/impact/united-way-educational-packets/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”> turning your everyday actions into extraordinary acts of good</a>.</strong> </p>
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Source: https://www.upworthy.com/world-food-programme-deserves-nobel-peace-prize