The pandemic has transformed the way we live in almost every way imaginable.
Communication, learning, socializing, and working are all aspects of our lives that have undergone drastic changes throughout the last couple of years. While many government and health officials have expressed that these times are unprecedented and the challenges we’ve endured have been difficult to cope with at times, some members of our community have made positive observations throughout a time of turmoil.
Melissa Pothier, a nursing student and health care worker living on the North Shore, shares that “the situation brought tenacity, resilience, perseverance, bravery, and new perspectives. “
Pothier states “the optimism is just related to completing the goal. Nothing to do with covid related optimism as covid has been a mess, hopefully things will continue to get better.”
In terms of remote learning, Pothier did not recall having any difficulties. “I didn’t find any challenges to remote learning and I actually liked learning at home,” she said.
Jacqueline Sweeney, an educator in the Haverhill public school system, described how her students dealt with the transition to remote learning in the past and how they are doing today with the adjustment back to in-person learning.
“The students who attended remote learning every day and have consistent attendance are doing OK. Last year, we were hybrid and also had a remote learning academy. I see the biggest deficits with the students who were remote all year and had poor attendance with remote schooling,” she said.
According to Sweeney, attendance is a major contributing factor when it comes to a student’s success, especially with remote learning.
When asked whether she thought remote learning opportunities are beneficial and should be widely available under any circumstance or if they should only be only used on an as-needed basis Sweeney responded “This is a tough question. On one hand, I think that if a student is going to be out for an extended period of time, having them complete some lessons remotely is beneficial. But, having the teacher work with a student online and students in person is not beneficial to any students. I think it is beneficial is the family is involved and on board. If they are not, then it does not work well. This is purely from the academic standpoint. I do not think that this opinion applies to the social emotional well being of the kids. Many children have forgotten how to interact with other children and are struggling with making friends. Overall, I do not think that remote learning opportunities are the way to go for public schools.”
In Sweeney’s opinion, remote learning serves a purpose depending on the circumstances.
Nadia Slepoy, a mother residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, shares similar views about remote learning availability. “As a parent I think remote learning has opened a new way of schooling, it should be given as an option for children that thrive in that kind of setting. The only downside would be the social aspect of going to school, and school being a safe place for a lot of kids.”
Both Slepoy and Sweeney share concerns about social well-being with remote learning.
Slepoy goes on to share how covid precautions have affected her 4 year-old daughter’s school experience when asked about how her daughter handles wearing a mask in class. “My daughter was very young when the pandemic started and she had an adjustment period where she’d try to remove it often. Now it’s just a new norm and she doesn’t mind it all.”
Mask mandates, pool testing, and hygiene protocols are some examples of covid precautions put in place by school systems since the beginning of the pandemic. Despite the challenges that accompany remote learning, Sweeney shares a positive outlook on what has occurred for her as a result of these difficult times.
“I honestly think that it has made me a better teacher. I have been forced to make my lessons more concise and targeted, to ensure that students at home would be able to do their work and understand. During our hybrid time, we also had remote Wednesdays. This was excellent because it gave time for me to do a book study with my colleagues on the Science of Reading. It was also time to receive additional trainings. There was also a huge focus on Social Emotional Learning and building relationships. This helped me to develop deeper relationships with my students.”
From a parent’s point of view, Slepoy is also able to put a positive spin on her experiences.
“The pandemic changed the way we view illnesses- my daughter now loves learning about the science behind all this, and it showed us how easily our every day life can change. It brought a lot of challenges for everyone, and navigating through the constant changes took a toll on our physical and mental health. I think the silver lining is that no matter how difficult and unprecedented times are, better days (similar to pre-covid) are coming and hopefully this turns into an endemic very soon.”
