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9 Positives from School Closures; Part 1
Jane Stratton • Jul 07, 2020
Part 1, THREE Positives For Parents
There has been much negative debate regarding the education of children recently, but it has to be noted that despite the anxiety surrounding Covid-19 for many youngsters, their parents and teachers, the lockdown situation has also resulted in positives for learning. It is important, moving towards ‘normality’ that we acknowledge these, learn from them and try where possible to carry them forward to benefit education for the future. This is part one and will cover three such positives for parents, although you will be able to think of many more I am sure.
Parents
Parents’ lives were turned upside down when all schools were closed at the end of March. I made a vlog back then to try and allay some of the fears as parents were being bombarded with notes from schools and photos of ‘perfect’ home-school environments on social media. Now three months on, many positives can be noted:
1. Reduction of School-Associated Stress
What I mean by this is actually the complete eradication of that awful school morning family rush hour, with the rabble of anxiety ridden voices: “Hurry up!”, “Have you brushed your teeth?”, “Where are my shoes?”, “Hurry up!”, “Have you washed my PE kit?”, “Get off your tablet and eat your breakfast!”, “Come NOW!”, “HURRY UP!”……..and that’s just the morning! What about the after-school persuasion to do homework, the school runs, the realisation that the water bottle, lunch box AND musical instrument have been left in school? ………..Let’s pause for a moment while we acknowledge the calm that has replaced that time; I for one do not miss it! Not for a moment!
2. Engagement with Learning
Parents have never before had such a great opportunity to engage with their children’s learning. They have been able to join their youngster’s enthusiasm and passion for certain subjects and encourage and support them with others. It has given us true insights into how our children learn whilst acknowledging what they find tricky. We have been able to join in their successes and give the instant feedback that they need. We have also been able to teach our youngsters some valuable life skills such as cooking, gardening and housework; crucial learning for independent living.
3. Family Time
As parents, haven’t we always wanted time to slow down? We’ve craved more time; time to appreciate family and create memories. We wanted to stop rushing, to calm the noise! Whilst we have been restricted to our homes, we have had to think outside the box to create family activities, use the resources we have close at hand and work together to fill our days. Hasn’t it been lovely to see families walking and cycling together, great to hear chattering in gardens, and wonderful to smell the smokiness of outside cooking? For those of us whose health has allowed, we will have special memories from this time forever.
Moving forwards as schools open in the coming months and learning in its more traditional sense is resumed for children across the nation, let us carry forth these positives and continue to engage with our youngsters' education. We all now have our part to play, working together to benefit school and family life. Please comment below if you have other positives to add, and read more positives in Part 2
and Part 3.
WOW!
JUST WOW!
Imagine me open-mouthed and lost for words! Quite difficult? That’s because it doesn’t happen often.
However, that was exactly what happened at the end of the most amazing workshop I attended yesterday at the ITAKOM conference.
Hands down, it was the most effective and informative session about neurodiversity I have ever attended (and I have attended quite a few).
The reason it was so good? It was delivered by a group of neurodiverse young adults from the Neuropoint Stakeholders Group from the Salvesen Mindroom.
It's hard to believe that I've been doing this for a year now. Sitting down at my computer a few times a week and getting to speak to unique, intelligent and wonderful young people who all want to push themselves that little bit further. In light of this, It feels only right to reflect on what I've learned myself in this time. Spoiler alert; it's far more than I thought I would. Expect the unexpected It's safe to say I didn't think I was going to end up doing this, and I think that's a big part of what has made the experience so special. Life is so unpredictable, and for someone who loves to plan, it's huge for me to even say those words. But, more often than not, unpredictability leads to where you were meant to go. Don't fear trying something new, you might like where it gets you. Be willing to ask for help The only reason I am where I am is through the support of others. Be it Jane , for helping me get started with the business, to my family supporting me through it, and even to my friends for reassuring me when I wasn't sure if I could do it. Asking and offering help is, as we have all learned in the past year and a half, one of the most essential parts of our humanity. We undeniably need each other, and shouldn't be afraid to admit it. Never Underestimate Young People This is the second biggest lesson I learned. Every single young person I had the joy of interacting with over this first year has disproven every stereotype the world puts out there. They are all bright, brilliant communicators, funny, unique and caring. There wasn't one session where they didn't also ask me how I was before we started. Each one of them proved to me that they didn't deserve to be underestimated in the slightest. Pulling their grades up through hard work, teaching me something I didn't know, creating masterful pieces of writing, and even proving to themselves that they knew what they were doing. We need to listen more to our teenagers This, for me, is the biggest lesson for everyone who may come across this post. I have always valued the voices of our young people. I believe they're fundamental to our developing society and our future. Unfortunately, I know many who would rather believe the contrary. The individuals that I worked with over this year proved that young people deserve a say in their lives, their future, and their education. Many of them are passionate to take a stand for their peers, they just need the support. I love doing this. At the end of the day, it's simple. I always thought I'd be working with young people in some capacity, and here I am. Three weeks out from beginning my teaching journey, and from tutoring beginning again. I honestly cannot wait. Being able to make a difference, no matter how small, means a lot to me. I fell in love with this role over the last year, and I can't wait to keep going. So, to the Kirkwood Tutoring Class of 2021, I wish you all the luck in the world. You all deserve it 10 times over. And thank YOU, for teaching me and trusting me. I hope the world is kinder to you all this year.
Currently in my forties, heading towards my fifties, I can look back and see just how perfect this career has been for me. All my children have additional support needs and have needed a hands-on mum to advocate on their behalf and negotiate what has been to them, a stressful and damaging education system. I have gained such a wealth of knowledge of child development, neurodiversity, education systems and learning styles, both in my personal life and in my career, that I am now able to offer so much to the families and youngsters with whom I work. I bring to my tutoring, not only knowledge learned from research and qualifications but more importantly from lived experience. It has given me a confidence in what I do too, and I have been able to adapt over the years from black and white books and paper posters through the introduction of coloured books and laminated adverts (!) to eBooks, social media marketing, websites, a plethora of digital resources and a physical in-house science lab for practical experiments and monthly tutorials. With the Covid-19 situation, I have seamlessly moved to online tutoring and am actually thoroughly enjoying being able to offer my services further afield, although I also look forward to the day when I am able to see some pupils again face-to-face. Education itself has seen numerous changes over the years, with the need once again for drastic change. I have learnt so much about adapting my tutoring style as curriculum changes have been introduced and assessments have been redesigned. Many have opposed these changes but as tutors, we have to constantly adapt if we are to successfully support today’s learners. Private tutoring, with its flexibility, personal approach and adaptability lends itself well to modern learning and I just love what I do! For so many people who have recently graduated, lost their job or whose family situation has changed, employment is looking bleak. All I can say is, if you are passionate about a subject, and would love to share it whilst also improve the prospects for the next generation, give tutoring a try ; it can truly change your life!
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