COVID Leap
Emotions guide everything. So what emotion is guiding the warning from experts who predict that a COVID Slide is looming for students? In recent weeks I have seen “COVID Slide” pop up on various websites such as NWEA, CNN, and EdWeek. According to the articles I have read the COVID Slide is predicted to have a larger negative effect on children than the well known Summer Slide. This triggers my curiosity. As an educator, I have witnessed students return to school after summer vacation and was amazed at how much they had changed-physically and academically. Now I can only imagine how students will return to school that was abruptly closed. Students will return with a lot of emotions and new learning.
The idea of COVID Slide seems hopeless. The notion that the disruption of school created a situation where students have no possibility of success is a disturbing thought. The term communicates the message to school leaders, teachers, students, parents, and the community that the students are helpless without school. It’s as if the disruption of school was the destruction of students. This is deficit thinking at its finest.
But what if the return to school was described as the COVID Leap? The word leap makes me think of anticipation, excitement, adventure. Suddenly the image I envision is bright. There is space to think about all the possible learning students will bring when they return to school. There is curiosity about what they have learned and how the learning can be a springboard for new learning. There is the opportunity to listen deeply to students' learning experiences and use the information to guide decisions for forward movement. There is the opportunity to listen deeply for what students know and do consistently. It is possible to listen to experiences for glimpses of inspiration, successes and do overs. Let’s change this narrative of how we expect students to return to school. Let’s make it celebratory, spacious, and inclusive of everything the student brings. Let’s take the COVID Leap back to school!
To help you shift your own thinking, consider taking a leap, Here are some questions you can use to help you leap into a new way of thinking about what is possible.
What is something you learned that you are excited about? (Interest what gets them excited)
How did what you learned make your life easier? (Relevance)
How can you apply what you learned to help you in school? (Application to new situations)
How does what you learn help others? (Benefit to others)
What else would you like to learn about this topic? (Extension of learning)
What challenges did you have with learning this? (Problem identification)
How did you overcome the challenge? (Problem solving)
What else could you do to overcome the challenge. (Critical thinking)
Do you notice a shift? What is possible when you think about these questions? Ask others (children, significant others, parents, etc.) these questions and see if you can notice how the the conversation shifts to one of possibility.
Planning for the return to school as a leap rather than a slide gives everyone a sense of hope. It opens up the possibilities of what could be - just what we all need in times of uncertainty.