Learning gap for students due to Covid

Academic normality remains out of reach for many kids, educators, and parents as we approach the two-year anniversary of the first wave of pandemic-related school closures. Schools have encountered severe staff shortages, high rates of absenteeism and quarantines, and continuous school closures, in addition to rising COVID-19 cases by the end of 2021. Teachers and parents have been obliged to quickly adapt to a new educational context as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic: distant learning.

Teachers created online academic materials, while parents taught their children at home the exercises and lessons offered by the teachers. Given the huge expansion in the use of digital tools in education during this crisis, and the trend is expected to continue, there is a compelling need to comprehend the impact of distance learning.  According to new surveys, while students found learning uncomfortable during Covid-19, strengthening online learning will have the greatest direct benefit on students' future wellbeing, engagement, and motivation.

Here are some proven strategies on how to close the learning gap caused by COVID :

·         SEL and Mental Health should be priorities

Educators had already voiced a growing feeling of urgency about concerns related to social-emotional learning (SEL). Students perform better academically when their social-emotional needs are satisfied, according to research, and this occurs when we integrate SEL into all aspects of schooling—culturally responsive teaching, for example, is especially crucial as we strive for social justice. The importance of self-esteem and mental wellness must be prioritized.

·         Equity

The most common definition of equity is that each student receives everything they require to succeed in school and in life. Equity is the lens through which educators make decisions about development and resources (including assessments), as well as how they set up the physical environment for both in-person and remote education. Disparities in this area have been well-documented, and it was a key focus throughout COVID. Our commitment to fairness is reflected by the way we use language to better concentrate on both student strengths and needs.

·         Digitalization

In focusing directly on students, technology can help teachers in many ways. They can easily prioritize their time, save time on grading and organizing, and restore the necessary level of optimism in the digital surrounding. Teachers will have more time to deliver targeted teaching, expound when necessary, and engage in collaborative conversations if the full potential of educational technology is achieved. They'd also pay more attention to academic and equity issues, such as how learning disruptions are dealt with.

·         Mentoring

According to those who study the future of work, leadership qualities will be exhibited more through mentoring than management—that is, through focusing on development rather than performance or task fulfillment. Empathy appears to be the beginning point for all interactions for educators. Teachers are currently more worried about their students' emotional well-being and the communities they serve than they are about test results.

However, there is clearly more work to be done. School districts and states are presently debating which interventions and methods to employ in order to reduce learning declines over the last two years. Finally, there is much work to be done, and children, educators, and parents face significant obstacles.

However, this could be the turning point in decades of educational reform, intervention, and study. Relying on what we've learnt could point us in the right direction.