Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog!
How was your week? Did you touch base with that teen in your life? We are still spending time with just one of our young adults. Our oldest comes back from Arizona this week. We miss having our oldest around, but it is kind of nice to have the one-on-one time with our youngest.
National Women’s History Month
I’ll be focusing the posts this month towards women who have done inspiring things or have made contributions to our country’s history. This month, I would like to take the time to thank all of the teachers who have been helping teens continue to move forward with their learning even through the pandemic. They have had to do some creative things to get the job done. Making contributions to our history and our future.
International Women’s Day
Do you know what today is? March 8th is International Women’s Day. Like I mentioned last week, it was the founding step to March becoming National Women’s History Month. President Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Proclamation declared this week Women’s History Week to correspond with International Women’s Day. That weeklong recognition eventually became a month long one.
It was about a year ago… When everything started…
- We were sent home from work and school
- We were told to not go anywhere unless it was deemed essential
- We were told to wear masks and social distance from one another
It is when we embraced the COVID-19 Pandemic
I saw a lot of Facebook posts over the weekend about this being the time when it all started last year. Hard to believe it has been a year already.
Teen Issue – Remote vs. In-Person Learning
There were some teens completing their high school experience remotely before the pandemic. But do we remember when this major switch to all remote learning started last year? Teens were sent home from school with no plan in place to how they would continue school. A year later, with many of the schools starting back in-person, I am wondering how kids are doing with these transitions.
Remote Learning
Some teens are doing really well with remote learning. Sure, they are missing their friends and the social aspects of in-person school, but they adapted to the issues of time management and a different type of socialization.
Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com
Time Management
During in-person learning at school, the teacher drives the time management segment. While teens are sitting in their classrooms, they are held accountable for what they are doing with their time with attendance and participation. The same thing could be accomplished through remote learning, but some kids won’t show up. Either they don’t deal well with the format, or they don’t have the right technology at home to do it.
While learning from home, it can be harder to stay focused. There can be more distractions at home than at school. Teens may have their parents to help them stay on track, but the time management piece falls more to the teen to manage with remote learning.
Different type of socialization
How are you doing with interacting with your friends and co-workers on screen? It is the same for our teens. I started a new day job during COVID. It has been harder to learn the job remotely. Can’t just tap a co-worker on the shoulder and ask a question. Have to make a phone call or set up a meeting.
What about the chatter that goes on in class that one can learn from? Not just about class, but about other things that go on in a teen’s life. Sure, some of those same things can happen in an online Zoom meeting or class, but what about what is gained by hanging out at school? Or what are the mental health implications of not being there?
Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com
Hanging out at school
One of the biggest social pieces missing right now for kids and teens. Building relationships with teachers and others is an important part of the school experience. It is a huge motivator to student success in school. Not to mention all the school activities that have been modified or cancelled due to COVID-19.
Mental Health Aspect
The lack of social interaction that comes from hanging out at school and in-person learning has led to students having feelings of isolation and depression. This is one of the reasons I start every blog post asking if you have checked in with that teen in your life this week? They are going through a lot of new feelings due to having to learn from home. Learning how to interact with people over a computer and giving up many activities including hanging out at school is a lot to have to deal with as a person. Ask them how they are doing and make sure they are okay.
Do you really know how teens doing with the transition between remote learning and in-person? Do we know how this different type of socialization has affected them? Have we checked in and asked them? Please let me know in the comments below.
The Hard Way
Looking for a good teen/young adult read about peer pressure and choosing your friends? How about checking out The Hard Way? Head over to the books tab to find out more.
Have a great week!
