The wife of one of my former students wrote these words recently:

“I am not one to usually post things like this BUT having to sit here this morning and comfort my girl as I watch tears roll down her cheeks over virtual schooling is NOT okay… her exact words: ‘I just want to be back in school mommy, how long is this going to last?’ It’s time the emotional and mental toll this is taking on ALL children be talked about – and considered! Nothing is more heartbreaking than watching your 6 year old completely broken down.”

I doubt any of us imagined after COVID-19 first hit that we would be dealing with the fall-out nearly a year later. Frankly, I am not sure I see a return to normalcy even by the end of this school year.

I have had a ring-side seat to students dealing with virtual learning since the beginning of this academic year. Many schools were completely Virtual for much of the first semester. Even when students returned to face-to-face classes, that return was piecemeal. Two of my grandsons attend face-to-face classes on Thursdays and Fridays. The rest of the time, instruction is delivered via internet.

I have written about my other school-aged my grandchildren. For months, three spent nearly every Monday at my house for “Virtual Mondays.” We spent a week with two others whose schooling is all Virtual. I have seen them work from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – day after day. I have wiped my share of their tears, given instruction, helped them think through assignments, and observed the frustration they have endured.

The children I am talking about – my grandkids – have decent internet service. I cannot imagine what parents and grandparents are doing if they have only spotty internet connections. And what about parents who struggle with the curriculum and delivering instruction?

Emma Garcia and Elaine Weiss discussed the serious issues in their article published by the Economic Policy Institute titled “COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy.”

“Research regarding online learning and teaching shows that they [teaching and learning] are effective only if students have consistent access to the internet and computers and if teachers have received targeted training and supports for online instruction.” 

Many competent in using computers often think providing instruction via the internet is not big issue. I doubt these people have considered that not all teachers are as computer savvy as they are.

When I taught at East Carolina, I took training in providing on-line instruction. We learned about lesson structure, clarifying objectives, creating relevant and compelling on-line materials, and accountability. Although I was certified to teach on-line classes, I never taught a single one. Please keep in mind that universities have been doing on line instruction for years, yet many instructors and professors had never taught on-line until COVID.

Teachers in K-12 schools certainly did not have the level of online training those at the university level had. Yet, around March of 2020, these teachers were thrust into a situation demanding that they develop skills needed to provide virtual learning. This situation produced culture shock. Many have become proficient in online instruction, but others are still struggling. I am sure some teachers have shed tears of their own.

I have talked with a number of teachers who have told me that they have trouble even getting some of their students to do online assignments. Some students rarely check in. When we consider that properly checking in and submitting assignments is one way of accounting for attendance, then students who miss so much of their work simply cannot pass.

Lack of internet resources is common, especially in the poorer counties of this state. Without an internet pipeline, virtual learning is a pipe dream.

Another observation Garcia and Weiss make should send shockwaves of concern through students, parents and teachers. The authors write: “Once the pandemic allows it, we will need to make up for this [lost] time by increasing both the amount and quality of learning time – through extended schedules, summer enrichment and after-school activities, more personalized instruction, and staffing strategies that reduce class sizes and staff schools with sufficient and highly credentialed educators.”

How will this extra instructional time be funded? I am not aware of any teachers who have gotten extra pay even though they are working longer hours to create lessons that have both face-to-face and virtual components. I personally know teachers who receive and place calls far outside the normal limits of their typical schedules. Teachers reach out to those who are not performing. They call parents. They take calls from students – and they even have “Zoom” meetings with students so they can build the personal relationships so vital to real teaching and learning.

Please understand the fallout from COVID has hindered the education of most, if not all, of our K-12 students. Our students and their teachers will not be able to dig out of this educational cave-in overnight. We must be patient – and realistic.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.