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Reality of School; Teenage Experience During a Pandemic
Jane Stratton • September 13, 2020
What has school been like for our teenagers during the last month?
Schools in Scotland have now been back for a month and there has been much media attention centred around the wearing of masks, social distancing (or not) and new Covid-19 cases. All this is vitally important of course, but what is school really like for our teenagers?
The answer, given by one of my tutees,
“Very, very stressful!”
We all knew that the pandemic was going to take its toll on the younger members of society, and we were told that ‘Health and Wellbeing’ were going to be the primary focus when schools resumed……. but has that been the reality in all of Scottish Secondary Schools? Another tutee gave this response,
“No, I feel more worried and stressed than I have ever felt at school before.”
The reality is that teachers are having to rush through the courses in case there are more school closures, and there is no time for the students who are struggling to catch up. When learners know they are finding a subject hard, they are dreading those lessons and are in a state of panic even before entering the classroom. This drastically reduces the chance of them gaining any knowledge whatsoever form the class, and the anxiety feels as though it is, “on a loop.”
Add to this, the continuous assessment in every subject. For some, this is as many as eight subjects at National 5, for others, five subjects at Higher level and for some, two at advanced Higher and as many as three other subjects. Parents are saying that their youngsters are, “exhausted and on edge all the time.”
They are constantly worried about tests as it has been, “drummed into them”, how important it is to achieve high marks from the beginning of the year in case predications are necessary again. One parent called me last week to enquire about tutoring for her daughter; she had called home during the day upset because her class had been told that they were, “the worst year”
the teacher had ever had. I tried to reassure her that this would not be the case as no third-year class would have been given the test that she was receiving marks for, ever before!
Despite the SQA
stating that there would be a statement outlining the planned changes to courses and exams for 2020-2021 two weeks ago, we are still awaiting this news, a fact that pupils are being told by staff on a daily basis. School teachers are very legitimately feeling the pressure themselves and understandably want to explain to their pupils that they do not have any guidelines to pass on as yet. Unfortunately, however, this is taking further toll on a group of youngsters, many of whom have recently been affected by the exam results fiasco, and all of whom are negotiating their way through a global situation that has never been experienced before.
Our children are having to find homework on digital systems, try and work out what they are expected to do, when it has be to be returned, and to whom, and many parents feel ill equipped to assist. This is all happening at a time when the teenage brains are ‘rebooting’ anyway and there seems to be no allowance being made for this. I feel very inadequate myself at the moment as these youngsters are really needing my support, but I simply don’t have all the answers for them! Working one-to-one however at least affords me the chance to reassure them individually and give them the personal encouragement needed.
I specialise in supporting learners with additional support needs. It seems to many that they have been forgotten in this situation, and if we are not careful to identify their individual requirements and nurture their self-esteem, we will be looking at a vast number of learners suffering desperately low confidence, extreme anxiety and possibly falling out of the education system altogether. In short, they are seriously struggling with all the new demands of school, on top of the challenges with learning they already experienced.
Parents are extremely concerned and at a loss to know what to do for the best. I am taking daily enquiries and my spaces for new pupils are vanishing fast. I imagine all tutors will be the same, and this in itself is a worry for pupils who may therefore not get one-to-one support at all. I have developed new services
this year to try and reach as many youngsters as I can, and I expect that other tutors will too. I am also encouraging others to think about tutoring
as a career as families are desperate for the input.
Please can we rally round these youngsters because the reality of school for them is far from what was hoped? Together, let’s make things better!
What Does a Decade-Long Wait Mean?
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.
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