Written by Becky Ward, Education Experience Specialist, Tutor Doctor
2020 has been a year for the history books and the educational landscape has changed drastically with school closures in the spring and many schools moving online as a means of continuing education and keeping students safe. As this unprecedented year comes to a close, we can’t help but wonder what 2021 has in store for students and their education!
What could 2021 mean for students?
Catching up lost learning:
Schools around the world have closed for varying periods of time and it’s possible that more closures may happen as the pandemic continues to unfold. As students work through the 2020-2021 school year, we will begin to see the true impact of the COVID slide and the learning that was lost due to school closures. This means more students, and their families, than ever before will be turning to educational and tutoring support services, like Tutor Doctor, to build back missing educational pieces and get back on track.
Students who struggle may struggle more:
For most students, the effects that the pandemic have had on their education won’t last for very long, however, for some students, it may take years to recover their lost learning. Teachers are working so hard to ensure their students receive the education they missed and that they receive the education they need to be successful at their current grade level as well. This means, for most students, the pace of instruction has increased and those students who were already struggling and/or those who have learning disabilities/disorders/challenges might not have time to process all the information being given to them.
It also means that teachers may not have the time and resources necessary to accommodate the learning needs of these students, especially if they are working online. These students also tend to struggle with the executive functioning skills needed to be successful online learners and are often the most negatively impacted by change and unpredictability. All of this means that in 2021 we may see the gap between the most successful students and those who struggle most widen as these students try to catch up and keep up, while their peers charge ever onward.
Technology will continue to play a big role:
The spring of 2020 saw students and teachers thrust into the online learning space and though there may have been a few bumps in the road, teachers have done an amazing job at bringing their classrooms and teaching practices into the digital world. Schools and teachers have figured out how to incorporate technology into their classrooms, across all grade levels, in ways we never would have imagined! There have been many positive gains from this, like increased student accountability and ownership over their learning, more student directed learning, and greater student independence. These are essential educational pieces and skills that teachers want to foster in their students, so we anticipate that technology and its positive effects will continue to play a big role in the classroom of 2021.
We hope 2021 will be a year of renewal and calm, but no matter what it brings to the education landscape, Tutor Doctor will be here to help!
