As we embark upon the 2023-2024 school year, I revisit four predictions that I made almost two years ago. I thought (hoped and prayed) that these would come to fruition.
I believe there has been progress, but not nearly enough. Therefore, I re-examine the ideas herein, and ask readers to think about them. What kinds of positive changes have occurred in your school community over the past couple of years, AND what still must transpire before learning environments are at their best? Moreover, how can you help to make a difference?
As I indicated in a previous article (published at The Creativity Post Dec. 10th, 2021) parents and teachers worked hard to safeguard the health of students, staff, and communities in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Home and school communication channels strengthened. Educators and administrators adjusted instructional models as they strove to meet individual learning needs.
And now? Have things improved?
In the paragraphs that follow here, I reiterate points from the above-mentioned article, but this time around I've abbreviated and slightly adapted them. Perhaps most notably, I’ve changed what were formerly the words “I predict” or “I anticipate” to the ever-hopeful words “it would be great to see.”
The time is ripe to consider how you can help advocate to make meaningful learning a priority in the months ahead.
MOVING ON FROM PREDICTIONS TO SUGGESTIONS
Well-being: In education institutions across the continent, it would be great to see a concerted focus on nurturing students’ mental health and wellness. This includes calling in more professional counsellors and implementing additional means of fortifying children’s well-being. Adults can continue to reinforce children’s strengths, demonstrate resilience and coping strategies, acquire additional resources as needed, and be flexibly responsive to kids’ questions and concerns by providing information that they can understand and use.
Professional Development (PD): It would be great to see more professional development opportunities for teachers, enabling them to be better prepared to support all students, and meet their needs in social-emotional, academic, and other areas. PD should focus on nurturing children’s wellness; respecting diversity (including understanding and eliminating bias); and updating curriculum so that it reflects a more inclusive range of cultures and experiences, and invites creative expression. It’s important for all staff to receive training in these areas, and in how to address needs across the entire learning spectrum. Parents can and should ramp up advocacy for such professional development offerings.
Technology: It would be great to see children learning more about online safety, respectful discourse, relationship-building, and ever-expanding tech-based connectivity. While home and school technology continues to ramp up, and AI increasingly factors into the mix, there’s ongoing engagement (and sometimes concern) from students, parents, and educators. Kids should learn how to monitor—and, if need be, adapt—their online habits by becoming better informed about how to be savvy tech consumers. Parents and teachers can encourage and help with this.
Extracurriculars: It would be great to see more families tapping into extracurricular activities, with an emphasis on children’s enthusiasms, curiosity, and creativity. These kinds of learning options can complement what happens at school, and provide children with ways to pursue their interests, develop talents and skill sets, challenge the intellect, and extend a love of learning. Parents can seek and find avenues for encouraging children’s cognitive, creative, emotional, and social capacities. Areas to consider include authentic problem-solving, STEM pursuits (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), arts, athletics, nature studies, leadership, volunteering, and programs across different disciplines and geared at various ability levels.
FORWARD THINKING…
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
~ William Shakespeare
Parents and educators cannot predict the future. However, they can learn from the past, and take initiative knowing that certain attitudes and actions can foster kids’ success.
Thus, to recap, it would be great to see increased advocacy efforts in support of children’s mental health and well-being, professional development for teachers, smart use of technology, and involvement in extracurricular activities. It’s also imperative to support diversity in learning and in teaching methods, and to advocate for differentiated kinds of educational opportunities—ones that are relevant and appropriately challenging.
Last but not least, adults can help children recognize the value of self-advocacy, as well as the many benefits that can accrue from kids’ own efforts, inquiry, reflection, collaboration, creativity, and optimism! This will empower young people to develop agency in their learning, and to appreciate and enjoy endless possibilities for growth and fulfillment throughout their schooling in the months—and years—ahead.
