A Pandemic In Review: The Long-Lasting Impact Of COVID On US Education

There’s no question that the pandemic has had a long-lasting effect on the education system. Missing any stretch of education can be damaging to a student’s academic development, especially missing important exam periods or having limited access to the resources needed to catch up.

Fortunately, the world is getting back to normal, but this process is slow and there isn’t as much support for students as we’d like. Not to mention the psychological effects of isolation on youths that lowers confidence in both academic and social skills.

Today, we’re here to explore COVID's negative impact on US education and how we went about combating it.

How COVID Impacted Schools
Schools have had to shut down for prolonged periods of time over the last few years we’ve been struggling with the virus. The impact of COVID-19 on education was widespread and catastrophic; over 50 million students throughout the U.S were affected by these closures.

With this level of disruption, schools had to shift to long-distance teaching. This posed a whole new set of challenges in needing to provide adapted systems and training for delivering lessons remotely.

Even when getting back to normal classes, mandatory testing throughout the transition was required. Depending on local health department protocols, some recently reopened schools would have to quickly shut again, requiring fluidity around the teaching methods for our next generation.

With there still being over 100,000 cases reported in America every week, the main issue is ensuring the safety of our children. Understandably – due to the recent events, many parents were hesitant to send their children back – it became paramount for many educational institutions to reassure guardians of their ability to monitor and prevent mass breakouts within schools. It’s no easy task: many places had to enforce mask policies and other mitigation practices, despite pushback from others due to the measures’ contentious nature.

How COVID Impacted Students
Students were negatively affected by the virus in a number of ways. The years of school life are highly formative for younger people in terms of how they develop as a person. With the change from in-person teaching to virtual, there was a lot less opportunity for students to monitor their progress on subjects using previously tested and accepted methods.

Changing these systems has led to a re-evaluation of the way that we teach, opening the possibility of using more techniques to study outside of the conventional in-class setting. Now we can look into the possibility of using pre-recorded presentations and online tests to reinforce learning behaviors and strategies outside of the classroom.

However, the issues that surfaced are not just academic in nature; many of the social skills students will be using throughout the rest of their lives are honed in the years they spend in education with likeminded individuals. When separated from their peers, many can lose confidence in their social and academic abilities, leading to increased levels of anxiety and lower levels of active interaction when learning.

How COVID Impacted Teachers
The negative impact of COVID-19 on education also came into play for teachers. They too had a tremendously difficult time when it came to adapting to the pandemic. Some schools were able to provide resources and training to teachers as they updated their methods, but many teachers were forced to make key decisions surrounding the process alone. Maintaining high standards while being unable to perceive or influence students’ engagement was difficult.

Teachers also had to adapt techniques to different age groups, as there were different issues for each. Younger students needed more visually stimulating methods to keep their attention focused on the class rather than on the plentiful distractions at home. On the other hand, older students were enticed into remaining active in class by using games or quizzes. These would help keep attention on the lesson, rather than on other tempting applications that were readily available.

Education Beyond The Pandemic
We’re yet to fully grasp the long-lasting impact of COVID on US education. But now we’ve returned to in-person learning, there are a number of takeaways we can reflect upon.

Firstly, we’ve discovered how effective technology can be for learning when combined with face-to-face lessons. According to a 2017 study by Sumedha Chauhan about the learning of children in elementary schools, the potential for this combined approach existed even before we had to rely on it. Using these methods, we can improve learning and provide ways for students to receive professional help, even outside of school.

It's not all good news, though: due to the lasting effects of COVID, the NCES reports that 80% of schools have recorded an increase in behavioral issues since the pandemic. Such issues could make it harder for students to focus on their education than before. However, this could encourage learning through alternative mediums or in smaller groups to enable motivated individuals to do so without distractions.

Stay On Track With Teachers 1on1
Dealing with COVID-19 and education has been challenging. Filling in the knowledge gaps left by the pandemic is an ongoing process, and many learners and teachers are still looking for any help they can get to catch up.

Teachers1on1 delivers a quick and easy way to set up lessons, with a wide range of teachers from universities throughout the country. The pay-as-you-go method and teacher selection process ensures that you get the right help for all of your child’s studies – without breaking the bank.

Our teachers are veterans in delivering top-notch services through seamless streaming platforms. After each class, you keep the video, allowing your student to go over material and ingest the lessons at their own pace.

Featured image by Muneer ahmed ok on Unsplash