I think expecting good performance out of students is important, but, no one can deny things have changed in the teaching and learning of students. They are still going to be wearing masks for children under 12.
I think 12 years old is when Junior High School or Middle School begins, yes? So, the Middle Schools should be maskless because I am confident the school systems will require vaccines where they are available.
I will say this, the schools may have a problem enforcing that rule because of the inflammatory response noted in this age group, of 12 - 17. Parents might be apprehensive in having their children in this age group vaccinated. So, if the youngest elementary students still have to wear masks, perhaps that should still be system-wide. No chance of cross-contamination because some teachers such as art and music travel from school to school to teach.
But, the article from Brookings is interesting. I think school systems need to be ready to try different evaluations for students who are not doing well and whether or not they need to repeat a grade or find a better venue for their learning.
By Niharika Gupt and Sameer Sampat
In primary school, (click here) we were both lucky to have teachers who thought we were brilliant: Ms. Darrow believed Sameer was an excellent student despite average grades, and Ms. Lewis made Niharika feel like she could survive anything. Looking back, neither of us knows why they thought this way, but we’re certain that they both truly felt this way, and their feelings made us believe it as well. Our time with these teachers made us believe in our ability to take on academic challenges, building a base of confidence that we would draw on throughout our lives.
We experienced firsthand that what a teacher expects from a student can have a powerful effect. But we also know that there are many students who never have a teacher who believes in them. There is a strong perception among teachers and other stakeholders that students from disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds cannot learn as well. These beliefs adversely impact what teachers do in the classroom and in turn how much students learn and grow. It’s precisely these students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have been hit hardest by COVID-19 and who need the most help. To bridge this growing inequality in learning, we must design support for teachers to nurture the belief that all students can learn....
