They May Not Be Learning That, But They Are Learning This …
“If she’s not here, she’s somewhere else.” The simplest statements are often the wisest.
More than two decades ago, in the middle of a sunny morning, I sat in a bright, spacious room with fellow counselling students. We were about to begin an important therapy activity. One student was particularly concerned that one of our classmates was not yet there. After waiting a while, she didn’t feel we should begin because the student who had not yet arrived would miss out. One of the instructors finally looked at her, smiled, shrugged and said, “If she’s not here, she’s somewhere else.” She went on to say a few words about how missing a planned learning opportunity doesn’t mean that learning isn’t happening. That particular opportunity is missed but the person is somewhere else, experiencing something different. Sometimes the unexpected thing is actually more in context with the person’s life than the planned event.
I’ve been thinking what a great example our current situation is of that line.
To be sure, we need to honour losses people are having. Beyond the obvious losses of life and essential finances, there are other kinds of important losses as well. There are students missing milestone experiences right now. G missed the last few weeks of college and with it, an interesting intern/placement. His graduation ceremony has been cancelled and there is no new date in sight at this point. M is not sure what will happen with college starting up in the fall and his seasonal employment is on hold, at the very least. L’s final choir concert that the whole choir has worked hard toward is definitively cancelled. My parents’ 50th anniversary will be celebrated with limited options. Many people have worked hard toward certain savings goals for their retirement or have just poured themselves into small business and are having to do some serious swallowing of reality. They may not end up destitute, but the dreams and plans they worked toward will be massively changed. These are big deals. They are significant.
And yet, we can acknowledge all of this and look at what it happening instead, especially when it comes to learning. As the pandemic continues, it’s clear we have some significant time yet here in Canada where schools will not be open and I’m noticing there seems to be a sort of pattern to the focus.
When school was first cancelled and March Break was upon us, there was a lot of energy put toward how to manage all together in either quarantine or physical distancing. Lots of possibilities were floating around about things to do and opportunities to take advantage of. Websites, social media, the news – all full of “What can we do?” were followed in short order by, “Here are some ideas” or “Here’s something we found out about it – you might like it too.” I posted Finding Yourself Suddenly Expected to Homeschool During a Pandemic? It’s OK if You Haven’t “Got This” – I Haven’t Either:) and Things for Families to Do During this Time Together in Close Quarters. Lots of people were in the same boat and working together. It was a swirl of both apprehension and excitement.
Then, a couple of weeks later, in our province and in many other places, some online material was put out by school boards and there was talk both among parents and on the news about finding ways to support children with online learning. Efforts were made to get the technology out to families who might not have it, or have enough. Getting back on track became the focus. There were some very concerned articles about “summer slide” or in this case, “spring and summer slide.” Although well-meaning, I think there is something not being recognized here about true, deep learning. If kids are typically losing substantial percentages of what they’ve learned (or are perceived to have, depending on how that is being measured) over the course of regular summer holidays, this is not the kind of integrated and meaningful learning that I think we’re looking for.
In the last couple of weeks or so, I’ve noticed a shift in conversations and even the way things are reported in the news. Some families have adjusted quite easily to doing a bit of online work from their schools and notice that it doesn’t take very long. Others have found it frustrating either technologically or just from a family dynamics perspective and decided that they’ll do what they can, but put their focus on connecting as a family and getting through. Others still have found it to be busy work sent out with good intentions, but not seeming relevant and are pretty much forgoing it to just make the most of this freer time. They get that the school boards need to send something out but some of the work is either behind where their child already is or complicated and out of context beyond what is realistic for them to suddenly tackle.
The common denominator, regardless of what is working for families with the online work, is that kids (and some parents and grandparents) have lots of time to get creative, resourceful and connected to each other and their community. Yes, even when they can’t get too close to neighbours, kids and parents are finding the coolest ways to build community like this boy and these brothers and their dad and this mother and daughter.
A few weeks ago, there was so much news lamenting the large amount of time with kids and how to keep them entertained and educated. Recently, the same newscast has had a bit less about that and a bit more about kids organizing window displays and I think the creative spirit of kids, parents and communities is shining through. I’ve heard lots of really positive comments from parents these last few weeks and at the very least, several people sound okay. Articles like this one have surfaced with both teachers and parents saying – this is okay. The pandemic isn’t okay but kids learning in different ways during this pandemic is okay. We’re nothing if not resilient, we humans:).
The experience of home educating families tell us that learning outside of school can actually be wonderful all year long. Maybe you’d like to read my thoughts about that in Understanding Homeschooling, Understanding Unschooling or A View From the End of the Homeschooling Trail – Enjoying our Teens and Young Adults.
We have all been missing lots of things in our regular lives but we are doing other things instead. In fact, we are learning other things instead. People have come across new books, movies, documentaries and series. We have created new cleaning and organizing routines. We have found out more about our extended families. We have learned more about sharing – our time, our ideas, our stuff, our space. We have gotten to know each other more deeply. We have learned how to fix things and make something new. We have learned new ways to shop and cook. We have learned new ways to worship and stay connected with communities of faith. We have invented and played interesting games. We’ve learned how to make the most of open time. We’ve learned new ways of managing time and juggling work with kids or elderly relatives – some of them have been more effective than others. We learn from what doesn’t work. We’ve learned how to grapple with difficult decisions, often serious ones involving health and finances.
Kids have been learning too – often very similar, if not the same, things. It reminds me of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. All the outward materials of the season were taken but the Whos loved anyway! Right now, the outward materials of society’s most common structure of learning are temporarily gone but the people learn anyway! The kids learn anyway! It’s taken a bit more thought, more resourcefulness, more creativity but isn’t that actually what learning is? Thinking it through, finding ways to do things and creating? We’re all learning to find ways to learn – haha!
You really can’t stop learning. Brain connections continue to be made. Many kids may emerge from this more resourceful, connected, collaborative and self-directed. They are living through and as part of a very significant piece of history.
For many children, the sky has not fallen. They aren’t learning “that” and “that” and “that” but they’re learning “this” and “this” and “this!”
*To be clear, there are many families, kids and people in general in terribly vulnerable situations. There are kids for whom school means not only intellectual stimulation and contact with healthy adults, but also a meal. This is not meant to take away from that reality and the reality of many teachers, educational assistants and social workers who likely have great concern for them during this time.
Have you been learning or doing anything new? How about your family?