BRIDGING GAPS
“My hope is that our new normal of today exposes what was wrong with our old normal yesterday, and sets up for a better normal tomorrow.”
-
Dwayne
Reed
How
long has it been since you’ve last walked out of your room and chat freely with
your friends as you walk by the school’s hallways?
In
every individual’s development and well-being, the right to go to school is
central. And yet classrooms remain closed, just like any other place for social
gatherings. College learners continue to grapple with the educational fallout
of the pandemic. However, this sentiment can be a source of enlightenment and
an important reminder that we need to unite in order to bridge the gap created
by distance learning.
Since
the start of the pandemic, plans for the coming college semesters seems to be
written in pencil. With this in mind, neither colleges nor students were able
to draw up for longer campus closures. Teachers and students, alike, face a
variety of challenges moving forward, especially for future teachers, as they
are supposed to be learning all about social interaction inside and outside the
classroom, how to handle students in face-to-face scenarios and develop their self-confidence
in using different teaching methods.
Despite
the efforts of the government to strengthen education through modular and
online ways, it is no secret that limited learning poses a lot of challenges
for many students. Other students struggle learning without hands-on
activities, or can’t work well without supervision of teachers. Or it can also
be an issue of the financial capabilities of other families among any others.
Buying a laptop, printer, mobile phone and securing a stable internet
connection aren’t something that every Filipino household can provide.
So
as future of the society, how can we help lessen the burdens and hindrances
built by the pandemic?
One
of the strongest ways to get through this educational fault lines intensified
and exaggerated by the CoViD-19 is by staying connected among peers and fellow
students. By banding together, we can strengthen ourselves and the people
around us.
Based
on a study conducted by Gallup in 2021, nearly three in 10 say that they may
already be experiencing harm to their emotional or mental health because of
social distancing and closures, and others indicate that they are approaching
their limits, saying they could continue social distancing a few more weeks
until there mental health suffers. As students, we can start by making time to
call and check on our friends who you feel are struggling, frustrated or are
feeling down. A simple gesture such as this can boost their self-esteem and
motivate them to not give up. Sometimes sharing a smile or a laughter is all it
takes to solve problems. In return, this will help us develop empathy as we
grow into mature individuals.
Do you have a group of friends to
whom you connect often? Show them a good amount of persistence when it comes to
studying despite the barriers brought about by the pandemic. Not only will it
boost your academic capabilities, but showing your peers that you can work hard
can inspire them to do the same. You can lead by example and help them by tracking
your goals and working diligently in reaching them. You can also use team goals
to encourage collaboration.
Students can also help each other
through equal delegation of online or modular tasks that can only be done in
groups. When you delegate, you can show your group mates that you respect and
trust them to accomplish their work, which will boost their self-confidence.
Pay attention to each other’s personal strengths and preferences and always
consider helping those who lack knowledge and skills in certain areas.
The bottom line is that we should
help make sure no one gets left behind. CoViD-19 alone is a tough wall to deal
with, let us try not to add educational problems into the mix, but rather,
lessen them. And we can do this through unity and selflessness. Wherever you look around the world and here at home,
you can find examples of people responding to this health emergency with
kindness and hope, so let us do the same.
Comments
Post a Comment