Ohio – Despite the fact that districts in Ohio are now entirely in-person, the long-term impacts of online learning are still being felt in the state. Schools continue to be worried about students’ engagement in the classroom.
Schools acknowledged they still have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to meeting the educational, social, and emotional needs of students, but they stated things are getting better every day.
“Learning on a computer to being in class all day every day and teaching all day every day for that matter, it’s been a work in progress,” Kettering City Schools Assistant Superintendent Dan Von Handorf said.
Due to online learning, some students seem disinterested and other students act out more, according to Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro.
“There’s a lot of catching up to do when it comes to socialization, when it comes to, you know, addressing learning needs and addressing the social, emotional needs of kids and adults,” DiMauro said.
In addition, Von Handorf said that teachers are working hard to establish a routine and come up with unique activities to re-engage students in the learning process.
“I just talked to one of our elementary counselors last night and she said they’re really turning a corner now and that kids are starting to figure it out and they’re doing a much better job after winter break,” Von Handorf said.
While schools are responsible for helping students with their adjustment, DiMauro highlighted that the role of parents is just as important.
According to DiMauro, “we need to make sure that the expectations that teachers set for students in the classroom are reinforced in the messages that kids receive from their parents when they go home.”
Von Handorf said that the teachers’ attempts to increase student engagement are yielding results.
He said the district’s winter benchmarking for reading and math is showing significant improvement.
“We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there,” said Von Handorf.
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