As a post-secondary educator, I’ve had to be at the forefront of technology to make sure that my students get the learning experience they deserve. But while distance courses and online databases have changed the way we learn, nothing in the history of education has overhauled the state of learning like COVID-19.
Transitioning Differently
Starting a new term at school is normally a time of excitement and confusion for students.
However, 2020 school reopenings will see this joyful chaos replaced with attempts at strict control of student flow and travel between classes, and the emotional impact on new arrivals at institutions will be significant.
COVID-19 isn’t just impacting current students, however, as it’s also impacting our outgoing graduates as well. Thousands of post-secondary students across the country didn’t even have the opportunity to walk across the convocation stage to grab their diplomas – a tradition that many see as the long-awaited climax of their post-secondary education.
This year won’t be the only likely instance of these cancellations, as even though we may have a vaccine before next June, school administrators will still be faced with the difficult choice of whether to pack hundreds of students into a stadium or not.
Student and Educator Safety
For most secondary schools that will be reopening completely, the hardest aspect of student safety to manage will be the students themselves. We all know how critical middle school and high school are to social development, and this is the period when our bonds of friendship feel the strongest.
Proper education on the risks of COVID-19 exposure must be at the forefront of every class.
The fall semester for many is going to be a critical time where teachers and administrators must pay close attention to safety measures that are working and those that aren’t. As clinical as this may seem, this is the trial-and-error testing period where we can create a safer environment for the following semesters and the greater post-COVID-19 world.
To learn more about how I led the Computek College team to adapt quickly to COVID-19 to ensure one of our best years yet, visit my website and contact me about my corporate training services.
