WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – Even several years after the height of the COVID pandemic, schools are still seeing the effects of remote learning on students.
Winooski third grade teacher Tiffany Demore says student behavior is one of the biggest challenges she faces in the classroom since the pandemic.
“We are still struggling to help support students learn how to have a conversation, have a disagreement appropriately and know that it’s OK that we don’t always have the same opinion and we need to disagree sometimes,” Demore said.
She says the lack of these skills is encroaching on academic learning.
Now, she and other early elementary teachers are working to fill the gaps so students are prepared for their next steps.
“We still spend a lot of time with morning meeting and practicing our social skills,” Demore said.
Curriculum Director Michael Eppolito says the programs the school put in place during the pandemic are starting to make a difference.
He says the school emphasized high-quality English language learning and math courses combined with testing to intervene earlier when students aren’t meeting the standards.
“We’re seeing more kids performing not only at grade level, but we’re seeing fewer kids in need of urgent intervention,” Eppolito said.
Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria emphasized that funding for resources like coaching for teachers– to direct services for students– has made all the difference to make up the gap.
“There were investments that we were already making an effort for, but with additional resources, we were able to materialize them, and now we’re lucky to be able to maintain them,” Chavarria said.
But in a time of complex school funding, those resources aren’t guaranteed forever if districts have to cut budgets.
Interim Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders says through the new program Read Vermont the state wants to continue providing training and resources to teachers, including providing workshops to equip educators in helping with literacy.
“We’re really pleased to provide a range of services and support for our educators to prepare our students for success across the grade levels,” Saunders said.
But Vermont NEA President Don Tinney says there needs to be more emphasis on helping students’ social and emotional health first.
“Once we have students who are healthy, happy, well regulated with their social and emotional behaviors, then we can talk about different instructional strategies, different programs,” Tinney said.
Experts say how students will develop in the years following the pandemic continues to be an ongoing conversation.