It is a known fact that despite everything that has been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were hit the hardest. Students, teachers, and parents were not ready for the transition to online learning when the pandemic hit, almost out of nowhere.
During spring break of March 2020, most Americans had become aware of the newfound virus, but were still unsure of its severity. School districts across the country began to extend their spring break in caution of the virus. Many schools were determined to keep their students engaged in learning what they had been learning in class before the mass shutdown. However, one of the biggest problems was gaining the right materials and knowledge to connect with students during a mass quarantine. School officials such as principals and administrators had been recklessly working to navigate video call platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet.
Here in Urbandale, Principal Tim Carver says “One of the biggest things was to work on providing strategies for Urbandale High School’s ‘Social Emotional Learning’ (SEL).”
UHS’s new approach for SEL hopes to help all students stay in good touch with their teachers and be prepared for anything that could happen in this unpredictable year. Some of the things that were brought to student access via SEL are the weekly learning plans provided by teachers as well as the virtual everyday schedule, UHUB. For students who chose remote learning, UHS uses SEL to provide more one-on-one time between students and teachers.
No one imagined a year where it would be mostly spent via video calling and distance learning, and it wasn’t the most ideal school setting. Although COVID unfortunately changed the way students and teachers do everything, it sparked a year of creativity and alteration.
The “Mask Up” reminder on one of the UHS T.V.’s.
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