What Our Students Learned Last Year (It's More Than You Think)

Brian Allman (WV '19) | Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School, Buckhannon

All my students have learned the value of resiliency. I’ve always had students, due to personal situations, who have developed the traits needed to overcome obstacles. The pandemic has really magnified the importance of it for all students. There are going to be times in life when situations are tough and the way forward is difficult. This school year was challenging in so many ways: lack of consistency, learning gaps, social and emotional loss, lack of equity to resources such as the internet (a real issue in places like West Virginia), family challenges, and the list goes on and on.

These issues can knock you down if you let them. What I saw is a generation of students who are more prepared to collectively tackle challenges moving forward. Were there learning losses? Absolutely. I think educators will do what we do best to address them moving forward. That being said, we can’t let our concerns over academic loss overshadow the positives that have come out of this school year. Students learned in ways that no group before them has ever experienced. We can’t lose sight of that regardless of test scores and other data. That’s resiliency. They faced obstacles with strength and will be more prepared to confront the inevitable challenges that life will throw their way as adults.

On a side note, as an educator, it was nice for me to realize that the world didn’t stop spinning because every standard wasn’t covered as in-depth as I had hoped. The relationships, care, and love that I’ve seen displayed outweighs it all. My students won’t think back and wish they had spent two extra days on my content. They will remember how we tackled a pandemic together and won. That growth is what education and learning is all about.