'From struggling to focus while learning at home to tiring of wearing a mask for eight hours in person, my daughter has faced no shortage of pandemic challenges. Here’s how hybrid learning is going — and why I feel hope for the future.'
It’s a brisk Tuesday morning in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina. After brushing her teeth, gargling pink bubblegum mouthwash, and throwing on sparkling leggings and a sweatshirt, my eight-year-old elementary school student, Kennedy — who has ADHD andKennedy skips downstairs around 8:30 a.m., grabs her favorite breakfast bar and a bottle of water, and boots up her school-issued Chromebook.
“I can’t pay attention and wish I could go back to real school forever,” Kennedy whines. She is about five minutes into the day’s independent work. It’s going to be a long morning — but tomorrow Kennedy’s cohort has in-person school.We survive a few hours of independent work, and Kennedy asks if she gets to ride the school bus tomorrow and see her friends. “Yes, you will,” I say.
The next morning, we head to the bus stop around 6:45 a.m.. “Don’t forget your Chromebook and charger,” I yell as I strap Kennedy’s little sister into her car seat. “Can you get my book bag, Mommy? It’s heavy,” Kennedy asks, while dropping her water bottle and yogurt on the floor. She has given up trying to fit them in the bag. I grab the bag, which is heavy for an eight-year-old to carry.
The bus pulls into our neighborhood right on time, and Kennedy throws on a mask before she boards the bus. What used to be a jam-packed bus now carries five or six kids.As the bus pulls away, I worry about how Kennedy will function in her new pandemic-altered school day. There’s little time for her to leave her desk, which is spaced six feet apart from the other six students who attend in person on her assigned days.Students eat at their desks while a librarian reads them a story.
Kennedy and her peers with ADHD should be applauded for all of the changes they’ve endured since the pandemic hit. When you’re thinking about the impact the pandemic has on your life, think about how hard it is on a young student. Or a young student with ADHD. This too shall pass, right?
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