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[email protected]Happy New Year to all students, parents, and educators!
I can imagine thousands of you shaking your fist at my greeting and screaming, "It's not a 'Happy' new year!" And I say you're right. With everything that is going on the better word would a "stressful" new year. In education, I've watched several YouTube videos about the struggle of long-distance & virtual education. I learned one district reported, at least, 200% increase in "F" grades. I was sad, but I honestly can't say I'm surprised. We've been thrown into an environment that wasn't meant to stimulate general education. And to all the parents who, in my opinion, endure the most, I can only imagine what you go through outside of work.
And based on the article below, by American Eductional Research Association, your stress is acknowledged, and they want you to know "It's not your fault". If you're "Experiencing significantly higher levels of stress", have "anxiety", "experience despression", "have trouble sleeping", "feel worried", "have little interest or pleasure in doing things". Know it's not your fault, it's the "stressful...environments" that "tend to stifle". Take a deep breath and don't beat yourself for something you didn't do.
That doesn't dismiss that fact that the children/students are very observant and notice that we adults are not doing well. The danger now, I believe, is this: are we setting a good example on how to persevere in stressful environments? Like it or not, parents teachers and tutors, we are all role models to students. According to Alberto Ortega, of Indiana University Bloomington, "Student's academci success ultimately relies on their parents' emotional health during this fragile time." And it makes sense to me. If a child doesn't feel emotionally safe in their home/school, they will stop worrying about their education and start worrying about their safety. We'll many of our students are lucky to have parents, guardians, and teachers looking our for them. But who's looking after the parents, guardians, and teacher?
Ortega said, "It is crucial for parents to be open about their needs and to communicate...when they need additional help." As a tutor assistant director, my job is only to serve the students, but serve the parents as well. Yes, I'm pretty much a stranger and or a tutor to many parents. I can only help as a professional. But if you need to share something with a Mathnasium Director, we're here to help you, too. Not to mention, this a time where we need to be more sociable. Call a friend, family, someone you trust. If you know you're not alone in the struggle, your child will know they're not alone in the struggle, as well.
- Garrett Lew, Assistant Center Director
Washington, December 16, 2020--When the emerging COVID-19 pandemic caused most U.S. schools to close and transition to distance learning last spring, many parents were forced into new roles as proxy educators for their children. A study published today in Educational Researcher, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association, finds that roughly 51 percent of all parents surveyed in March and April had at least one child struggling with distance learning and were themselves experiencing significantly higher levels of stress.
VIDEO: Watch the authors discuss study findings and implications: https:/
The study authors found that parents with at least one student struggling with distance learning were 19 percentage points more likely than other parents to report anxiety. These parents also were 22 percentage points more likely to experience depression, and were 20 percentage points more likely to have trouble sleeping. In addition, they were 20 percentage points more likely to feel worried and 23 percentage points more likely to have little interest or pleasure in doing things. The results of the analysis remain consistent even after accounting for other school and demographic characteristics.
The study found that these levels of heightened mental distress were felt by parents across all socioeconomic categories, regardless of family income, the number of children struggling (above one), or the number of days that had passed since school closure.
For this study, authors Cassandra R. Davis (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Jevay Grooms (Howard University), Alberto Ortega (Indiana University Bloomington), Joaquin Alfredo-Angel Rubalcaba (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), and Edward Vargas (Arizona State University) analyzed data from the National Panel Study of COVID-19, a nationally representative survey of 3,338 U.S. households collected in March and April. The multi-wave survey was conducted by the authors in collaboration with researchers across multiple U.S. universities.
"Students' academic success ultimately relies on their parents' emotional health during this fragile time, which sets the learning environment for their children," said Ortega, an assistant professor at Indiana University Bloomington. "Without proper support, both parents and students will likely suffer."
Prior research has shown that stressful learning environments tend to stifle students' academic achievement.
"It is not clear when schools will return to normal," said Ortega. "Since students will likely rely on some form of distance learning for the foreseeable future, parents could face longer periods of elevated stress and mental health disruptions. Addressing parents' emotional needs during the pandemic has become essential for students' success."
According to the authors, schools can build a relationship with parents through ongoing check-ins to discuss how their children cope with distance learning and whether supplemental learning resources are needed to support students.
"Parents, as proxy educators, should be supported by their child's school during this period," said Ortega. "This was beneficial for student success before the COVID-19 pandemic, but now it is essential. Doing so also enables parents to reinforce the efforts of teachers, many of whom are stretched thin and may be experiencing burnout."
The authors note that they do not suggest that schools be re-opened to salvage parents' mental health. "Instead, schools and policymakers may want to create plans for providing mental health resources and virtual spaces to parents, in addition to helping them with questions about the schoolwork itself," Ortega said. "And it is crucial for parents to be open about their needs and to communicate with their schools when they need additional help."
The authors note that their study was conducted in spring 2020 and that the relationship between distance learning, mental health, and other demographic characteristics may change as the pandemic continues to unfold.
About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
