Was "In-Person" Ever Working? Developmental Considerations for a Return to the Middle School Classroom
The pandemic upended the education system as we know it, shining a light on its weaknesses, and forcing us to reckon with our system’s deficiencies. Transitioning back into normal schooling will be especially hard for our adolescent learners, whose developmental needs the middle school structure already often fails to meet. Returning to in-person schooling will not be effective for students who have not been in classrooms on a regular basis for so long unless we are intentional about how to make this work. Through the lenses of developmental psychology and antiracist social emotional learning, this session aims to help attendees take advantage of the restart presented by COVID-19, and create plans to guide their students into a classroom that meets their actual needs.