Physical Health – Dallas Student Life

The Covid-19 virus affected the whole world in the year 2020, and is still continuing its run. The field of education was affected largely and most institutions are still continuing with online classes as of now. The students were able to continue their learning by being in online class during the Covid pandemic. Now with the affect of the pandemic wearing out bit by bit, many schools and colleges have reopened and students are back in class. How are they feeling about it? What are the different precautions they are taking? What preventive measures have the schools and colleges established? What changes have taken place due to this pandemic? We will be discussing all such things and the way the education system as a whole has changed, as a response to this pandemic. We will be discussing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) maintained as the world tries to recover from the fight against Covid-19. Kids During The In-Class Sessions In The Pandemic 0 – 10 is an age group in which most kids do not have the ability to take care of themselves (though we have some teenagers of our own that are still dependent on us!). The pre-schooler and the kid studying in lower grades can follow instructions at the most, but cannot and should not be expected to understand the gravity of the situation, though teachers and parents alike, should try and communicate the seriousness of everything in language that can be understood. Younger kids should be taught to always put on a mask and in no case, remove it, ensuring that both the mouth and nose are covered. They should also be taught to maintain proper hand hygiene and should be instructed to wash their hands and avoid touching anything if they don't need to. You should always have a hand sanitizer supply handy. Although this should only be done with kids above 7 who can understand how and when to use it. The students of this age group were mostly happy in the initial days of the lockdown and the subsequent closing of schools. It meant more time to play and have fun. Young students weren't aware of the pandemic that had started to engulf the world. Now as they are back in the class, they are both – missing the ease of home and enjoying the company of their friends at the same time. Though young students will not fully understand the precarious nature of the pandemic, young children are adept at picking up on emotional cues around them and everyone wearing masks can be frightening to little ones. By making masks seem like a novel and fun activity, you potentially avoid distressing your kids in class. Maybe have them color and craft on parts of their masks? In this case, young students are following all the preventive measures they have been taught by their elders. In fact, kids have higher compliance as they follow all the necessary precautions with total faith in the authoritative figures in their life. Even if you have the odd child who doesn't comply with the rules, usually if you communicate a no nonsense approach to masks and hygiene, this can get through to most young students. Every school has a teacher that is called "strict" and students will not cross this teacher at all costs. Use this to your advantage, have this teacher stress the importance of hygiene practices to your students. Also have this teacher teach you how to maintain order and discipline in your class. Many teachers will have to adopt uncomfortable methods to keep our children safe in the classroom. Students will be students however. They are safely attending classes and can go on with their studies without getting affected by the Covid-19 virus, if the proper pre-cautions are taking place. They are enjoying life with friends and are mostly free from any other changes that the virus has brought along with it. The In-Class Experience Of Kids Aged 10 – 18 The kids aged 10 – 18 are more mature and can easily take care of themselves while following proper safety measures. They are now back to classes with full enthusiasm and excitement. These kids come in the age group where social interaction with batch mates, teachers and staff becomes vital for the overall growth of the child. These kids are the ones who had many activities lined up. From gym classes to sports events, from receiving academic allocates to giving their valedictorian speeches, these students missed it all in the year 2020. But they are now happily resuming their classes with full zeal and the hope to give it their best in the next academic sessions. These students are wearing masks all the time they are in school. They are all keeping a sanitizer with them and following all the safety measures that have been kept in place by their school. These students are happy with being able to sit among friends and resume their schooling (most of the time!). They were able to interact and learn online but the fact that they can now be in the vicinity of friendly faces and go on with their schedules that needed their physical presence, is what is making them happier. The need to have social learning cannot be understated. This needs to be delicately balanced with the public health safety message. They have no issues in getting hold of the gravity of the pandemic and they are duly doing what is expected from them – supporting their elders by following their share of precautions and giving their teachers a reason to smile by happily sharing their lockdown stories! The In-Class Experience Of Students Aged 18 & Above The students who were in their graduate or post graduate courses suffered the most, as far as the academic impact of the Covid-19 virus is concerned. Most courses require the practical application of what is being taught in the lecture halls. The implementation of the lockdown meant that there was little exposure of students to field trips, academic research, interviews and other such academic activities that are better done physically rather than on the internet. A vast majority of students were forced to spend most of their course's duration in their homes. This meant little to no learning when it came to the practical aspects of their lessons. This affected the STEM branches the most. Post graduates who required (and loved) to do a thorough research for their thesis were also hampered due to the pandemic. Students had to content themselves by resuming lectures and researching about their queries online. This has now changed as the classes have reopened. And the students who were in dire need of this, are making the most of the newfound freedom. They are flocking back to colleges and are now pursuing their courses with more vigor. They are also keeping in mind, the safety measures that are still in place. These young adults are fully aware of the common enemy of mankind that is Covid-19, and are doing their bit in this fight against the virus. The students are wearing masks, keeping a hand sanitizer with them at all times when they are out, and as responsible citizens are also educating others about the need for maintaining social distancing. However this was not always the case as there was a large cohort of the student population that mistakenly believed that they would be consequence free of the virus at the start of the pandemic and this led to much unnecessary death and pain. These students are now resuming their classes while looking out for their health and the well being of others at the same time. They are helping others when it comes to fighting the virus, by educating their near and dear ones. They are also enjoying getting back with their peers and together, they are all more than happy to resume their study and combat the virus at the same time. As a whole, the student community is doing well, when it comes to copying with being in-class during the pandemic. They are happy and headstrong, and students of all age groups are not letting the happiness of getting back to school get to their heads and lower their defenses against the pandemic. They are getting adequate support from their teachers and other staff members. With the advent of the new year, they are pretty optimistic about getting a triumph over the pandemic with ease. The Role Of The Educational Institutions All the educational institutes across the globe are helping their students in this fight against the virus. They are providing young kids with proper safety measures as and when they enter the gates of the institute. They make sure that every kid has their mask on and is properly washing their hands before getting seated in their class. They are also ensuring that kids feel at home and feel safe after attending physical lectures after so long. This is done with the help of teachers and teachers will need the continued support of each of us to ensure that our future as a society is not adversely affected by this pandemic. The teachers are giving it their all when it comes to supporting and being present for their students. They are making sure that no student feels left out and everyone undergoes proper sanitizing before entering the class. They are also making sure that the students, particularly the young ones, can get a good grasp on the way things are due to the pandemic. They are teaching them just as efficiently as they were in the period of lockdown. So, in this way, with the help of teachers and the staff, students of all age groups are able to work well and ease back into the physical lectures without any issues. They are happily resuming their studies and doing well on both fronts – the academic front as a student and on the safety front to fight against Covid-19 like a responsible citizen.