If you are like me, you have heard the term Learning Loss being thrown around day in and day out and might actually be wondering “What is learning loss?” and “Is it true?”
According to The Glossary Of Educational Reform they define learning loss as “to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or to reversals in academic progress, most commonly due to extended gaps or discontinuities in a student’s education. While learning loss can manifest in a wide variety of ways for a variety of reasons…”.
Essentially learning loss can happen over summer break, extended absences from class, ineffective teaching, interruptions in students learning, a pandemic, etc. So why is this now becoming so prominent in the educational world?
Because it is truly showing everyone how broken our education system is. As a teacher this is so heartbreaking to say, but it needs to be said. As teachers we have seen this with our own eyes for a long time… and hopefully, now something can be done about it. Even working in “good” school districts, I was able to see discrepancies. What do I mean by that? I would have students who did not have what they needed to learn; whether that was a notebook to take class notes, an electronic to play our interactive games in class, internet access at home so they could do their school work, and so on. No matter how education has evolved and continues to evolve, we need to always make sure our students have what they need to learn.
Before I tell you my opinion on this matter, here are some first hand responses from teachers and parents during this past school year:
“Anyone who has been in a classroom this year can attest to the fact that there has been instructional loss for many students. For the first time in forever, schools actively needed to lean on and rely heavily on parent involvement. As educators we know that no single household is ever the same. Some students are meeting and exceeding expectations for their grade level because the transition from school to home was seamless and they had a support system at home that had high expectations for the home learning component. Some went home for their home instructional days and were left to fend for themselves. For this, we can only blame this horrific virus that rattled our education system to the core. The overwhelming majority of students fell into the middle where there was some instructional loss, but it could easily be regained with a focused effort. This might come in the form of summer enrichment or basic recitation at home with simple skills in reading and writing. Most parents never plan to be their child’s teacher. This year was without a challenge for many, but a brighter set of days is upon all of us.” ~Middle School Science Teacher
“Last year when everything shut down suddenly and schools scrambled to put together some sort of online learning and figure out what that would mean, yes to a certain extent,especially with my one child in math. I feel like they had no foundation from first grade to build the necessary skills for second grade. But being home for three days of “online school” allowed me to spend the extra time getting them caught up or giving them the extra help they needed. And I’m not sure they would have gotten that if they were in a more traditional model of learning this year. As for this year, I feel like they have gotten through the curriculum but it’s very bare bones. There’s not a lot of fun or enrichment or hands on learning. It’s all very generic. And my one child, who could be doing so much more and could benefit from differentiation isn’t being taught to their level. So I feel for the average student, hybrid has been fine. For the upper level student it’s failed but not detrimentally.” ~Mother of 3 Elementary Age Students
“Yes, I do think they have lost a ton of learning…especially for my students that are diagnosed with autism. But those that have the parent support at home have done well.” ~Elementary School Teacher
“I do feel like they’ve suffered some learning loss, not necessarily from learning online, just from having a disconnection to the routine that they’re used to. I do have kids that are in person, but I noticed that the kids that are hybrid, they are doing better than the kids that are completely on their own. I know of several completely virtual students that have been very successful, but they were already successful. I would say the focused students before the pandemic have said that they have thrived in this environment and that they prefer it. Overall, I would say that my average chorister or general music student is about a half a grade level behind where they should be because they came deficient, no fault of their own.” ~Middle School Music Teacher
“I feel like their speaking has taken a large hit and their listening skills are not that good right now. They either choose not to listen or we have trouble with the listening during our virtual classes. When it comes to grammar they choose not to do the activities that are assigned to them. When they write, everything is done in google translate. Next year, when we are back to class full time, I will be limiting the amount of time on devices and mainly doing most work on paper to help them regain their French skills. I think the biggest hurdle students are going to have to overcome is actually being in school and in class all day. Having to be to class on time, turning assignments in on time, taking assessments in class, being on a schedule again, your basic stuff that they haven’t done in a year. I feel like next year is going to be a mess, especially for teachers because the burden of catching the students up will be on us.” ~High School French Teacher
So… with that being said do I think there is learning loss happening right now? Yes and No. I think it is hard to say we have learning loss for things that have not been taught, but yes we are definitely going to see a gap in their learning due to our current circumstances (nothing that I don’t think can be fixed with time). I think more than anything what this past year has taught us in the educational world is how large our learning gaps are in regards to our students depending on their home life, where they live, parental involvement, and other circumstances that may be out of our control.
Now, what I do think has happened this past year is that our students have learned to function and live in a very stressful time. They have learned how to advocate for themselves and to navigate their own learning during multiple scenarios from in class, to hybrid, to virtual and more. They have learned valuable life lessons this past year that many of us did not know at their age and they did the best job that they could with what they knew! And for that, I am so PROUD of them!
Do you feel your students have experienced learning loss?
As always, I hope that you have found this information useful and helpful to you!
Merci,
Amanda
P.S. – As a Mom and a teacher I just want to say to all of you out there, that this year has been exhausting and hard on all of us. But we are doing it! And we continue to do it each and every day! Why? For our kids. For our families. For our students. For that we should all be so proud of ourselves too, because just like our students we have navigated the unknown too. Remember to always be kind to yourself just like you would to others during this time. We are all doing our best!