Schooling for children across the UK has been a difficult process for the past twelve months. While some have enjoyed learning at home, even many of those who thrived have been waiting anxiously for the return to school. However, what of those children who loved lockdown learning? This blog post is about them.
As school children in England prepare to return to in-person teaching on Monday 8 March, most seem excited to be going back. As Mark Steel pointed out so brilliantly in The Independent, this is a huge accolade for modern schooling and one we must celebrate. There are many reasons why this is an important step in the post-Covid road-map. We might consider the social and pastoral benefits of school. For many there is the pleasure of learning with friends. Pedagogically, there are advantages for a group of being in the classroom rather than gathered in large virtual lessons.
However, when I was doing lockdown teaching in school last year, I saw a small percentage of the children I taught change for the better. Sometimes they developed dramatically. For every pupil who left me seriously worried, there was another who made far greater progress in the virtual classroom than they had in the physical.
I heard this from a small number of parents, too. Sometimes, they would tell me that one of their children was champing at the bit to get back into school, but the other would genuinely rather be continuing at home. Doubtless these parents were also keen to see their offspring out of the house again. However, I listened to their observations and concerns about those children who were doing so much better in the home-learning environment.
When I teach home-schooled children, I also stories that resonate with this point of view. There are all sorts of reasons why a child might do better being home-schooled, of course: health, learning needs or disability, personality, even convenience. However, there are often characteristics in common with those pupils who have thrived during lockdown learning.
There are, with good reason, concerns circulating at present about those children who have fallen behind over the past year. However, this is no reason to overlook the evidence that – for some pupils – the classroom is not the best learning environment. From my observations as to why some pupils have thrived in lockdown learning, there are various aspects to consider.
Peer Pressure
A virtual classroom is not free from peer pressure, but it does change the dynamic. Via the screen, I found some pupils who never raised a hand in the classroom were suddenly willing to contribute. Sometimes this was out loud; this led me to wonder whether there was something less threatening about clicking the ‘raise hand’ button than there was to drawing more obvious attention to themselves with the physical action. Perhaps more often it was via the chat function. Rather than having to pluck up the courage to speak aloud, many shyer pupils seemed more comfortable typing their contributions.
I found that asking for help was also often more proactive from introverted pupils. This may sound unlikely, as one of the hardest parts of the virtual classroom is undoubtedly for the teacher to spot struggling students. It is very different from walking around and looking over pupils’ shoulders, even if they are working on shared virtual documents that both pupil and teacher can see. However, with the option to send a direct message to the teacher, which could not be seen by the rest of the class, I found that some pupils who would often struggle on in silence now asked for help.
Organization
For some pupils, getting themselves into a classroom with all their books, notes, and homework is a real challenge. The home environment and the virtual classroom both did a lot to assist them. Firstly, they were often learning in the same space as they had their books. However, the situation also, obviously, demanded that teachers provided resources online. This meant that no child was fully responsible for the organization of folders. No one had to stick down a worksheet before it fell out on the walk to the next lesson. Homework was assigned and submitted via clear virtual channels, all visible to parents.
This can, of course, continue once schools return to the classroom. However, when all learning occurred within a single virtual space, some pupils found it easier to stay on top of their materials. I was connected to the students virtually at all times. I therefore found it was easier to direct them to the correct materials than in the physical classroom.
Chat and Typing
There are, of course, extremely important skills in oracy and handwriting to develop in the classroom. However, for some pupils, these are far less comfortable means of communication than via a computer. I’ve already mentioned that some pupils found it easier to submit answers on the chat than out loud in class. However, some pupils just liked writing an answer down and checking it before clicking ‘send’. It gave them a greater sense of control than thinking a response through at the same time as speaking.
In the classroom, we only allow pupils who have diagnosed learning needs to use a computer for all their work. The arguments for this are understandable, particularly since students must hand-write public exams. However, there are pupils without a specific SEND diagnosis who simply benefit from typing in comparison to handwriting. They can easily edit sentences. They can read their own answers back clearly and easily before submitting. Of course, spelling is vital and over-reliance on spell check can be counterproductive. However, the confidence it gives some pupils encourages more detailed and quicker answers.
Revisiting Materials
In spite of every classroom teacher’s efforts, there are occasions when a child cannot copy from a whiteboard or screen with the desired accuracy or completeness. We can, of course, provide copies of notes and powerpoints for pupils to refer to afterwards. However, this is not the same as constant reference during a lesson. While teachers can replicate this in a physical context, I did find that pupils seemed more inclined to go back to the powerpoint during an online lesson. This led to greater accuracy and completeness in their own work. Children are increasingly used to flicking between tabs or engaging with interactive documents. When this became a core part of their learning, I saw some of them do better because of it.
Independence and Lone Learning
If there was one thing I missed in the virtual classroom, it was the ability to conduct effective group work. We could create breakout groups, but it wasn’t the same. However, there have always been pupils who either hate group work or get little benefit from it. Generally speaking, I’ve identified two main types of these pupils. Firstly, there are those who are highly capable and dislike how they perceive a group holds them back. Second, there are those who are happy to let others do the heavy lifting. They contribute little because they can rely on their peers. These latter are not necessarily weak pupils, but are often those who lack confidence in their own abilities.
Of course, putting these pupils into a lone working environment did not solve the problem for all of them. However, for those pupils this article is considering, they progressed quickly. I saw growing independence once they were left without the impact of peers around them. Those who already liked lone learning were in their preferred environment. However, among those who had benefited little from a group exercise, some of them also showed a more independent side. Suddenly, there was no one else around to rely on or by whom they felt overshadowed.
Tutoring for Children who Loved Lockdown Learning
My teaching is now all delivered within the online tutoring environment. I’ve therefore reflected a great deal on how my work might benefit those pupils who thrived under lockdown learning.
- Peer Pressure: One of the main benefits to the 1:1 environment for many pupils is the removal of peer pressure. Provided there is a good relationship with the tutor, the child who struggles finding their voice in front of their peers will increase in confidence very quickly. They feel reduced pressure over wrong answers. No one else is straining to insert themselves into their silent thinking time. They have the opportunity to develop and correct themselves as they go. It can be a far more affirming context for engaging with questions. The tutor’s role is to build up the individual as though they were their only student. For obvious reasons, this is never quite the same in the classroom. Even with short-term tutoring, a child sees considerable growth. This should, in turn, encourage them to do better in a larger group context.
- Organization: The means of sharing materials that I described above are all ones I use in my tutoring. I operate shared folders and documents with all my students and provide them with copious virtual resources. I work through these on screen share, interactive shared documents, as well as with a textbook. The reduced scope of home and screen is often a very manageable learning space for the most disorganized pupil.
- Chat and Typing: I love using the chat in lessons. It complements the considerable amount of oral learning I employ in tutoring. I also encourage pupils to take live notes via interactive shared documents. This allows me to assist with spelling, grammar, and content as they type. While students must also prepare for handwritten exams, they achieve this through online submission of photographs. I mark these on screen and share with the student for discussion in the lesson. This is undoubtedly the best way of delivering feedback, especially as students to do their own corrections under my supervision. This is regularly done in the school classroom, but it’s easier for a pupil to own their mistakes in a 1:1 context. Furthermore, I can ensure that they properly review and understand corrections.
- Revisiting Materials: In tutoring, there is greater scope to revisit materials together, not least because the pace is set by the individual student. I can also provide resources specific to the particular student’s needs and in the best format for them. If a pupil has improved in their ability to use resources during lockdown, they will only benefit further from this aspect of tutoring.
- Independence and Lone Learning: Pupils who already enjoy lone learning will generally do best in 1:1 tutoring. However, all pupils, even those who also like the group environment, will improve their independence and maturity with a tutor. I believe that, as a tutor, I can achieve two important outcomes that were far harder to deliver in a group context. Firstly, I make sure that the pupil has the skills, materials, and confidence to study on their own. However, secondly I make sure that they never feel alone. I will always respond to messages from students. I provide help with work outside of lessons, or extra resources that they may require. This personal attention may well be exactly what the natural lone learner really needs.
Did your child love lockdown learning? If you or your child feels they fit the profile of pupil described here, even partially, you may wish to consider tutoring. At Vox Clara Tutoring, we can offer short and long-term tutoring online in Latin, Greek, and Classics. We also have considerable experience teaching Study Skills and English.
We know that tutoring can feel like an expensive option, especially at the moment. Please discuss with us the possibility of discounts in cases of hardship.
Contact us if you would like to discuss tutoring options or to find out more about our services.