Parents of 5th graders - let’s talk

[Anonymous]

Fourth grade public school teacher here. Each year since the pandemic, my students have shown less and less impulse control, more and more difficulty with basic school expectations (eg, you stop talking when the teacher is talking), and with increasing helicopter/lawnmower parents. I hope it turns around as the online pandemic cohort moves through.

[Anonymous]

My 5th grader and her friends are fine but then again they were actively parented the whole time and I didn’t blame a few months of lockdown for all developmental behavior that was on me to address.

[Anonymous]

No issues in my 5th grader. We put in the time and effort during Covid but I think many did or could not.

[Anonymous]

I have a 6th grader and agree that we should have caught her mild dyslexia much earlier than we did - we just thought it was Covid learning loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see very little effects in my 8th graders cohort - they missed end of 4th and then most of 5th grade. My 10th graders cohort suffered immensely going through middle school online. Particularly socially. The kids are either socially stunted introverts or they are wild and crazy trying to get back what they lost during an key adolescent development stage.

I’d say the kids who missed k-1 suffered the most academically.

Same and I have an 8th and 11th grader of my own and am a high school teacher. I see very little effects with the current 8th graders. The current 11th graders and seniors had a lot of emotional issues since they were more isolated during the middle school years. The effects are still there. My kid is included in that.

Agree! The 11th and 12th graders have had the most negative impact since their middle school years were disrupted. Those years are huge for prime socialization- learning how to navigate friendships, drama, dating, conflict resolution, and just being around people. I notice a lot of boys in this age group are very shy or awkward. Many kids didn’t get the “trial and error” years of early dating in middle school or early high school—so now they’re just stepping into those experiences at 16 or 17. Also, many were helicoptered academically during the pandemic so now you see a bunch of kids heading to college who are lacking the independence, confidence, and decision-making skills that they so need when they get there. I think my 11th grade daughter is smart and capable, but she has some growing up to do in the next year and a half before I'll feel fully comfortable with her going away to college. The 5th graders now haven't lost those formative years, and they have more time to catch up.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, looking back, it was excellent for my kids. They went to a private school that didn’t offer anything virtual- so it was up to us to homeschool. The following yr they were only back in person part time, again no virtual option for the missed hours.

But I stayed home and my spouse was home for the first several months and homeschooling become our role. They were in 2nd and 4th grade at the start of Covid. They came out of it far advanced in every subject. We continued to supplement after they returned in person and they are doing great right now.

[Anonymous]

I think it was the worst for kids that missed out on inperson Algebra I instruction. That is the singular most important math class in all of K-12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader and her friends are fine but then again they were actively parented the whole time and I didn’t blame a few months of lockdown for all developmental behavior that was on me to address.

Get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see very little effects in my 8th graders cohort - they missed end of 4th and then most of 5th grade. My 10th graders cohort suffered immensely going through middle school online. Particularly socially. The kids are either socially stunted introverts or they are wild and crazy trying to get back what they lost during an key adolescent development stage.

I’d say the kids who missed k-1 suffered the most academically.

My CO26 developed social anxiety after the COVID lockdown, she cant raise her hand in class anymore, she was already a little shy before though.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure how true this is, but a lot of 3rd-5th graders still have accidents doing the dya because they were never taught how to use the bathroom thanks to online school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure how true this is, but a lot of 3rd-5th graders still have accidents doing the dya because they were never taught how to use the bathroom thanks to online school.

So why say it?

[Anonymous]

I think it’s the smart phones. Pandemic was correlation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure how true this is, but a lot of 3rd-5th graders still have accidents doing the dya because they were never taught how to use the bathroom thanks to online school.

Not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is specific to 5th graders. It affected all kids of all ages, and all teachers and parents too which in turn affected the kids as well. My 3rd grader did virtual school for kindergarten and while he is doing fine now, a lot of his classmates are not—social and academic struggles that seem likely related to starting school virtually at such a critical time for social-emotional development that his cohort missed out on.

I think older kids were also very negatively affected, especially those in middle and high school during 2020-2021 school year…it affected us all.

If your 3rd grader did virtual kindergarten, then they were held back at some point after that. The current third grade was in pre-K for the virtual year and started in person kindergarten with masks and testing. So not a normal start, but much better than virtual K.

My third grader is fine and her classmates seem fine. I think kindergarten was a wild ride for her class, with so many kids basically coming out of isolation to start K and having missed preschool, but it's settled down. My kid doesn't even really remember the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see very little effects in my 8th graders cohort - they missed end of 4th and then most of 5th grade. My 10th graders cohort suffered immensely going through middle school online. Particularly socially. The kids are either socially stunted introverts or they are wild and crazy trying to get back what they lost during an key adolescent development stage.

I’d say the kids who missed k-1 suffered the most academically.

Same and I have an 8th and 11th grader of my own and am a high school teacher. I see very little effects with the current 8th graders. The current 11th graders and seniors had a lot of emotional issues since they were more isolated during the middle school years. The effects are still there. My kid is included in that.

Agree! The 11th and 12th graders have had the most negative impact since their middle school years were disrupted. Those years are huge for prime socialization- learning how to navigate friendships, drama, dating, conflict resolution, and just being around people. I notice a lot of boys in this age group are very shy or awkward. Many kids didn’t get the “trial and error” years of early dating in middle school or early high school—so now they’re just stepping into those experiences at 16 or 17. Also, many were helicoptered academically during the pandemic so now you see a bunch of kids heading to college who are lacking the independence, confidence, and decision-making skills that they so need when they get there. I think my 11th grade daughter is smart and capable, but she has some growing up to do in the next year and a half before I'll feel fully comfortable with her going away to college. The 5th graders now haven't lost those formative years, and they have more time to catch up.

What? Most kids were not dating in middle school. You’re entire screed is suspect since that’s the basis for your opinion.