AFTER more than a year of distance learning, interspersed with periods in the presence, the students are preparing to take the last tests at the end of the year and, for some of them, the final exams are also approaching. But, is it right to subject them to this additional stress? For many, the school is seen as a place dedicated exclusively to the education and teaching of one or more disciplines to acquire knowledge, but it is much more. School is the main place of learning within our educational system, where basic skills first, sociability must be taught, through theempathy e education in affectivity.
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During this year of distance learning, our kids have worked hard, despite the not always favorable conditions. They pledged to get up in the morning to turn on the PC and follow the lessons in their room, they pledged to always have a tool available to respect the schedules and not to lag behind with the program, they improvised technicians in front of the problems of internet connection… In short, they showed a resilience and an adaptability that not everyone expected from them. Of course, it may not have been like that for everyone, but most of them proved to be very mature and collaborative. And, we do not think, that they have not had difficulties too, as we adults have had with smartworking.
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by GIUSEPPE LAVENIA
Now, that they have finally returned to school and have managed to savor once again what it means to return to school life, they feel again subjected to further pressure due to the imminent end-of-year vote. I find it very unfair and unrewarding in light of all the changes they have accepted. The school cannot ignore the past year. Too often we hear that the kids in Dad didn’t do anything and took advantage of it to not fulfill their school obligations, but why do we make a mess of all the weed? Why do we take it for granted that if not kept under close observation by a teacher in a classroom, children will not be able to manage themselves? We have completely lost faith in the new generations and we cannot afford this. We recall the episodes related to online questions, where more than one teacher asked a student to blindfold his eyes to prevent him from peeking at the correct answers. Children, as we know, have a thousand resources, but getting to make this request to a boy brings out the inadequacy of the teacher in the use of the remote teaching tool.
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by Valeria Pini
Empathy
And, now, that the children are back in attendance, the teachers, as well as the regulations, could recover what was not possible to do in recent months. If at the beginning the teachers were caught unprepared, as well as our government, now we should run for cover. How to do? Thinking about school in a more empathetic way and human.
The first thought once the bell rang was not to be the verification or questioning to evaluate the level of preparation of the students, but to evaluate their mental health. It is not a fight against time, we have reached the end of the year and we have to sum up, this has not been a normal year. In fact, there is a topic on which an important discussion should be held: how do young people feel today? What do they expect for their future? I hope that in the last few weeks before the holidays some teachers will choose to dedicate their hours to the mental health of the students. Being a teacher, especially in the time of Covid, was not easy due to the lack of digital skills and adequate tools, but another problem that emerged is the lack of empathy. Of course, in some cases and not in all.
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My advice? We try to make an effort and put ourselves in the place of the students. The school, as well as its role, must not be undermined at all, but must be re-evaluated in a situation like this. According to the data reported by the National Di.Te Association, of which I am president, 40% of the over 14s interviewed cannot imagine the future and are moving away from the study. At this time, adding to this frustration a rejection or a low grade could risk alienating them altogether. Rather, we use the summer months to get kids back to normal, prepare them for their return in September, share with them the choices to make up for any gaps, without losing sight of their mental health.
Giuseppe Lavenia, psychologist and sycotherapist, is president of the National Association of Technological Addictions, GAP and Cyberbullying “Di.Te” and professor of Psychology of Technological Addictions at the E-Campus University
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