Students’ lessons from pandemic offer hope for future
This has been an incredibly challenging year. Even amid these moments of change, disruption and tragedy, we have an obligation to find perspective and search for the silver lining. This is critical if we are to guide the next generation to do the same.
At Catholic Memorial School, I have started each day by asking a few students to share one thing that they have learned from this pandemic. I record their answers on note cards that I carry with me. A few of their responses:
“I have learned to be an optimist. Even when things looked dark, the sun always rose, and I could always find a small blessing in my day.”
“I have learned to embrace and see the beauty of nature. My mom and I started going for walks during the pandemic at night. Since the world has slowed down, I learned to see how beautiful the night sky can be.”
“I remembered that fairness mattered. I learned to be a better older brother, to have patience, and to recognize that my family was so special to me.”
“I learned that it can be hard focusing on a computer screen and how much better it is actually talking with a teacher. I have really come to value my relationships
with the faculty.”
“I love seeing my friends and just having small in-person interactions.”
“I learned to trust that God would provide for my family. It has been a really hard time for us, but it is getting better.”
These student reflections demonstrate great promise for our collective future. Each day, I am reminded of their fortitude and that of our teachers as I walk the halls. I am inspired to reciprocate and do my utmost in the face of their mettle. No one would have guessed the speed required to adapt to this pandemic, and it will take time to uncover the full extent of its impacts on all of us. The distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine provides great hope for the future. How we proceed in this brave, new world will truly define us and this generation of students.
Our students consistently express themes of hope, resiliency, empathy and compassion. Being intentional in helping this generation to embrace the right values, cultivate key virtues and understand the pandemic’s impact will be critical in guiding our collective future. Students need time and space for reflection to make meaning from these life-changing experiences.
During this holiday season, all of us need to find time to reflect and gain perspective. While we all desire normalcy, we need to consider how to reprioritize our lives to best create our next normal. There are many blessings and silver linings, it is now more important than ever before that we pause and reflect upon them. If we look, we can learn from small mercies each day. With hope on the horizon, we must take time to be present and reprioritize to create a better post-COVID-19 world.