Teacher-Student Connections Get Lost in Distance Learning. We Must Start Rebuilding Those Relationships When School Reopens

As the year ends on a note no one expected, amid the confusion and uncertainty about our forced nationwide experiment with online schooling, there are a couple things we can be sure about. First, distance learning is challenging for both students and teachers. Second, even when it goes well, teachers and students still struggle with the loss of in-person connections.

As the nation’s teachers and students adjust to this new reality, these conclusions may seem like bad news, but the opposite is actually true. I’m an incurable optimist but also a determined realist; that comes from being a high school counselor.

Let me explain.