HOW TO STAY PROACTIVE DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES
What’s going on now….
Schools are closed, Ap’s are online (45 minutes for 2 free response questions!!!), most schools are simply going Pass/Fail, many teachers are not even posting assignments anymore, most students aren’t even checking in, colleges are discussing online schooling in the fall, cheating your way through exams, and homework has become “expected,” and the world has effectively closed its doors to education. For most students, it is impossible to stay motivated in this climate and many have simply shut their books and resolved themselves to the confines of Netflix, Hulu, Tik Tok, SnapChat, and video games. WE DON’T BLAME YOU! However, it is important to stay proactive during these uncertain times. Will you accept the unfortunate circumstances or try to make a positive change for yourself?
What’s worse is that as the clock winds down to this pandemic, and we are beginning to discuss re-opening, there will be a lot of discussion about the failure of our system politically, economically, and,in our perspective, educationally! As history mandates, we will begin to colloquially “point fingers” and play the blame game. Contrary to what many politicians believe, the online method is simply not working. JM Learning tutors thousands of students, many of whom tell our tutors that they are not even logging on to take their school attendance, let alone learn effectively and complete assignments. Tutoring has been a way to supplement learning in the classroom and allow students to excel. However, during these times, JM tutors have become more like teachers, completely explaining topics from start to finish and trying to ease the burden of teachers having to deal with 30+ students in a virtual classroom where you cannot physically monitor who is and isn’t paying attention.
All standardized examinations have been cancelled and it truly has become the greatest inequity in the American education system since the 1950’s. The fact is that if you attend private school, you’re in class 4-6 hours per day and completing assignments for an average of 3-5. If you attend a public school, you haven’t learned anything since this entire thing began. It’s simply what our world has become, but what is worse is that there will be a group that will get the blame game. Parents are obviously supposed to work, homeschool, cook, clean, and still have time to sleep and eat – come on… get your sh** together guys! Teachers… seriously… you guys have to grade 200+ assignments, make your entire curriculum that you spent years developing online in days, coordinate zoom/google/Microsoft/Facebook/whatever the DOE has in mind meetings, login attendance sheets, communicate effectively during staff meetings, somehow get 35+ kids to pay attention and do their work when there is no form of regulation, grade, or punishment in place for kids that just don’t care, and set a standard that well… doesn’t exist. Meanwhile, most of you teachers also have your own kids to worry about. Don’t teachers have it easy…
What to expect…
Prediction 1
Prediction 2
Prediction 3
Prediction 4
Prediction 1
Schools will re-open with limited capacity.
Classrooms will not be filled to the brim with 35 people. We will have a maximum of 15 people, there will be multiple sessions throughout the day, and some classes will still be held online.
Prediction 2
Limited Funding will limit options available for students.
There will be less AP and other advanced classes since these programs are generally more expensive to run. The competition will become more cut throat than ever before and this will lead many parents for alternative advancements in their children’s education.
Prediction 3
The demand for Private School and supplemental educational classes will skyrocket.
With schools utterly overwhelmed with organizational difficulties, constant ridicule on safety protocols, and new strategies to keep Covid-19 outbreaks controlled, parents will begin to search for something to ensure their children are still able to maintain a proper education and gain the valuable skills they need in order to get into the college of their dreams.
Prediction 4
Values and our society will become even more polarized than before.
During this pandemic, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on our politics and the fight between our leaders and the media. Distrust and derision has become commonplace and this same notion is beginning to be applied toward each other as well. There is no denying that during this particular time, the greatest inequity in our country has occurred since the 1950’s, but through that inequity we have to stand together as one, regardless of our socioeconomic status and become more understanding of each other. There has been so much hate spread throughout the world during this time and if we should understand anything through hardship and death, it is that these difficulties could only be overcome as a unit. We have to help each other and only by standing together will we all win.
THIS IS WHERE WE WILL THRIVE!
We have used this time to develop programs that are not only intensive to continue the high standards that we have built this company on but make the classes enjoyable.
New Programs include:
Career Camp is an educational activity program that immerses students in “real world” professional settings and involves hands-on activities for a variety of careers so that students can develop their own passions. Some of the careers will be architecture, engineering, computer programming, doctor, lawyer, accountant, investment banker, videographer, photographer, and marketer. We will be releasing information on the JM Scoop so sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest information and progress for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
We will be releasing the SHSAT, SAT, Physics, AP Physics, Biology, Algebra 1 and 2, Trigonometry, Geometry, Calculus, and state exam books by the start of Fall of 2020. This is an exciting time for us and check out the link for the latest information for book releases.
This program is designed for students to gain the internships they so desperately need to not only obtain entrance into top universities but gain the experience they need in order to discover their passions. During this pandemic, we realize the difficulty of gaining these internships and the value they bring to our students in helping them understand what they would like to study throughout college, so we have empowered students into developing their own passions and truly bringing to light the necessary aspects of this process and what it takes to start your own enterprise. Check out the post about High School Internships or follow our Youtube and Facebook page to watch the networking events.
We have redesigned our website to cater to our clientele and keep people up to date with the latest information on what JM Learning has to offer. With various categories to choose and learn about, we have posted everything we have on an easy to use platform. But, what we are most proud of is the JM scoop which will highlight information on what students need to know about changes in education and what they need to know now! Check out JM Scoop.
What to do…
So, what do you do now? Get angry? Be sad? Completely ignore everything involving school and wait for things to go back to normal? Be happy that you’re no longer learning everything? Learn to accept the reality of the “new world”?
The point here is to get ahead of the curve and stop playing the blame game and understand that this situation is difficult for everyone, especially the kids. We hear it all the time, “The Kids should be learning on their own!” We always ask the same question, “Did you when you were their age?” And before we get into the hypotheticals of “Yes” or “Things were different…” it’s important to note that the world has become one of instant gratification. You want the answer to a question, google it now or ask Siri. You want to order a movie, watch it now. You want a new book, read it now. Want something delivered, get it now! Pretty soon, we are going to start getting things before we want them. I can see it now, instead of Amazon Prime and Same day, Amazon Now and Before… If our entire culture is based around the premise of getting everything we want instantly, how can we expect the most susceptible to be anything but? Education is something that is worked for and toiled over and true knowledge is only gained after years of learning and development. We cannot expect our students to act and learn differently overnight or even over the course of a few months.
With so much uncertainty, you need to understand one thing. YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID! No matter what you’re feeling, they are completely understandable and the reality is that no one other than you can relate to what you’re going through because this truly is an unprecedented situation. No one has ever gone through something like this before, so it’s vital to understand that whatever way you’re feeling is completely normal.
“Hope for the Best and Plan for the Worst!”
Steps to success during uncertain times:
Take every day, one step at a time.
2
Setup a schedule for yourself – one that’s realistic.
3
Realize that standards are not going to drop, instead probably become more difficult because those students that are at the very top have more time to work and are pushing themselves more than ever before.
4
Continue learning, working out, and in general bettering yourself – Now is the time to challenge yourself in ways you never have before.
5
Don’t hope for things to go back to normal. Instead, look at every setback and obstacle as a new way to push yourself and become better. If you guys can make it through this, then there is nothing you cannot accomplish!
6
If you can’t find an internship, make one! JM Learning is beginning new ventures in empowering students in developing their own businesses.
A thank you from JM Learning and its staff:
We are incredibly proud of all of you who have stuck with us during these extremely difficult and trying times. And, we would like to thank the countless students and parents for the support of our business. Contrary to many beliefs, our business expenses continued and we were hit hard after just completing a massive expansion to ensure that our students have the very best when it comes to their education. But, through many sacrifices we were able to not only make it through, but come out with a brand new website, new blog, new and better tutors, new course catalog, and new course materials that truly revolutionize education.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”
We would love to hear from you…
If you have a similar story of success, we would love to hear from you. Just send us an email to [email protected] and we will be sure to share it on our website and with the rest of our community.
With the end near, we hope that everyone made it through this unscathed and more motivated than ever. We hope to see you soon.
