Teachers say kids social skills aren’t at the same level as before the pandemic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - School officials said they’re seeing an uptick in disruptive classroom behaviors this year after many kids spent much of the pandemic learning at home.

Officials with the Central Alabama American Federation of Teacher’s union said many educators in the area are struggling with classroom management after the pandemic and it’s starting to take away from instructional time.

President Marrianne Hayward said it’s one of teachers’ biggest obstacles right now. Hayward said because of the disruption from the pandemic, students’ social skills are delayed and not where they normally are for each age group.

She said students are getting up in the middle of lessons, not bringing correct supplies, and not listening to teacher’s instruction. Hayward said it is mainly in younger students and now those teachers are losing instructional time to help re-teach classroom etiquette.

“They value that instructional time so much because they know that students are behind,” Hayward said. “When they have to stop and say no you can’t get up and get hand sanitizer or sharpen your pencil, that just takes away from the time they are supposed to be teaching.”

Hayward said it’s important for parents to go over classroom behaviors and expectations with kids so that way students know what is and isn’t okay and that their parents support their teacher.

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