A Facebook post from The Neurodivergent Teacher, March 21, 2020
Part 2 of my crusade against distance learning during a global pandemic: stressed brains can't
learn, and (as this quote continues) stressed brains can't teach. Brain science shows us that
under stress, the thinking part of our brains (prefrontal cortex) doesn't work well and your
sensory part of your brain (amygdala) is working overtime. This means our brains functionally
cannot do the things it can do in the absence of stress.
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At the very least, our routines have been entirely uprooted without warning. Some more
impacted by the current crisis may not know when their next pay check is coming, where their
next meal is coming from, or when they will see a loved one next due to social distancing and
shelter-in-place measures. Some may be facing mental health crises that have been agitated by
the pandemic and isolation. Some may be having to mask more than usual due to family
circumstances.
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No matter what the situation, it is safe to say we are all under significant amounts of stress right
now--students, parents, and teachers. And it is highly likely we will be supporting students who
go through trauma during this period. This is not the time for rigorous curriculum. I promise the
students will be okay with a few weeks or months without content. It will not prevent them from
becoming functioning adults in society. The world will not stop spinning. They'll be ok.
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So during this time of "distance learning," reach out to your students and families. Make sure
their needs are being met. Make sure they feel safe and loved. Make sure they know this will
not last forever, and that this is to keep them safe. Give them options to stay engaged, busy,
and distracted. Give them opportunities to be creative, to communicate, to share their world as
they are experiencing it. Make sure parents know that you're here to support them--and that you
don't expect them to become their teachers.
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Take this time to build resiliency in your students, not build on content standards that, quite
frankly, do not matter right now.
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