As students return to their respective classrooms this fall, teachers and parents must be as patient as possible while everyone readjusts. 

After the patient history and exam portion of my telehealth visits, I spent a few extra minutes asking my patients and their parents how they were tolerating the pandemic. While I did hear some success stories, the majority had a rough experience with life in a virtual setting.

I’ve been a pediatric cardiologist since 1990. I offer clinics in Beckley, Gary, Lewisburg, Pineville, and Summersville, and in many of these communities, cell phone service and internet are non-existent or unreliable. Even as schools were equipped with outside Wi-Fi access, parents said that they still had to transport their children to the site, and oftentimes, the Wi-Fi signal was interrupted. 

They would be able to get online to see things virtually, but then be kicked off three or four times in a 20-minute period, and then give up. The obstacles are pretty significant in these counties.

Even as schools swapped to take-home instructional packets, students shared with me their desire for in-class learning, to be able to ask real-time questions. Also, many children are living with their grandparents in West Virginia, which oftentimes creates an even greater technological gap. 

Nearly a dozen of my patients, who are high school students, have shared that they do not plan to return to school this fall. In addition to educational challenges, many students are experiencing mental and behavioral health issues. 

We have a limited structure in our state for mental and behavioral health. The system is going to be overloaded even more. We’re all different after 18 months of this.

I’m asking parents and teachers to have patience with kids as they acclimate to their old routines, as they try to catch up academically, and as they work through new mental and behavioral health challenges. 

People have to go in realizing we’ve lost ground and it’s going to be hard. I’m a big fan of public schools, but I know their plates are going to be full when school starts.

— Dr. Larry Rhodes is a West Virginia University pediatric cardiologist.

React to this story:

0
0
0
0
0

Trending Video