Making a timeline of the last 5 years helped me to think about the students I teach and what their experience might have been like prior to entering HE, the impact the pandemic might have had, and may continue to have on their learning and personal development as individuals. As a parent to teenagers I am aware that this generation have a very different experience of some of their formative years. Traditionally 16-18 year olds might have experienced extra curricular activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh award, or the National Citizenship Scheme, other events and opportunities within local communities to encourage interaction with the wider world, within homes and communities, peers and potential employers. This time was lost, and the impact remains for some, in the form of anxiety, depression and mental health conditions became more prolific during and since the pandemic. This will have an impact on learning and the requirements of my pastoral responsibilities as a teacher.

Jan 2023