Back to all

The students have gone quiet

Picture of Michael
Michael

Is it just me or do schools sound different since the return of students from remote learning? There seems to be a hush about the place. A volume that classroom walls are not a custom to hearing. 

I thought maybe it was just my school, however after conversations with fellow Victorian colleague’s, and my wife who is also a teacher, it seems fairly common across schools. 

So now the question is why. 

No doubt that wearing of masks has changed the way people communicate. It’s tough work to speak through a mask and students and teachers alike have cut the amount they converse. 

But it’s more than that. COVID seems to have stripped students personality. They have changed, and not for the better. The amount of  banter that students are involved in has decreased and those ‘cheeky’ moments in class are not as common. 

Could it simply be that been locked down at home for 6 months have made them introverts? Or does it go further? 

Many schools have been focusing on wellbeing since students have returned, and thats the right direction to go in. Healthy happy students should always be the priority of schools, and after spending up to half the year in their bedrooms looking at a screen, this focus is paramount. 

However as we are about to send the students away for 6 weeks, 2021 will become crucial. While we all want to forget this year and move on to happier times, we need to keep in mind that what happened in 2020 may have longer lasting repercussions on students mental health. We will need to keep an eye on them as they return in January as they may need our support to rebuild social skills that are vital for them to operate both and and outside the school gates. 

You might also enjoy
Conversations on Leadership, AI, and the Arts

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to contribute to a number of podcast conversations, as well as host a series myself during lockdown. Each of these experiences gave me a chance to step back from the day-to-day of school life and reflect more broadly on the issues shaping education.

Across these episodes I’ve explored a range of themes: how the arts have influenced my leadership, the opportunities and challenges of AI in classrooms, and the behind-the-scenes realities of staging a school musical. I’ve also had the chance to talk with students and colleagues about community, connection, and the ways schools can adapt in times of disruption.
Book Review: The Connection Conundrum

In my earlier review of The Connection Curriculum, I noted Matt Pitman’s call for educators to prioritise genuine human connection as the foundation of thriving schools. His follow-up book, The Connection Conundrum, takes that message further. Pitman places teachers at the centre of change, reminding us that connection is not a program or policy, but a practice built through daily, deliberate actions in the classroom. For me, his strongest challenge is around professional courage. He urges teachers to take risks, experiment, and lead from where they are, without waiting for permission. As a school leader, this resonates deeply. I value nothing more than when teachers bring forward new ideas and learn through action. Pitman’s book is a timely reminder that teachers are cultural leaders, and that schools flourish when we trust and empower them to act.
Making Teaching Cool Again: How to Fix Education’s Biggest Crisis

The world is running out of teachers, and the impact is already being felt. Even in schools that appear fully staffed, the experience levels are often unbalanced, with too many new teachers and not enough experienced mentors. This leaves early-career teachers unsupported and increases burnout, with one in five leaving the profession within the first five years.

In my talk, I asked the audience to imagine a world without teachers. At first, it might seem like a student’s dream come true with no essays or homework, but in reality, it would be a disaster. Parents would be forced into homeschooling, workplaces would suffer staff shortages, and everyday life would grind to a halt. Who would teach young people to read a road sign or understand a payslip?