Skills for the future to create more consensus and unity. — By Dr. Gil Noam and Dr. Pendred Noyce Consider these realities as a parent, teacher, youth worker, citizen: The country has engaged in what we call “mask wars” over the past year, despite the clear consensus among scientists. The former president stated repeatedly that not only did he not lose…

Most schools around the country are still scrambling to get into this school year. States and local districts are continuously updating their decisions — a trend that we’ll see throughout the academic year. That creates an enormous uncertainty not only for schools but also for the out-of-school time field. In…

What worried parents can do. Our education system is facing an unprecedented amount of uncertainty in how to move forward this upcoming school year. Guidance around school reopening varies greatly by states and districts, with some localities announcing that they will be going completely virtual in the fall, and others…

Racing to “catch up” and going back to what once was won’t work. Schools will open, one way or another. Many states have already released guidance on the enormous changes schools will need to make between now and the fall to be ready to open. For example, the requirements just…

The regret and possibility ahead of us. We have undergone a wide range of experiences and emotions in lockdown during the COVID-19 disaster. Many of us have felt anxiety, disbelief, hyperactivity and productivity, anger and existential dread, as well as resignation and the emergence of new routines. Tragically, an increasing…

In a previous piece, I discussed flexibility and how we must learn to adapt to new and unprecedented circumstances. That was in mid-March—when the full scope of the virus had only started to take shape in the United States. …

I am angry. I know it doesn’t feel appropriate to express such emotion during a time of crisis, but I can’t help it. I am also sad, sometimes in denial, and feel trapped in a time warp-having been grounded for four weeks now, and not knowing how long this will…

What a pandemic teaches us about relationships. The adjustment to the bleak reality of the COVID-19 pandemic these past weeks has been increasingly constraining, confusing, and anxiety-provoking. Far too many changes are coming at us at once-we’re locked down, isolated from social contact, and trying to adapt to the sudden…

The psychological opportunity during the pandemic. — In recent days, we’ve been inundated with recommendations for how to stay healthy in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. We have received daily tips and recommendations that range from skills you learned in childhood, to anxiety-provoking calls from employers, health organizations, and news stories: Wash your hands with…