{"id":574955,"date":"2021-07-22T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/?post_type=article&p=574955"},"modified":"2021-07-26T11:40:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T15:40:00","slug":"texas-second-graders-show-their-pandemic-challenges-through-art-and-tell-how-their-teacher-helped-them-stay-strong","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/article\/texas-second-graders-show-their-pandemic-challenges-through-art-and-tell-how-their-teacher-helped-them-stay-strong\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Second Graders ‘Show’ Their Pandemic Challenges through Art and ‘Tell’ How Their Teacher Helped them Stay Strong"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Second Pandemic \u2014 Averting a Children\u2019s Mental Health Crisis: As many children prepare to return to in-person learning and amid alarming reports from around the world pointing to an escalating crisis surrounding children’s mental health, some communities are rushing to get out ahead of the grim forecasts. In Texas, teachers and mental health care providers are fortifying support systems, investing in kids\u2019 resilience, and expanding what works as they continue to fight for the future of the COVID-19 Generation. This is the third in a three-part series examining those efforts<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A<\/span>shley Crandall\u2019s second grade students didn\u2019t like remote learning during the pandemic, and they hated <\/em>wearing masks.<\/p>\n

But they did like keeping their friends and family safe, and, as Crandall told them, the best way to do that was to keep masks up and to social distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s bigger than just us,\u201d Crandall reminded the kids when they would complain about the masks. \u201cWe have to really think \u2018big picture\u2019 about what\u2019s happening in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crandall did her best, largely successfully, to keep the scariest parts of the pandemic at bay in her classroom of 19 seven- to nine-year-olds at Democracy Prep at the Stewart Campus on the southeast side of San Antonio ISD which was hit particularly hard by COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve all been impacted in some way,\u201d Crandall said, referring to lost jobs, family members who fell ill or died, and the general anxiety swirling through the community. \u201cSchool provided a place for students to disconnect from fears that might have been placed on them.\u201d<\/p>\n