WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.880 JUDY WOODRUFF: The pandemic have been difficult for all of us, but particularly for students, 00:04.880 --> 00:09.880 who have experienced major disruptions to both their education and their social lives. 00:09.920 --> 00:13.520 In a special program, our Student Reporting Labs team 00:13.520 --> 00:17.120 explores how young people are dealing with this new normal. 00:17.120 --> 00:21.040 Here's a slice of their reporting, a look at one teacher taking an 00:21.040 --> 00:23.040 unconventional approach to learning. 00:23.040 --> 00:28.040 SKATEBOARDER: Go do some tricks. 00:29.840 --> 00:32.320 KENDALL VANVALKENBURG, Teacher, Red Canyon High School: During the pandemic, I noticed that a lot 00:32.320 --> 00:36.800 of students were skateboarding. I can see the skate park from my house. So, when I see kids 00:36.800 --> 00:40.480 interested in something, I'm going to figure out a way to brick that into the classroom. 00:40.480 --> 00:44.000 NARRATOR: Ms. V. is a teacher at Red Canyon High School in Gypsum, 00:44.000 --> 00:47.360 Colorado, trying to solve a problem that students know all too well. 00:47.360 --> 00:49.840 KENDALL VANVALKENBURG: There is something missing in the education 00:49.840 --> 00:54.840 system. Kids find themselves not wanting to go to school and at the skate park. 00:56.400 --> 00:59.280 Why can't we take that something else that makes school a part of it? 00:59.280 --> 01:03.120 NARRATOR: While the class may just look like students fooling around at the skate park, 01:03.120 --> 01:07.440 they're actually learning about urban planning, design and how to build a stronger community. 01:07.440 --> 01:10.800 KENDALL VANVALKENBURG: We talked about barriers that stand in the 01:10.800 --> 01:15.680 way of kids being able to skate. And then we came up with solutions 01:15.680 --> 01:19.440 to those barriers to make skateboarding more accessible to all kids in our community. 01:19.440 --> 01:24.400 CLAIRE EVANS, Student: Mostly, what we're doing right now is trying to get a skate park in Avon 01:24.400 --> 01:29.400 to make things a little more accessible to kids there and also help reduce the crowding. 01:30.160 --> 01:34.640 We are working on getting funding from Tony Hawk Foundation to 01:35.840 --> 01:38.640 revamp this place that we're standing at right here. And 01:40.240 --> 01:44.480 we -- my group specifically has been working on a design that we think could be really cool. 01:44.480 --> 01:48.800 DAVID CARRILLO, Student: I'm actually, like, doing work for my community. And it's not really like 01:48.800 --> 01:53.120 just a class anymore. I'm part of something bigger than just this class. 01:53.120 --> 01:57.840 NARRATOR: With each new trick, students understand more about themselves, as well as how to connect, 01:57.840 --> 02:00.480 how to teach, and how to learn from one another. 02:00.480 --> 02:04.720 KENDALL VANVALKENBURG: It's hard. If you're learning to do from the most basic skill 02:04.720 --> 02:09.720 to a really difficult skill, it takes a lot of resilience to get back up and try again. 02:10.880 --> 02:13.760 CLAIRE EVANS: It's one of those things where, if you could put your mind to something and 02:13.760 --> 02:18.160 just kind of get into it, you can really prove to yourself that you can do whatever you want. 02:18.160 --> 02:20.400 CALVIN PARRISH, Student: I always thought it was like super cool. And I thought the skaters 02:20.400 --> 02:25.400 were super cool. So it just -- it makes me feel good. And I like learning new things. 02:26.240 --> 02:29.440 CLAIRE EVANS: School can be stressful for kids these days. And I think it's really important 02:29.440 --> 02:33.200 that we have these days to be able to just be able to relax, because it's not like we 02:33.200 --> 02:38.200 get recess anymore. We don't get to go play with our friends and use our imaginations. 02:39.040 --> 02:43.280 If we get rid of that creativity, by the time we're adults, we're not going to be doing anything 02:43.280 --> 02:46.160 useful with the world. We're not going to be able to solve these 02:46.160 --> 02:49.600 world problems because we're all looking at the straight -- what's ahead of us, 02:49.600 --> 02:53.360 just not taking time think about things that are outside the box. 02:53.360 --> 02:57.200 JORGE JIMENEZ-VELAZCO, Student: It helps a lot with conquering your fears, 02:57.200 --> 03:02.200 because it's scary to do some things. And when you finally own up to it, it is relieving. 03:03.680 --> 03:08.680 I recently learned how to drop in. It's really scary, but I did it. 03:10.080 --> 03:13.760 NARRATOR: And while Ms. V is teaching her students how to face their fears, 03:13.760 --> 03:15.920 at the same time, she had to do it herself. 03:15.920 --> 03:20.920 KENDALL VANVALKENBURG: I learned how to drop in. And I was scared, because you fall. 03:23.040 --> 03:28.040 And I'm looking at a student who is a language learner who I have watched take so many risks 03:31.600 --> 03:36.240 in the classroom, and I have watched sit there and struggle when he was younger. 03:36.240 --> 03:41.240 And I have, like, forced him to read and write and grow. He's got the drop in. He totally can do it. 03:44.160 --> 03:47.840 And he's cheering me on. And so, of course, I'm going to take that risk. 03:47.840 --> 03:52.840 JUDY WOODRUFF: What a great teacher. And this program is exceptional. 03:53.600 --> 03:57.920 You can watch Student Reporting Labs' full program, "Our New Normal," 03:57.920 --> 04:01.760 tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. And that's on our YouTube channel.