Standards don't change, but our approach may need to change. We have experienced the same issue. Since 2020, our students really just want to show up and have fun without putting much work into anything. That's what happens when you turn them into online learners for a year...they only want to do what needs to be done to be considered good enough. The challenge we have to accept is finding a way to motivate them to want to actually excel at something.

This may sound strange in our band director community, but go talk to the coaches on your campus. Sit in on some of their practices. Of course kids are drawn to sports like magnets, but what are the coaches doing that keeps the kids there? The kids may want to be there, but when they find out that playing a sport takes work, most of those kids don't shut down or quit.

I wish you the best.