During my pre-service teaching experience, I have worked with a multiplicity of students who have been greatly impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and really have felt the pressure teaching during a national pandemic. There was a lot of change, a ton of problem solving, and the addition of a variety of social/emotional issues that both myself and my students had to figure out. This certainly was not how I expected my last year of college nor my student teaching experience to go, but in all honesty I would not have changed a thing. In life we face many challenges and tragedies that force us to be resilient. Ultimately we come out as better people with a stronger understanding of humanity. In terms of education, I have learned a ton about how students learn, interact with one another, and recover during drastic times of change and discomfort. Learning this year looked very different from years past and there were certainly pros and cons, but I believe the ability to see teachers and students problem-solve through this situation has opened many peoples' eyes to how education functions at its best and how detrimental it can be when things aren't going right.
Due to COVID-19 the use of technology this year has sky-rocketed. In my high school placement, I was teaching in a hybrid format meaning I had students both tuning in online and sitting in my classroom. This meant that I had to teach students in-person and online synchronously to ensure their experiences, feedback, and support were equal. In my elementary placement, although I had students in-person most of the time I still worked with my mentor to use technology everyday. I had to make sure that all my documents were accessible to my student at all times--due to COVID-19 swapping between in-person, hybrid, and remote meant that all materials must be available digitally and ALL projects presented in school can be completed ANYWHERE. This posed a lot of challenges, and a ton of extra work but made me realize that this accessibility piece is key for unknown roadblocks to learning, such as student absences for illness, sports, events, field trips, etc. not just a worldwide pandemic. It also came in handy when two fifth grade classes were completely quarantined because the adjustment to putting material online for them to access at home was pretty quick and seamless, simply because I'm used to it.
Being an educator means I am constantly revising, problem solving, accommodating, and adapting to change as quickly as it may occur. Throughout the pandemic I have been confronted by many obstacles, pushing through them with no hesitation in order to achieve my goals and guide my students towards success and ultimately happiness. COVID-19 presented many physical challenges, but mental challenges as well. I had to respond to complex issues with steadfast grace not only for the success of each lesson, but the mental state of my students as well. Approaching change with an open mind, positive attitude, and hopeful heart that we would get through impacted my students more than anyone outside of the classroom could understand. As much as I would love to pat myself on the back for the challenges I had to overcome and work I had to do putting together art supplies, writing digitally transferrable lessons, and juggling the challenges of teaching during a pandemic--I commend my students even more for holding tight all the way through and never giving up. It is very important to be vulnerable in the face of challenges with your students, validate their struggles, and provide legitimate advice (to the best of your abilities of course--we are not all truly licensed therapists as much as we wish we were). If I’ve learned anything in my teaching experience, it is that students have much more going on than you think so it is always a good bet to approach them with kindness, patience, and support.
For over a year, students have had so much on their plates. I want people to know that. One of my high school students noticed at the beginning of the pandemic, they were finally able to commit time in the day for self care. This is so important and I really related to that, struggling with admitting it at the same time. Not every career or lifestyle feels like it allows for that, but in being forced to take care of yourself it was obvious that a priority was being left out in the hustle of just living. That same high school student opened up to me about living with both depression and ADD, and how the possibility to dedicate time to taking care of themself during quarantine/remote learning was extremely important. But then there was a shift, students went back to school. For months, these young people were confined in their homes with little contact with people other than their family members. Also remember, not everyone has the perfect home life...many don't. Both factors impacted tons of kids in both my primary and secondary placements and continue to shoot down their confidence and ability to make their own decisions in school and life, alongside catching up on any material they missed at the beginning of the pandemic. Although many students were eager to return to school and see their friends, over time a theoretical and seemingly insurmountable brick wall was built in front of them. Students had fallen so out of practice being social that returning to school was initially exciting but many faced extreme social anxiety upon their return and younger children in particular had very weakened social capabilities.
In some of my high school students, this feeling of disconnect and mental health struggle was nothing new. However, there were many kids who had not felt this extreme mental detriment before. The student I mentioned earlier said they noticed many of their peers had turned to medication in a frantic attempt to feel normal again. They were saddened to see the lack of education about holistic methods or coping mechanisms, before resorting to medication. To the student, that was their last resort. They had been through the battles of holistic approaches and came to medication as a last resort. I felt the student's analysis of what was happening around them was beyond my expectation. I knew students were having a hard time...but initially it was hard to pick up just how much these social restrictions were affecting their mental health.
This experience talking with my high school student really brought to light a lot of issues to me. Seeing my elementary kids struggle to interact with one another on the playground saddened me. As adults I think it is easy to forget sometimes that young adults and children know and understand the difficulties of life in varying ways compared to adults--and being aware of that has allowed me to better support them and even learn from their battles. I always hated when teachers had a "god-complex" or acted like they had life "all figured out". This simply is not the case and only pushes you farther away from your students. The situation we all were placed in forced us to be resilient and care for one another. Here are some major take aways from my experience teaching during a pandemic:
In just being open, honest, talkative + kind I have grown relationships with my students that bring me to tears. I already see students coming out of their shells again. I always tell my students I love seeing their faces. I think we all know that reconnecting after being confined, as if we were bound in a padded room, has been really detrimental and we are all struggling and yearning for that social connection. I have cried out of empathy for those struggling, painstakingly trying to figure out how I can just... *fix everything*. That is SO hard. What I found I could do and had control over was starting each day being kind, accommodating, and encouraging--because I know that is what I need too. My goal, pandemic or not, is to create a classroom environment that employs mutual respect and compassion for one another. During both of my placements, I found opportunities to learn and grow despite feeling restricted in many ways because of the pandemic. I participated in a variety of staff discussions during my both of my placements, finding support from my fellow educators and administrators. At the high school level I attended the staff meeting each week on Friday after school which often discussed the various details, which were constantly changing, regarding COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines implemented by the CDC and the district. I also attended two virtual workshops during my time at Fossil titled, "Rewiring for Resiliency" and "Mindfulness". These felt like they were written just for me at that moment in time. My notes from this workshop will be something I refer to often. At my elementary placement I also attended a staff meeting every Wednesday morning before I taught which normally updated us on COVID-19 changes alongside mini workshops hosted by the counselor--she presented some great material on calming students in stressful situations. I also attended a 2 day virtual roundtable (attending even at the height of my misery upon receiving the J&J vaccine) which was titled "Equity and Inclusion". My effort to better myself as a supporter of my students and educate myself in being resilient and inclusive was a huge take-away from teaching during a pandemic. Sometimes our eyes are opened the widest when we come face-to-face with the most difficult experiences. This kind of experience, in and of itself, teaches us resiliency, compassion, and empathy because in times of crisis that is just about all we have.
Due to COVID-19 the use of technology this year has sky-rocketed. In my high school placement, I was teaching in a hybrid format meaning I had students both tuning in online and sitting in my classroom. This meant that I had to teach students in-person and online synchronously to ensure their experiences, feedback, and support were equal. In my elementary placement, although I had students in-person most of the time I still worked with my mentor to use technology everyday. I had to make sure that all my documents were accessible to my student at all times--due to COVID-19 swapping between in-person, hybrid, and remote meant that all materials must be available digitally and ALL projects presented in school can be completed ANYWHERE. This posed a lot of challenges, and a ton of extra work but made me realize that this accessibility piece is key for unknown roadblocks to learning, such as student absences for illness, sports, events, field trips, etc. not just a worldwide pandemic. It also came in handy when two fifth grade classes were completely quarantined because the adjustment to putting material online for them to access at home was pretty quick and seamless, simply because I'm used to it.
Being an educator means I am constantly revising, problem solving, accommodating, and adapting to change as quickly as it may occur. Throughout the pandemic I have been confronted by many obstacles, pushing through them with no hesitation in order to achieve my goals and guide my students towards success and ultimately happiness. COVID-19 presented many physical challenges, but mental challenges as well. I had to respond to complex issues with steadfast grace not only for the success of each lesson, but the mental state of my students as well. Approaching change with an open mind, positive attitude, and hopeful heart that we would get through impacted my students more than anyone outside of the classroom could understand. As much as I would love to pat myself on the back for the challenges I had to overcome and work I had to do putting together art supplies, writing digitally transferrable lessons, and juggling the challenges of teaching during a pandemic--I commend my students even more for holding tight all the way through and never giving up. It is very important to be vulnerable in the face of challenges with your students, validate their struggles, and provide legitimate advice (to the best of your abilities of course--we are not all truly licensed therapists as much as we wish we were). If I’ve learned anything in my teaching experience, it is that students have much more going on than you think so it is always a good bet to approach them with kindness, patience, and support.
For over a year, students have had so much on their plates. I want people to know that. One of my high school students noticed at the beginning of the pandemic, they were finally able to commit time in the day for self care. This is so important and I really related to that, struggling with admitting it at the same time. Not every career or lifestyle feels like it allows for that, but in being forced to take care of yourself it was obvious that a priority was being left out in the hustle of just living. That same high school student opened up to me about living with both depression and ADD, and how the possibility to dedicate time to taking care of themself during quarantine/remote learning was extremely important. But then there was a shift, students went back to school. For months, these young people were confined in their homes with little contact with people other than their family members. Also remember, not everyone has the perfect home life...many don't. Both factors impacted tons of kids in both my primary and secondary placements and continue to shoot down their confidence and ability to make their own decisions in school and life, alongside catching up on any material they missed at the beginning of the pandemic. Although many students were eager to return to school and see their friends, over time a theoretical and seemingly insurmountable brick wall was built in front of them. Students had fallen so out of practice being social that returning to school was initially exciting but many faced extreme social anxiety upon their return and younger children in particular had very weakened social capabilities.
In some of my high school students, this feeling of disconnect and mental health struggle was nothing new. However, there were many kids who had not felt this extreme mental detriment before. The student I mentioned earlier said they noticed many of their peers had turned to medication in a frantic attempt to feel normal again. They were saddened to see the lack of education about holistic methods or coping mechanisms, before resorting to medication. To the student, that was their last resort. They had been through the battles of holistic approaches and came to medication as a last resort. I felt the student's analysis of what was happening around them was beyond my expectation. I knew students were having a hard time...but initially it was hard to pick up just how much these social restrictions were affecting their mental health.
This experience talking with my high school student really brought to light a lot of issues to me. Seeing my elementary kids struggle to interact with one another on the playground saddened me. As adults I think it is easy to forget sometimes that young adults and children know and understand the difficulties of life in varying ways compared to adults--and being aware of that has allowed me to better support them and even learn from their battles. I always hated when teachers had a "god-complex" or acted like they had life "all figured out". This simply is not the case and only pushes you farther away from your students. The situation we all were placed in forced us to be resilient and care for one another. Here are some major take aways from my experience teaching during a pandemic:
- Give one another grace. COVID-19 has presented SO many obstacles and weird emotions. Be kind.
- Hold out hope that even the "failing" students will catch up. Hold out hope that children will catch up academically--they are SO smart, motivated, and excited to learn. Nothing can stand in their way.
- Talk. Talk to your students, coworkers, community members, friends, family, etc. Ask how you can be of support during difficult times and show praise and excitement during the good times.
- Have patience. Even after you come up with a game plan, don't expect your students to go from an F to an A overnight. In my elementary placement, I had to have a lot of patience for myself. Lessons don't always go to plan; I am still learning; I am not perfect. Growth and resiliency is the process of life and learning.
- Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Be open with your challenges + experiences. Give real advice and don't sugar coat anything!! Your students will thank you, see your care and effort, and you will end up living a life that is authentic.
In just being open, honest, talkative + kind I have grown relationships with my students that bring me to tears. I already see students coming out of their shells again. I always tell my students I love seeing their faces. I think we all know that reconnecting after being confined, as if we were bound in a padded room, has been really detrimental and we are all struggling and yearning for that social connection. I have cried out of empathy for those struggling, painstakingly trying to figure out how I can just... *fix everything*. That is SO hard. What I found I could do and had control over was starting each day being kind, accommodating, and encouraging--because I know that is what I need too. My goal, pandemic or not, is to create a classroom environment that employs mutual respect and compassion for one another. During both of my placements, I found opportunities to learn and grow despite feeling restricted in many ways because of the pandemic. I participated in a variety of staff discussions during my both of my placements, finding support from my fellow educators and administrators. At the high school level I attended the staff meeting each week on Friday after school which often discussed the various details, which were constantly changing, regarding COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines implemented by the CDC and the district. I also attended two virtual workshops during my time at Fossil titled, "Rewiring for Resiliency" and "Mindfulness". These felt like they were written just for me at that moment in time. My notes from this workshop will be something I refer to often. At my elementary placement I also attended a staff meeting every Wednesday morning before I taught which normally updated us on COVID-19 changes alongside mini workshops hosted by the counselor--she presented some great material on calming students in stressful situations. I also attended a 2 day virtual roundtable (attending even at the height of my misery upon receiving the J&J vaccine) which was titled "Equity and Inclusion". My effort to better myself as a supporter of my students and educate myself in being resilient and inclusive was a huge take-away from teaching during a pandemic. Sometimes our eyes are opened the widest when we come face-to-face with the most difficult experiences. This kind of experience, in and of itself, teaches us resiliency, compassion, and empathy because in times of crisis that is just about all we have.