What COVID has Taught Us

Takeaway: 

COVID has not merely created new problems, but has cast a light on old ones that needed correcting long ago. With all of the difficulties of working in education while enduring COVID, there have been many lessons to be learned along with new and better ways of doing things. In fact, we all emerge better if we seek to learn from this experience.

What COVID has taught us:

One of the most challenging aspects of learning during this COVID era has been the strain on time. Everything seems to require more time and effort, meaning we have to be very focused on how to best use our time. With time being our most valuable resource, how we spend our time shows what we value. And, it is this focus on values that has been most exposing for us in education. The following is an explanation those values that have been brought to the forefront over these past two years.

People

We often see teachers, students, and parents as easily replaceable people, that they are interchangeable from one to the next. Pre-COVID, there were plenty of teachers and an endless amount of students and parents. During COVID we saw many teachers retire, resign, or really struggle to make it day by day. Parents withdrew their children to homeschool or take classes online. The connection between our most important relationships, the teacher and the student, was largely severed.

The cost for this was huge. Rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness seemingly went sky high for all three stakeholding groups. Stress seemed to have no boundaries, sleep and personal health problems increased, and there was no real end in sight. While vaccinations have largely reduced many of these challenges, especially the need for virtual school, the negative impact on people during these times has been real and difficult. Finding ways to foster community has been a difference maker for so many schools. Education is the business of people serving people, this will never change, and COVID was a strong reminder of just how important it is to take care of one another.

Equity

Major events tend to cause fractures to widen, making gaps more noticeable and more impactful. COVID has done this exponentially, exposing the inequity in education and beyond. Students who have access to computers and fast internet at home had an advantage. Those who can afford tutors or for an adult to stay home also had a higher chance to succeed.

This also means that working class families, those who rely on two incomes, were more likely to see their children struggle. These kids were less likely to grow up with a computer and fast internet. There may be a tablet or phone available for the student to use, but those devices just are not efficient with school work and written communications. There may have also been no one home to help the student, or a parent had to work from home or quit their job to take care of them. This even furthered the gap of inequity.

Those with physical or learning disabilities suffered even more. They lost access to those who can provide services to support them. While some children report that they benefited from virtual learning as they had a more quiet and controlled environment, most were simply left out of the services that they and their families depend on.

Schools have tried to close this gap as much as possible. Investing in Chromebooks has skyrocketed during this pandemic along with other devices. Finding ways to do home visits or to have families visit the school to pick up supplies were ways to connect. Teachers and administrators are such amazing people, looking to innovate to best support their students. Sometimes this worked, but nothing replicates face to face learning with a caring adult.

Balance

When we go through hardships, more is required of us. The majority of educators and administrators saw an acute increase in work volume and time needed to accomplish it. No longer could we easily walk around the room to check student work. We had to teach through a camera and on a screen. Students had to submit work online and feedback takes time, especially when not in person.

The needs and demands from our students rose to a level beyond reason. Yet, teaching is not a reasonable profession, as it is one that requires sacrifice and giving well beyond completing a task. This burden that we typically carry somewhat gladly, as we know we are making a difference, has now become so heavy that it begins to threatens us.

After a while we realized that either we have to find balance or leave the profession. Teachers have been quitting or retiring in droves, but those who cannot afford to do so have prioritized their time to survive. Endurance is not enough, but is important, and most important is the ability for our educators to know what is essential and what has to change, and then does it. This level of intentionality can not only lead the teacher to getting through these tough times, but to find a new level of meaning and efficiency to propel them for their careers. Balance must be found in order for us to continue.

Empathy

When everything is going well, it is easy to focus on yourself. Everyone hums along at their own pace and does their own thing. Yes, we still care about one another, but overall people are doing okay and we can keep our attention on what interests us most.

During this global pandemic, human suffering has been on full display. We have seen some of the wealthiest people get even wealthier, while most people seem to have lost more than they have gained. Our children are especially vulnerable, as all have to rely on their parents or guardians for support, even more so as schools closed down or went virtual.

This disparity and challenge has driven school staff to give even more and carry a heavier burden to care for their students. As one group struggles, we all struggle.

I have found myself as a leader needing to listen even more than before the pandemic. My job has shifted from being the instructional and visionary leader to a necessary model for empathy. All leaders have had to change to provide more care for staff, students, and families. We oftentimes forget that a principal may manage 30-100 staff members, while most managers in the private sector have around 2-6 people to supervise. This has taken a large toll on our leaders and one that is often overlooked. Yet, we all need care to carry on, and empathy is the basis for this care.

Summary

The common thread here is that COVID further emphasized the need to focus on our most important resource, which is also our purpose, people. Caring for others, helping to overcome disparity and adversity, and looking after one’s self are always needed, but have became even more obvious during these times. If we have only learned one thing from this massive pandemic, it should probably be that people need to care about people. Our service to others is what drives us as educators and leaders, never lose that.