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Teacher Wellness
Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment
Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment
Hundreds of teachers, many of them operating in countries where teach-from-home has been in place for weeks, weigh in on the mental approach you need to stay grounded in this difficult time.
March 19, 2020
The thought ended almost before it started: “This is so overwhelming.” It was all one teacher managed to type before she stopped short, vexed into silence, perhaps, by the sheer size of the problem. In the pregnant pause that followed, undoubtedly, every teacher tracking the unspooling thread—about the dizzying, rapidly escalating viral crisis that was closing schools across the country—recognized the chasm they were all facing as well, and scrambled to fill in the blank.
In the next few hours, over 500 teachers joined two Facebook conversations about teaching during the coronavirus pandemic, spilling out their concerns and anxieties: What will we do if the schools close for months? How can I shift to online learning if we’re closing tomorrow, or even in a few hours? How will special education students be cared for, and IEPs administered? What about children who have no internet access, or who will be required, as Keith Schoch thoughtfully noted, to “become de facto babysitters” for their brothers and sisters. “There is no digital divide, but there is a digital abyss, and America’s rural poor are living at the bottom of it,” said Anne Larsen, with devastating concision. What if, in the end, the school systems decide that online learning is working just fine, and never reopen?
The panic was all perfectly understandable.
But there were plenty of teachers in the mix who had weeks of crisis experience under their belts by that time—several in Hong Kong and Italy and the state of Washington, for example—and others who had long careers in online and distance learning. In the end, too, there were many fantastic, highly creative teachers providing strategies as fast as the obstacles appeared.
At the highest level, a shift in mindset would be required—even the most optimistic educators conceded the point. There are plenty of strategies and tactics we’re covering at Edutopia—and we’ll continue to—but here are the crucial emotional and psychological scaffolds that our audience agreed would be needed to teach in this new paradigm.
Expect Trial... and Plenty of Error
Expect Trial... and Plenty of Error
Start by being reasonable with yourself. It is, in fact, impossible to shift to distance learning overnight without lots of trial and error. Expect it, plan for it, and do your best to make peace with it.
“I can tell you, now that we’re in week 7 of online learning, that much of what you will do will be trial and error,” wrote Stacy Rausch Keevan, who was teaching in Hong Kong. “Don’t stress about that—it won’t do you any good. For my middle school English and humanities classes, I’m offering the same lessons I would normally do live, but in smaller doses.”
Acknowledge the Extraordinary
Acknowledge the Extraordinary
Reset your baseline. We're all operating in the shadow of a global pandemic, and it is disorienting and limiting. Business as usual is unrealistic.
The real “points to consider” are not “the strict adherence to ‘regular’ conditions and norms,” wrote Amy Rheault-Heafield in a reply to a question about how to structure distance learning like more typical learning experiences, “but how to provide a rich experience to all learners who are now without ‘traditional’ teachers standing beside them in classes.”
So while you should try to provide “meaningful activities,” cautioned elementary teacher John Thomas, “we should remember that on short notice—and because many of us have limited PD utilizing these tools—we can’t tackle everything immediately. In other words, we should give ourselves the time and the permission to figure this out.”
Reduce the Workload (for Yourself and Your Students)
Reduce the Workload (for Yourself and Your Students)
If your district allows it, you should plan to do less. Students won’t be able to work as productively, anyway—so if you can’t scale back you’ll be sending them work they cannot do—and your own life and family need added care.
“Feedback from students and families over the last 10 days in Italy is ‘less is more,’” commented Jo Gillespie. “Consider that parents are trying to work from home, and siblings are vying for computer and Wi-Fi time. Try Google quizzes using Forms, a reading log, some short live sessions with teachers and classmates, maybe vocabulary extension, maths and geometry problems (but not too many). And that’s probably enough.”
And Keevan, the teacher in Hong Kong with weeks of experience, confirmed that time and distance play funny games during a crisis: “What would normally take you one class period to teach in the classroom will probably take you twice as long.”
No Person Is an Island
No Person Is an Island
Humans are social animals. Working from home, or worse, from quarantine, is isolating and often depressing for both teachers and students.
Make a concerted effort to speak to other colleagues and trusted professionals to provide emotional and psychological context to your work. Teaching at this moment is extraordinarily hard, and you’ll need the virtual company of people who are experiencing what you are.
And don’t forget to “reach out to students as often as you can,” said Keevan, who still teaches classes live despite a (slightly inconvenient!) 13-hour time difference. Or you can facilitate peer-to-peer communication. John Thomas assigns pen pals in his first- and second-grade classes, so that kids with no internet can feel like they belong.
Everyone Thinks They Can’t—Before They Can
Everyone Thinks They Can’t—Before They Can
Some degree of pessimism and self-doubt comes with the territory. Teachers in the Facebook thread advised more perspective-taking and being more patient with yourself: You know how to teach, and you will figure this out in time.
“We are in week 7 and I have three children of my own at home,” wrote Salecia Host, a teacher in Tianjin, China, reflecting on the arc of her emotional response to the crisis. “Just take it day by day. It gets less overwhelming and more routine.”
Try to remain calm—though you’ll have a few moments where that goes out the window—and keep plugging away: “Being open-minded and flexible is key,” said Kaz Wilson, who also works in China. “Everyone thinks you can’t until you pause, talk it out with folks who are doing it, and know that you’ll get through it.”
Mind the Gap
Mind the Gap
Your work will be hard, but there are students facing more severe challenges. Students with no internet or no computer will need support, as will those with learning differences or other circumstances that make distance learning especially difficult. Supporting these students was on almost everyone’s mind—it came up dozens of times in the Facebook thread.
“I’m in Italy. Our schools closed a few weeks ago without any previous warning. We shifted to online immediately. It is hard and exhausting,” admitted Eleonora Borromeo, before providing a ray of hope. “Equity is an issue. Assessment is an issue. But the students are doing their best and giving us the strength to go on.”
Solutions from our audience of teachers focused on the old analog approaches: paper-and-pencil tasks, workbooks and activity packets that can be mailed home, and updating parents and students via phone calls daily.
6 Reasons Students Aren't Showing Up for Virtual Learning
6 Reasons Students Aren't Showing Up for Virtual Learning
By Peter DeWitt on April 26, 2020 8:05 AM
Many teachers, students, and parents are proving to be remarkably resilient during this time when it comes to the effects of the pandemic on school, education, and student learning. It is not easy to teach in a physical classroom one day and turn it into a virtual classroom the next. Most college and university teacher prep programs do not have a course focusing on virtual teaching and learning (something they may consider doing soon).
Many teachers are still trying to replicate what they do in a classroom, with what they are doing online. It's important to shift that way of thinking and continue to adapt. Most of us will never feel as confident or competent about how we teach virtually as we do when the students are in front of us. This adaptation is not easy, but we have to start looking at the parts of virtual teaching that are not working and let them go, and begin looking at the places where we can go a little bit deeper.
As I comb through the countless teacher Facebook pages that have been created due to the pandemic, I have learned a great deal about new tools and ways to engage students, at the same time I am constantly reminded of just how much work teaching is, and it's even more complicated when it all has to be done virtually. When it comes to how teachers are meeting the needs of their students, there are a few important aspects to keep in mind.
Did you know:
Teachers have their own children at the same time they are teaching students? And yes, I realize parents have their own virtual working conditions at the same time their children are required to virtually learn.
Some teachers live in a studio apartment with no space to work and questionable Wi-Fi.
Even in areas where the Wi-Fi is usually strong, there are interruptions.
There are teachers who have roommates and have to teach from their bedroom, which is beyond awkward. How comfortable would you be having your students see into your bedroom?
Many of the free online sources that students are using were not free a few weeks ago, so teachers are learning those at the same time they are using them to teach virtually.
Teaching During the Pandemic
Over the last few days, I have collected over 120 comments from a few different pandemic pages on Facebook. There were numerous reasons why I started reviewing them. First and foremost, I wanted to get a feel for how teachers were accomplishing the art and science of remote teaching. Secondly, I wanted to be able to code the comments under categories like social-emotional learning, student engagement, instructional strategies, efficacy, and leadership. The interesting part of the coding activity is that many of the same questions for virtual teaching come up with teaching in physical classrooms. For example:
How do I use that tool?
My students are not handing in assignments.
I cannot get parents to call me back.
How is your administrator involved in your classroom?
How often are you having faculty meetings?
What is the required work day?
What does grading look like in your school?
One of the posts that appeared time and time again, and created the most responses, had to do with student accountability. There were numerous posts that highlighted the fact that students are not necessarily signing on to get assignments and certainly not handing in assignments, either.
The piece that is a bit different between teaching in the physical classroom and the virtual classroom is the amount of "control" the teacher has over student engagement. Teachers can use:
Their physical proximity to engage students
The promise of a good or bad grade
The threat of a loss of some privilege
The promise of an incentive, or one of their other positive social-emotional tricks of the trade.
Most of those actions are gone because of new school policies that prevent teachers from giving grades or repercussions. There is a lot less "control" on the part of the teacher right now, and that can make us uncomfortable. Especially when teachers are being held accountable as teachers.
So many posts focus on student engagement, and there are others that are meant to get people to laugh and breathe, while other posts are examples of venting. It's a frustrating time in our world, so all of these posts are natural expressions of that frustration, anger, and sadness.
Why Aren't Students Signing On?
When looking at the idea of why students are not engaging with teachers in virtual learning, I wanted to provide a list of a few reasons why that may not be happening. Some of the reasons are issues we know and understand, while one seems to be a reason no one is talking about on any of the pages. It's not an exhaustive list, and just like any list, it is based on data I have collected. If there is one you feel is missing, please feel free to add it in the comment section.
The 6 reasons are:
No access - Some students are living in homes that may not have access to Wi-Fi or limited access at best. Many of those students may not have a "device" to use for schoolwork. Yes, schools hand out devices to students, which is extremely helpful, but not all families are experts at devices and Wi-Fi. Common Sense Media reports (Today Show. 04/21/20) that over 10 million students in the US do not have devices. If teachers and leaders are struggling with technology, perhaps it's probable that families are struggling with technology, too? Not everyone works for the Geek Squad.
Essential Workers - Some students are working full time. Whether they are working the fields in California or at grocery stores in the Midwest, it's plausible that our students have had to take on jobs to help their families put food on the table. Their work, and the contributions they make monetarily at home, is essential.
No Grade Incentive - Many school districts in many states have gone to a no grading policy because they don't want to punish students who cannot attend all classes or hand in all of their work due to equity of access to virtual learning. The interesting thing happening here is that there are students who find that the incentive for showing up is not there, so they no longer need to attend the class. Is there a way that we can use a no grading policy to our advantage? Can we continue to provide students with the flexibility to do project-based learning around topics they find interesting to get a sense of their interests and creativity?
Taking care of their siblings - If parents or caregivers are still working because they are essential workers, it is possible that our students are caregiving for their siblings and helping those siblings do their classwork ... or keeping siblings from tearing things apart. These students may attend only half of the classes they are "required" to attend.
Bedlam but No Bedroom - Not everyone has a bedroom to themselves. In fact, I work in many schools where multiple families live in the same apartment or house. If there isn't a quiet space where they are able to focus, perhaps it's just easier to not connect with their teacher at all.
Student - Teacher Relationships - Some students are not connecting because they felt invisible while they were in the physical classroom, so they feel that they will not be missed in the virtual one. Additionally, some students just didn't find their teachers very engaging in person, so they aren't really concerned about engaging with those particular teachers online.
In the End
There are students not attending all of their classes because of a lack of accountability at the same time their teachers are being held accountable. Let's face it though, most teachers are less worried about the kind of acocuntability that comes from their school leaders, and more of the accountability they are concerned about comes from the pressure they put on themselves as teachers. So many teachers care deeply about their students and worry about their social-emotional and academic growth during this pandemic.
In one of the pages I explored, someone posed the question, "Knowing what you know now, would you have done anything differently when the students were in front of you?" I thought it was a great question, and apparently so did others because there were 79 responses at the time I began writing this blog.
Most of the responses focused on how they would have used different tools, or they would have assigned at least one virtual assignment every week. All of these responses are important. However, very few of the comments focused on how teachers would have built better relationships with students so those students would show up to the virtual classroom. If we find ourselves in a situation where we are teaching online for the first month of school, knowing we have the same restraints we do now (i.e. no grading, access, etc.) student teacher relationships is the first place we must start, and we need to take some time soon to think about what that may look like in a virtual setting.
Questions I have been pondering:
We know that virtual teaching during a pandemic is hard, and takes a lot of work. However, what is working for your school/classroom right now that can continue to be used again in the fall?
What is one way you have communicated during this time that brought in the most attention by the community (i.e. teachers, students, families, etc.)? Many years ago, we went from just sending home paper newsletters to parents (we went from a 5 pager to a 1 page), and I began flipping communication through our parent portal. I was amazed at how well it went the first time around. Are there any similar changes you have made that have worked well, and it surprised you?
As school leaders, what do you need to do during the summer to continue to connect with families? With my PTA we would have at least one summer meeting, and one summer event. If social distancing is still in place, is there a virtual event that you can create?
As school leaders, how are you supporting teachers and students socially-emotionally and academically? For example, are you engaging in their live classroom chats with students?
As school leaders, what incentives are cable companies offering that may help put more hot spots in the community? I coach with a high school principal that contacted those companies and got them to compete with each other a bit, and his high poverty community ended up with a few more hot spots set up.
Resources from the Indiana School Counselors Association
Resources from the Indiana School Counselors Association
Helpful Videos & Media:
Coronavirus Daily Counseling Videos (20 so far, and more added daily)
Top 50 Relaxing Songs
The Science of Happiness from the IN DOE (45 PGPs available upon completion)
Progressive Relaxation YouTube video
Guided Imagery YouTube video
Helpful Articles:
5 Days of Teacher Self-Care
Flexibility in the Midst of Crisis
Positive Affirmations:
Regulating Emotions in a COVID-19 World
Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment
Crisis Resources:
National Suicide Prevention Line
800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line (even if you just need someone to talk to & you’re not in “crisis”)
Text “help” to 741-741
Howard County Community Crisis Line
765-776-8555
Apps for Self-Care:
10 apps to help you take better care of yourself
Headspace
Let’s Meditate
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.meditation.elevenminute&hl=en_US
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lets-meditate-guided-meditate/id1457163072
Happy Color (color by number)
Andriod: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixel.art.coloring.color.number&hl=en_US
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/happy-color-color-by-number/id1407852246
365 Gratitude Journal
I am - Daily Affirmations reminders for self care
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hrd.iam&hl=en_US
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/i-am-positive-affirmations/id874656917
UPDATE FROM OUR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM...
The therapy you need is now available remotely.Franciscan Employee Assistance Program is now providing in-home mental health therapy to new and existing clients via telephonic sessions.In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic and following guidelines of CDC, the Governor of Indiana, and the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addictions, the Franciscan EAP has established a new protocol for treating our clients.In-person direct services have been suspended until further notice from the CDC, and telephonic sessions will be offered instead.
Clients can participate via telephonic sessions and will be contacted with instructions on what to expect by their EAP.We understand that our clients have concerns about social distancing during today’s difficult environment and we want to ensure that you or your loved ones can continue to get their needed treatment, without delay.
Mental Health therapeutic programs are an essential component of health and healing.Telephonic sessions ensure that there is no need to miss a session.
To schedule a telephonic session, call your EAP at: 1-800-747-7262
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