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Introduction

A lot of us can not really remember our core memories in early elementary school. I can recall my kindergarten teacher having three creepy pet rats as a classroom pet, but not much else besides that. The kindergarten teacher community works countless hours behind the scenes to shape foundational years in primary schools for hundreds of children, even if this impact is not clearly remembered. Through my observations and interviews with Mrs. Rubin a kindergarten teacher and Mr. Jake, a PE coach, I have come to understand how this community thrives to help shape the next generations beyond the classroom. This community goes through numerous hardships beyond what we know about in individual classrooms– there have been protests about teachers' pay, the COVID-19 pandemic which temporarily changed the classroom setting, and also new technology that has carried over into the classroom for almost all students. 

Observation: New Technology

I observed Mrs. Rubin at an elementary school meeting via Zoom. I sat with her in an optional but paid teacher training session. It was an informational session where they discussed strategies to use new technology and how to get students more engaged in a classroom setting. Something that stood out to me the most was that the instructor of the session introduced a new way of teaching, with the popular video game of my generation, Minecraft. The instructor set up a tutorial video shown to teachers across the country of a way Minecraft can help develop skills like logical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience. The instructor expressed that this free Minecraft-themed coding platform helps students develop those skills by breaking down complex and tedious tasks into easier steps in a systematic way. This struck a question in my mind about the importance of new technological platforms especially stemming from the pandemic. Mrs. Rubin's opinion on new technology communicates that “even though technology helped with learning during the pandemic, it led to overuse of screen time, which has seemed to affect attention spans and face-to-face social interaction.” Given her opinion that incorporating certain technology (like the introduction of coding at a young age) can be harmful regarding the amount of screen time a student has, we must consider where to draw the line for giving little children too much access to screens themselves. 

Diversity and Inclusion in School

Before interviewing Mrs. Rubin, I saw her classroom in the early summer of 2024 to help her set it up. The classroom was bright and inviting to step foot in. All of the student's beautiful pieces of work from the school year previously were scattered across the walls of the classroom to display the progression of their hard work. Mrs. Rubin expressed that this inviting atmosphere with bright colors helps all students create a sense of belonging for students of all backgrounds. Mrs. Rubin emphasized that she has seen the groups of students get more unique and diverse over the past three years. “There are children from Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Mexico, and Nigeria.” She believes a bright and inviting classroom can help give students a sense of belonging, which is necessary in a diverse community with students with different cultural backgrounds. A welcoming space can help students feel more valued and promote a positive learning experience. When asked about inclusion Mr. Jake recognized

“It’s amazing to see how students from different backgrounds come together, communicate, and collaborate in activities.” He urged that “there is mutual respect between all students especially when playing sports.” This demonstrates that when students do certain physical activities, they can learn to play through differences and collaborate to a common goal. Essentially, this leads to better social dynamics in a school environment. 

What Happened after COVID-19?

Covid-19 forcefully took away young students' ability to interact with each other and it has significantly disrupted their ability to develop socially and academically. For some background, learning loss is the decline in students’ academic skills and knowledge during the pandemic due to disruptions in traditional learning. (Casey, 1, 2024). Mrs. Rubin commented on how after the COVID-19 pandemic she saw changes in her students, “Children in the lower grades suffered a learning loss in reading, writing, and math. There is an increase in anxiety and depression. In the area of social skills, young children have difficulty sharing, cooperating, and conflict resolution. More attachment and separation anxiety with family members.” Mrs. Rubin's findings underscore how remote learning during the pandemic could have been the root problem that promoted learning loss, and poor mental health conditions, along with a lack of social skills in current students. Mrs. Rubin expressed that sharing, cooperation, and conflict resolution are learned through face-to-face interactions with people. Mr. Jake also commonly sees that younger students in kindergarten have trouble sharing in physical education classes. “This is because some of these kindergarteners had never experienced a physical environment with 30 other kindergarteners the same age.” This shows that they had not developed social skills that are necessary for teamwork as a result of the pandemic. We must consider that these children are now learning for the first time how to navigate through interactions with peers. However, a hands-on in-person classroom and a physical education class are important to reinforce these skills through activities and consistent guidance. 

Teacher Strike

In January 2019, tens of thousands of public school teachers in the city of Los Angeles went on strike for higher pay, smaller classes, and more support staff across schools (Medina, 2019, 1). I can recall even at my charter high school located in Los Angeles, angry parents were protesting that their children could not attend school. However, this should not undermine the issues teachers in Los Angeles face. Accordingly in Mrs. Rubin's position, “The specific issues that led teachers in Los Angeles to protest were the need for more support staff like nurses and psychologists on campus, class-size reduction, medical benefits, pay raises needed for teachers to survive living in Los Angeles due to the economy.” The outcome of this teachers’ strike resulted in an agreement between the teachers union and the Los Angeles School District which is what teachers like Mrs. Rubin and Mr. Jake were aiming for. Mr. Jake said he first hand saw an increase in support staff, specifically more nurses to help with injured students. Additionally, both Mrs. Rubin and Mr. Jake got a salary increase by about 6% which was much needed given the high costs of living in Los Angeles. This strike highlights the challenges that underfunded public schools go through along with underpaid teachers. It is so inspiring to see how all these united teachers got together to amplify their opinions to secure better conditions for not only the students but themselves.

Conclusion

The elementary school teacher community goes through numerous hardships and changes beyond what we know about. There have been large protests about teachers’ conditions, the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought on in the classroom setting, and new technology that has carried over into the classroom for almost all students. Teachers' jobs are constantly changing over time because of unpredictable factors we face in present times along with new technology. Being a teacher is constantly being overlooked, but they are the ones who truly shape the upcoming generations who will be in charge of the world we live in. Teachers are not just educating students on math, science, reading, and writing; they are stable mentors and build the foundation on which students build their futures on.