Choices available to students and educators within the confines of systems. Examples are mandated curriculum, standardized testing, school-wide discipline policies, or daily schedules.
Published in Chapter:
Teaching and Learning During a Pandemic: Perspectives From a Teacher, Administrator, and College Professor
Trevor Chapman (Normal Community High School, USA), John Bierbaum (Normal Community West High School, USA), and Beth Hatt (Illinois State University, USA)
Copyright: © 2021
|Pages: 25
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-6533-9.ch002
Abstract
This chapter encompasses the lived experiences of a high school teacher, high school administrator, and college professor. Each worked through the trials and tribulations of teaching and learning in a pandemic. The authors' narratives provide a vivid account of the initial shock of the pandemic announcements and the life changes that ensued. Written through an equity lens, this chapter explains how instruction is delivered in remote and hybrid settings; the importance of building communication with students, families, and staff; access to technology for learning; and the importance of building relationships with the students and families. This chapter aims to contextualize inequities that existed before the pandemic, how they were exacerbated as schools closed down, and how students' well-being became the necessary focus. The chapter's discussion frames how we can redefine our roles and responsibilities as educators to encourage student agency and the potential of trauma-sensitive schools as a means to help students heal from the wounds caused by this pandemic.