“Unprecidented times” seems to be today’s most notorious catch phrase as we linger in the midst of Covid19.
It’s almost a cliche but these unprecidented times are resulting in us rapidly changing the way we do things and ensuring we are focused on what is most important. In the context of primary teaching I have noticed that we are spending a lot of time and energy on maintaining strong connections bewtween school and home and between students’ families and the classroom.
Perhaps this was something we took for granted. We would see parents and family members in the morning at drop off, in the afternoons at pick up, during the day as parents volunteered for reading groups and in the canteen, celebrating Grandparent’s Day and, most recently, when families would attend the Book Week parade. This year, that has all changed.
As one example, this year Grandparent’s Day saw each class make a tour guide-like video about their learning space, showing off things they are proud of, explaining how the day runs, introducing the classmates, the teachers (and the turtle!). The videos were shared with the families and grandparent’s students in each class. We got back to basics and wrote letters to our grandparents and elderly folk in a local nursing home and showered them with hand made gifts because we knew they would be missing their own grandchildren just like we were missing our grandparents. We stripped back the glitz and glamour of what the day normally would be; the tea and coffee, logistics, dressing up, numerous activities and games, formal assemblies and Zooper Doopers. We got back to what is important – relationships, making connections and showing kindness and empathy.
Schools now more than ever are rethinking the how and why. How has your school adapted to these changes?
Hi Natasha,
My interest in your post is completely self-serving, as I am living the school adaptation to our ‘unprecedented times’. As a secondary school leader in a publicly funded school board in Canada, returning to school means that I am charged with the health and well-being of my 1235 students and 103 staff members, in addition to safe working conditions and contractual obligations for staff on top of the usual responsibility for ensuring the academic achievement of students. I do love the challenge, and particularly love the call to action. I am mired in details and in re-designing the school so that the chances of catching Covid-19 are as far reduced as they can be, and to say that I’m overwhelmed is the understatement of the year. I’ll never forget this last 6 weeks of work – the operational details placed on non-unionized middle mangers (such as school principals) and the responsibility for ensuring student/staff safety (my degree in French and English Literature has not helped me navigate these new challenges!) has eaten my brain and sometimes even nibbled at my soul. The silver lining seems so far to be that my school seems to be running well, and people feel safe, and the ‘new normal’ is settling in. I do feel a sense of pride in getting this work done and in having done it well. Fingers crossed that it is enough! Great article, thank you for provoking thought!
Shelly
Wow Shelly, thank you for sharing.
What a huge challenge that awaits you on your return to work. I don’t have any advice to give you but I would only say that what your school is experiencing is very much aligned with the rest of the nation and the world. We are all fumbling our way through, making the best decisions we can with the information we have available to us. We will all likely make mistakes (hindsight is a tremedous thing!) But I can see you deeply care about your students and staff so I trust you will make the best choices possible for on their safety and wellbeing. And what a sense of pride you will have when this is all over. I don’t think any of our degrees have prepared us for this!
I wish you all the best on your return.
Natasha