Many educators across the country could not fathom how the Coronavirus would impact schools. Since March of 2020, 48 states closed all of their schools, millions of students became digital students over night, and educators morale has plummeted. When schools shut down, students lost crucial services such as nutrition, special education resources, and most importantly teachers who genuinely cared for their well being. Students have fallen behind, and could impact America’s future economy for decades to come.
Now that schools are reopening across America, the problems have only become more exacerbated, as schools embrace many different in-person, hybrid, and remote learning models. Despite the health concerns of educators and students, the social emotional wellbeing is being jeopardized. Teachers are feeling burnt out, under appreciated, overwhelmed, and underprepared. Students are feeling isolated, uncertain of their future, anxious, and isolated. Academic achievement has begun to diminish, and students are falling behind.
It’s up to the educators in the classroom to solve many of these problems. Students are relying on teachers to rise to the occasion. Educators can only be successful in the classroom if they embrace a deep work mindset, eliminating most distractions, and committing their focus to the success of the child in front of them. Educators need to care for each individual child, but most importantly, need to focus on caring for themselves. Teaching in a pandemic classroom feels like an impossible feat, but by adopting a deep work philosophy, educators will be able to make the most of the school year. Success in 2020 classroom is possible!
I recently completed some research on this topic, and you can read my findings in this white paper:
