THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC
Teachers are facing greater challenges than ever before. Since the onset of the pandemic, teachers have been stuck in the crossfire of public health, cultural, and political debates. The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and battles over equity and social justice has driven many teachers out of the profession. Virtual professional development opportunities can help the remaining teachers meet their needs.
Virtual professional development opportunities must meet teachers where they are. Right now, many teachers are struggling with low morale and are exhausted after two years of crushing workloads, chaotic policy decisions, and taking the brunt of the anger and frustration of students, parents, and community members alike.
Professional Development for The Whole Teacher
Throughout the pandemic, teachers have stepped up and delivered. They have spent many unpaid hours rewriting teaching plans and rapidly adapting to virtual teaching. Teachers can mitigate their stress, anxiety, worry, and guilt through self-care skills acquired through professional development opportunities.
In education, social and emotional health are critical components of learning readiness. We seek to provide an education that meets the needs of the whole child. Professional development for teachers should likewise be designed to meet the needs of the whole teacher.
How can we design professional development opportunities during the pandemic to address or even prevent feelings of burn-out?
Help teachers strengthen and expand their networks
Providing teachers with an opportunity and platform to build and strengthen relationships with peers, facilitates the development of valuable peer networks. The pandemic has led to a sort of collective trauma with deep feelings of isolation and loneliness. Peer support networks offer a cathartic outlet and a sense of community born of shared experience.
Offer teachers something of value
With more work, more instability, less time than ever, teachers don’t have time to waste. A professional development program during the pandemic should be offering something useful to teachers. Whether it is a helpful download, process, strategy, resource, or way of thinking, a program should offer real value. This is no time to merely point at a problem and discuss it. Teachers need answers to real questions and solutions to real problems.
During the pandemic, when resources are scarce and the overwhelm is very real, our standard approach to professional development isn’t enough. We should be using our professional development programs as an opportunity to uplift and support teachers, offering strategies to recognize and prevent burn-out, and the chance to foster supportive peer networks.
MindWorks Collaborative would love to invite you to learn more about professional development during the pandemic. Join future conversations on this topic by signing up for our community of justice-driven special educators here and sign up to get alerts for our next roundtable.
Recent Comments