COVID has completely changed the way the world operates. It has affected how to interact as people, how to learn, how to do jobs, how to celebrate big events (baby showers, birthdays, weddings), and more. The area most impacted by COVID has been education.

Setting

With the COVID shut down in March, the physical setting of school has changed in several ways.

Virtual or Building

Over the summer, teachers and administrators received detailed, intense training on how to cater to the needs of students during a global pandemic – both virtually and physically. This training was needed, regardless of a global pandemic. With the uptick in technological needs, the training teachers and administrators received was a lifelong necessity.

Since March 2020, students have been learning virtually. Initially, schools were thrown into the new process and lessons weren’t well-developed. Teachers and students struggled with the way lessons were presented back in late Spring of 2020. Students who were already behind in grade level fell even more behind in their grade level, due to the lack of time teachers had to prepare for the national shutdown.

504 and Special Education

It appeared that students with 504 and SpEd needs were indirectly left behind. Although teachers tried to adjust to fit the needs of those with special circumstances, it was impossible to provide all the tools necessary with minimal training and preparation. Case managers of 504 and SpEd students did not know how to provide many accommodations. Some accommodations came naturally, such as: extra time, eliminating answer choices/shortened answer choices, oral testing.

Parental Support

Parents and/or guardians weren’t sure on how to provide for their students’ educational needs. It may seem easy to hover over a student to ensure they complete work, but completing work and learning are two different concepts. USA Today provided a great insight to how students and parents/guardians are struggling in meeting their student’s special education needs.

Choices and Growth

This year campuses received an option to start virtually or in-person. Daily Voice talks about how this could be the new normal, which I agree with. Some states allowed their districts to delay their start, while other districts chose to go against their states’ wishes and lose funding. Many campuses chose to do a combination of in-person and virtual. This presented new challenges (how to account for true attendance, when is work due, lessons virtually and in-person, what to do with students not completing work, how to handle special circumstances, password lockouts, eLearning platforms crashing, etc.).

Even though this was a more successful start than back in March 2020, and most teachers were more prepared for how to handle the curriculum, some teachers still struggle with the new methods that are expected from them. Older generations of teachers struggled with how to upload materials, make videos, use eLearning platforms, and the like. Districts tried to hire a fresh round of employees (teachers, technologists, coaches, etc.) to help with these struggling learners as teachers and replace teachers who left due to COVID.

Workload

One of the challenges faced because of the global pandemic known as COVID is the increased workload of teachers, administrators, coaches, technologists, and case managers.

Before and Now

Teachers were already battling an uphill battle of documentation for state and federal guidelines, but now they are facing additional documentation due to the choice of being virtual or in-person. Refinery 29 gives great insight to what teachers were facing at the beginning and middle of this pandemic, coming straight from the mouth of a teacher. Teachers were already required to provide lesson plans, sub plans, emergency sub plans, teacher input for 504 and SpEd students, tracking of accommodations, parent or guardian contact, tracking of submission of work and/or failures, and attendance.

In addition to doing all of this, teachers around the world are now required to face additional requirements for documentation for the campus and/or district to receive funding. A student going to the nurse now requires documentation that had never been an issue before due to COVID. A student not submitting work online requires more documentation than an email or phone call home. Teachers are now tracking how much a student has completed virtually, providing in-person and virtual tutoring, logging Zoom or Google Meets meetings for in-person classes and virtual classes, teaching simultaneously in-person and on Zoom classes, and maintaining discipline in-person and on virtual classes.

Technology Experts

Teachers have also become the first point of contact for technology issues with the expectation of knowing how to correct the issue. Teachers have faced password lockouts, resetting passwords, Microsoft 365 or G Suite not loading into eLearning platforms, Zoom or Google Meets not connecting, work not submitting on eLearning platforms, work not opening on these same platforms, the crashing of these platforms, and much more.

Physical Layout of Building

Although the structural building of campuses did not change, the way they handle the physical makeup of classrooms, lunchrooms, hallways, bathrooms and more have changed. The CDC provided new guidelines for campuses to follow, which limit the decision making for teachers and administrators.

Distancing

Classrooms around the United States went from an average of 25-30 students in a core classroom (math, science, history, and English language arts) to about 10-20 students per classroom. In order to maintain global pandemic needs, desks were changed and spread out throughout the classroom. Although teachers and students may not be able to obtain a six foot distance, teachers tried to shoot for a minimum of a three to five foot distance by placing desks with distance. However, classrooms just aren’t large enough to obtain social distance requirements. Mashable shows some pictures of what teachers are facing currently.

An example of an attempt to social distance is from a local campus:

Masks

So how do teachers get around this? Districts made it mandatory that students and teachers wear some sort of face covering (shield, mask, or a combination of both – anything except bandanas). In doing so, teachers are trying to space out desks about 3-4 feet apart still. This isn’t ideal for a classroom for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it changes the way teachers plan their lessons. However, safety of everyone is the number one priority. If that means we have less collaboration and engagement for face-to-face learning in order to be safe, then that is what the campus must do.

Fountains

Water fountains were covered and/or disconnected in preparation to prevent the spread of COVID at some campuses. Some water fountains were replaced with water bottle refill stations. Another option campuses have offered is leaving the water fountains uncovered, but only used to refill water bottles. That puts a lot of trust in students, and it requires much supervision from adults to ensure these are being used properly.

Procedures

As mentioned previously, facial coverings have become a requirement for adults and students in the building. Although they have options as to their facial covering, this still presents many issues.

What happens if a student comes unprepared with a mask? How many chances do they get in order to self-correct? How many free masks will students receive before disciplinary actions occur? Will disciplinary actions occur? What is considered a truly appropriate mask in terms of coverage and design? Too many questions and not enough answers!

Cleaning Routines

Teachers, bus drivers, and custodians are all working overtime to ensure their environments are sterilized. Bus drivers are required to sanitize the bus after every drop off. This includes seating, railings, or any other area a student may touch. Custodians are wiping stair railings, door handles, benches (even though students are not supposed to sit on these, they are cleaning to ensure they are safe), fogging rooms in the building, bathroom stalls, and more.

Although several of these cleanings have always been done (such as bathroom stalls), the wait time of sanitizing takes much longer, which sometimes requires bathrooms to be shut down temporarily. Teachers are using medical grade disinfectant to wipe desks, chairs, keyboards, books, dictionaries, and much more in between classes. Mind you, teachers are supposed to be in the hallway between passing periods. Teachers also have to worry about students with allergies to any cleaner. The disinfectant needs to sit for a minimum of three minutes. Passing periods for most middle school campuses range from three to five minutes. It makes it difficult for a teacher to be at two places at once, while ensuring safety both with COVID and allergies.

Supplies

Teachers are not allowed to “borrow out” supplies anymore. Students cannot lend supplies to other students. If a student comes unprepared, teachers are constantly giving students supplies to keep. This doesn’t seem like a big deal. However, if a student needs a pen/pencil every 180 days, that will add up with an average of 150 students per middle school teacher and 200 per high school teacher. These are endless battles faced in a normal school year, but teachers normally have procedures in place to receive their items back. Given that most supplies come out of the pocket of the teachers’ income, it can be frustrating with these new procedures but necessary to keep everyone safe.

Nurses/Clinic Assistance

Nurse routines have also been impacted due to COVID. In the past, the nurse would welcome any student into their office with minor issues (headache, band aid, feminie products, etc.). However, with COVID, the procedure in sending a student to the nurse’s office has changed drastically.

Unless a student has a medical condition (diabetes, allergies requiring EPI pens, seizures, g-tube, etc.) or has COVID symptoms, students’ medical needs should be assessed within the classroom. Teachers were equipped with necessary tools to handle many medical issues within the classroom.

Nurses used to be able to check vitals for teachers and administrators in the past. Yet again, COVID has changed this. Teachers and administrators are no longer allowed into nurses’ offices. If it is concerning to have vitals taken, nurses have offered to come to the teachers’ classrooms. This shouldn’t be because of a curious moment though, but instead should be because they feel as if something is bothering them (heart racing, dizziness, etc.).

Breakfast & Lunch

Breakfast and lunch used to be a time when students could socialize and release all their energy for the day. Now, students are expected to skip seats and minimize their movement and socialization. Imagine seeing your best friend daily, but not allowed to sit by them or talk to them because a pandemic is limiting you.

Impact on Educational Setting

Although some may see the benefit of the pandemic is a smaller face-to-face classroom, there are several downfalls. Because of the pandemic, students are no longer allowed into small groups, collaboration groups, or the like. This is hurting the education of students. Collaboration is the essence of all jobs in the future for students. More importantly though, collaboration helps students understand material by discussing it with each other on a peer level.

There are millions of people impacted by COVID-19, but the biggest group facing change right now are those in education: teachers, students, paraprofessionals, and administrators. School districts have lost teachers at alarming rates, and it won’t be slowing down as long as the coronavirus is around.