What’s Lost, What’s Left, What’s Next: Lessons Learned From the Lived Experiences of Teachers During the Pandemic

Abstract

To understand the experiences of educators during the 2020 extended school closures, we interviewed 40 teachers from across the country in public, charter, and private schools, at different grade levels and in different subject areas. Teachers articulated three main concerns about emergency remote schooling: (a) student motivation, (b) professional loss and burnout, and (c) exacerbated inequities. As the climate emergency makes school disruptions more common, school systems must learn from the tragic school closings under COVID-19 to prepare for an uncertain future. We propose five design considerations to build school systems with greater resilience for the long-term: center equity, focus on relationship-building, address student motivation, address staff motivation and burnout, and mitigate uncertainty.

“I’m Not Wanting to be a Martyr”: Learning from Latina Educator Activists in Chicago Public Schools During COVID-19

“…Education scholars have begun to examine COVID-19’s impact on PreK-12 schools (Buttimer et al, 2022 , Grossman et al, 2021 ; Kitzmiller & Rodriguez, 2021 ; Pressley, 2021 ; Pressley et al, 2021 ; Souto-Manning & Melvin, 2021 ). In their research on early childhood teachers of color in New York City, Souto-Manning and Melvin ( 2021 ) found that these educators expressed an increased “pileup of environmental, occupational, and racial stressors […]” (p. 44).…”

Risk factors for burnout in the preparation of student final projects

“…Burnout affects not only students' well-being but also their academic performance and overall success. Understanding the risk factors associated with burnout while preparing student final projects is essential for educators, administrators, and policymakers (Buttimer et al, 2022). By identifying these factors, targeted interventions and support mechanisms can be implemented to mitigate the negative impact of burnout on students.…”