We asked our Graduate Fellow Sandrina Preudhomme, an arts teacher, to reflect on the last two years of teaching during COVID-19. Below is her reflection on her time in the classroom:
During the last two years I have experienced working at every grade level. I bounced between schools and districts searching for appreciation, understanding and empathy. Eventually landing a High School teaching position of my dreams. The school’s administration, parents, students and staff created a culture which operated as a family. Administration empathized with educators’ teaching demands and teachers empathized with students’ learning needs. Parents empathized with the quarks and screws of operations. We learned how to survive together.
In addition to demanding that communities operate like loving families, the pandemic revealed societies’ need for educators. The classroom environments created by educators provided students with social emotional learning opportunities, effective academic rigor and collaborative arts experiences. Parents, society and communities expressed their need for public education resulting in schools reopening.
While educators were thrilled to work in their classrooms, resources remained sparse and Covid devastated the profession. As a result, several educators are continuing to leave the field and communities suffer. While operating like a family is essential for the wellbeing of educators, they must also be provided with adequate resources.
As the pandemic continues to devastate communities, I hope society can operate as a family. Understanding educators have needs also. Appreciation, understanding and empathy are recipes to recruit teachers. However, resources retain teachers.
– Sandrina Preudhomme, Graduate Fellow
