After a year of constant uncertainty and adjusting to “the new normal,” it is understandable to feel overwhelmed about the potential shifts this upcoming school year might have as we move to post-vaccinated life. As many school districts go back to in-person learning, it might feel like all of your hard work migrating to virtual learning (or even an asynchronous learning environment) can be forgotten—but the truth is the lessons learned can be applied to your in-person teaching style! The 2020-21 school year allowed for new ideas and systems that can help move public education into a stronger, more inclusive environment. Moving these techniques into everyday curriculum can benefit educators and students alike. 

Communicating Through the Change  

The year of the mask did not stop educators from upping communication efforts. Whether it was with administration, colleagues, parents, or students, educators found effective and efficient ways to bridge the communication gap. At the height of the pandemic, educators utilized webcam-focused applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet to teach as normally as possible. As we shift out of the virtual setting, using these apps can continue to help accommodate homebound students with long-term illnesses or learning differences in special circumstances, therefore providing a more inclusive and equitable way of learning. Additionally, utilizing these applications in everyday practices can change the way educators interact with parents. Communication is key to relationships and understanding. Using these applications can maintain cooperative relationships with students’ families. Showing the importance of open communications, whether over email, educational platforms, or Zoom, can help improve students’ understanding of proper interaction as well. Just be sure to use the systems officially sanctioned by your district.  

Relentless Resources  

With the stress of a global pandemic, constant changes in the classroom, and personal life adjustments, educators found themselves more stressed than ever. Valuable resources emerged making life a little less hectic for everyone. Conversations about focusing on mental, emotional, and physical health came to the forefront. Allowing yourself to focus on you can benefit not only yourself but also your students. Smartphone apps such as Headspace, MindDoc, and Daylio can assist with meditation, journaling, and mental health advice. Workout apps such as Nike Training Club, food diary apps like MyFitnessPal, and daily motivation apps like Motivation, further show that it has become simpler for even the busiest among us to slow down and focus on our well-being.  

Platforms for Improvement  

Moving education completely online seemed nearly impossible at the beginning of the pandemic, but educators made the most of a terrible situation by dedicating themselves to learning and understanding virtual platforms. Staying organized helped minimize the chaos of online lesson planning, learning, and grading and allowed students and educators to stay in the know. Platforms such as Google Classroom, Seesaw, and Canvas keep all the information, handouts, instructions, and lessons in one place. Although full-time virtual learning was only viable as a short-term solution in a crisis, there is still a place for such platforms under some circumstances, such as for students who are physically unable to come to school.  

Adopting some of these techniques used and lessons learned during virtual learning can help make your job as an educator easier, more organized, and overall more impactful. Don’t waste the skills you learned during your time in quarantine—put them to use this 2021-22 school year!