The Coronavirus mandates and restrictions in some states have changed, and now is the perfect time to stop and reflect on everything the pandemic has taught us. Kids aren’t the only ones learning something new during this time!
If anything, the one thing we all have learned is that things might be one way and different in the blink of an eye. In the chaos of it all, our goal has remained the same: to educate children.
Even with the constant changes, students are still expected to learn and remain on track for the next grade level, which means teachers have to be on top of their game.
Here are some lessons we learned whether we wanted to or not throughout COVID-19.
When we were in school, the rules were steadfast that if a teacher gave you a deadline or a due date, that’s what they meant. However, the first thing we learned during the pandemic was that a little grace is needed for everyone, and it can go a long way.
We all had to take some time to adjust to the new way of doing things while actively finding solutions to issues that arose throughout the year. The shift from in-person to online and back caused problems for many of us that would become even more challenging without the presence of grace.
As educators, we found that enforcing deadlines while also allowing for some flexibility empowered students to complete their work in a timely manner and help to control the havoc that comes from having to learn new things as quickly as possible.
Before the pandemic came about, most teachers used one method of teaching because you didn’t have to do it any other way. Now, on any given day you could have students at home and the other half present in the classroom.
Now would be the best time to teach lessons on germs utilizing Gallopade’s Germ Wise for Kids. There are tons of germ-free resources you can access to stress the importance of learning about and understanding just how germy things can get!
The difficulty lies in ensuring the students at home are included as much as the students in the building.
The pandemic has taught us to think out of the box and incorporate different integrative lessons into our plans for the year. These different methods of integration ensure no one is left out, no matter where they are.
While you’re in the classroom learning these things firsthand, here at Gallopade we’re rethinking the resources we provide to our community of educators. Our goal is to ensure you have what you need to teach lessons and make an impact while doing so.
If nothing else mattered throughout the course of the pandemic, one thing is for sure: being resilient will carry you far. Being able to adapt to changes quickly and bounce back has been the name of the game for educators globally.
There are several things that can become overwhelming and cause you to burn out, but the key is to take care of yourself and take things in stride. We stress TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF because when you don’t take care of yourself everything going on around you becomes much more daunting than it already is –– and you can’t care for others if you’re neglecting yourself.
Learning to be resilient can take some time and require you as an educator to be willing to try something new. No matter what happens, the team here at Gallopade wants you to know we’ve got your back!
Don’t forget to check out our series of resources to help you run your classroom with the flexibility you need during these challenging times. The Gallopade blog has tons of information on historical happenings and other must-read posts!
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