What Are Some Challenges and Opportunities Around Teacher Growth, Equity, and The Human Connection in 2021?

The year 2020 has brought on a new set of challenges and opportunities for K-12 teachers, students, and families.  Educators can look towards the future to help students cope and make it through the 2020-21 school year.  We at Ei360; know that teachers are surviving while learning a new set of skills, K-12 schools are having new conversations around race, equity, and inclusion, and Social connection has become a challenge for everyone in the world.

Steep Teacher Learning Curve

It has been a vertical climb for teachers learning new technology but a benefit for some students who learn better by working at their own pace. Virtual teaching and lesson plans, online lessons, and up-to-date grading software speeds up the process and saves teachers a lot of time.  Yes, technology can encourage individualized learning and allow students to target the skills they need while skipping ahead on the skills they have already mastered.  Teachers can have students create PowerPoint presentations, develop how-to videos on YouTube, and express their knowledge by teaching their peers.  Finally, it helps if students learn how to identify valid resources and write professional emails that are important and necessary in life.

Teachers Are Activists

While students are at home attending school online, the world continues to fight against systematic racism and oppression.  The book “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, expresses that we must work to change oppressive systems and how it treats marginalized groups.  The text, allows for a much-needed discussion inside K12 classrooms.  The murder of George Floyd truly galvanized communities but minorities still face police brutality.  There have been protests and demonstrations in all 50 states; more people are speaking out about microaggressions, racism, and discrimination they face daily.  Yes, the police have been charged with the murder of George Floyd but just yesterday in Ohio, Andre Maurice Hill, was killed by police so the fight continues.  For K-12 students, the narrative continues to play out in America while The Black Lives Matter Movements continues to be the slogan and the push for social justice and racial equality. 

Students are witnessing these events live on TV and through Social Media so when conversations come in the classroom teachers must be prepared to have these discussions, if not be willing to expand their knowledge base. In the classroom, teachable moments were often but now with online learning, it’s a little challenging.  School has always been social; the human connection is so important emotionally and physically to our students’ health.  According to CNET, there is a “loneliness paradox” where technology and social media is thought to make us more socially connected increase loneliness.  Finally, we all know that the digital divide makes conversations online a luxury and further highlights economic disparities.

Social Media Loneliness

Students are witnessing these events live on TV and through social media so when conversations come in the classroom teachers must be prepared to have these discussions, if not be willing to expand their knowledge base. In the classroom teachable moments were often but now with online learning, it’s a little challenging.  School have always been social, the human connection is so important emotionally and physically to our students’ health.  According to CNET, there is a “loneliness paradox” where technology and social media is thought to make us more socially connected actually increase loneliness.  Finally, we all know that the digital divide makes conversations online a luxury and further highlights economic disparities.

Overall I would love to change society for the better but there are some old traditional ways, I worry will keep things the same.  There are several ideas that stand out this year, new learning for teachers, activism in the world, and how the digital divide continues to separate and support affluent communities.  I am hopeful for change, and ready for a new year.  I hope your holidays are bright and full of joy! Until next year!  Good bye to 2020 and hello 2021!

Citation:

Brown, D. (2018, April 27). The power of human connection. Retrieved December 25, 2020, from https://www.liherald.com/stories/the-power-of-human-connection,102632

George Floyd: 10 things that have changed since his death. (2020, June 12). Retrieved December 25, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-53007952

Holt-Lunstad, J. (2020, June 22). The Double Pandemic Of Social Isolation And COVID-19: Cross-Sector Policy Must Address Both: Health Affairs Blog. Retrieved December 25, 2020, from https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200609.53823

Lopez, D., Ure, L., & Henderson, J. (2020, December 24). Body cam footage shows fatal police shooting of unarmed Black man in Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved December 25, 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/us/columbus-ohio-mayor-calls-for-firing-of-officer/index.html