In this ~2 min. read on EdSurge I offer a gentle reminder that we are not far removed from a global pandemic and related crises. Recovery takes time and doing too much too quickly can be harmful.
In the article, I describe a poll I give schools anytime I speak or work with them. The questions are always the same:
How are the children?
How are their families?
How is your school community?
From March 2020 through the summer of 2022, the answers about school communities were always the same. People felt overwhelmed, divided, battered, and overworked. Then, something shifted. Hope and optimism Increased as the number of people getting sick decreased. Rather suddenly, people started to express feeling supportive, helpful, and happy.
Unchanged, however, were feelings of tiredness, exhaustion, and stress. They were always at the center of the "word cloud." Even after things started to feel more normal, from mask requirements being lifted to the return of back-to-school nights and field trips, people felt worn down.
I hope you'll read the EdSurge piece and consider where the schools you're connected to are right now. How are people feeling? What healing still needs to happen? Which aspects of the global pandemic or other crises continue? How can rest and recovery be prioritized?